https://phys.org/chemistry-news/ en-us The latest news stories on chemistry, biochemistry, polymers, materials science from Phys.org University of Birmingham scientists who used green chemistry to make a next-generation metal-organic framework (MOF) for capturing heavy metals from wastewater have shown that it is cheaper and more resource-efficient to produce than a similar MOF processed conventionally. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-greener-material-decontamination.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:40:04 EDT news705771481 In Nature Communications a research team led by Professor Tae-Hyun Bae of the KAIST Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering introduced hydrogen-selective transport pathways at the angstrom scale inside polymer membranes and clarified their separation performance through the concept of "network completeness." https://phys.org/news/2026-08-polymer-membrane-high-purity-hydrogen.html Polymers Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:20:06 EDT news705771122 In collaboration with the University of Vienna, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and Heidelberg University, researchers at the TUD Dresden University of Technology have developed an innovative tool that significantly simplifies lipid research. The new open-source platform, LipidLibrarian, enables the automated consolidation of fragmented data from international lipid databases, such as LIPID MAPS, SwissLipids, and ALEX123, into a single, user-friendly interface for the first time. This enables researchers to identify new diagnostic markers more quickly, and to develop personalized therapies and innovative medicines. A study published in the Journal of Lipid Research details the platform's functionality and potential https://phys.org/news/2026-08-source-tool-automated-lipid.html Biochemistry Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:40:01 EDT news705770282 Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a simpler way to produce a fast-growing class of targeted cancer therapies, a discovery that could make the medicines easier to manufacture consistently while driving the development of new treatment options. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sugar-swap-production-cancer-therapies.html Biochemistry Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:30:01 EDT news705769201 Food insecurity is a major problem in many parts of the world, particularly Africa, where more than 300 million people regularly go hungry. Now, using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, researchers from Morocco have developed a way to produce fertilizer from local African rocks, which could make it easier for farmers to grow the crops needed to feed local residents. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fertilizer-local-hungry-africa.html Biochemistry Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:40:01 EDT news705763827 Food and pharmaceutical manufacturers increasingly seek lipids with carefully controlled fatty-acid compositions. However, natural oils usually contain mixtures of closely related fatty acids, and conventional enzymes often cannot distinguish reliably between them. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-lipase-production-higher-specialized-lipids.html Biochemistry Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:20:03 EDT news705755416 Whether it's neurons responding to electrical signals or plants stretching toward light, nature is filled with examples of biological materials that respond to their environment. Now, researchers want to develop new responsive materials for a wide range of applications, such as sensing or low-energy technologies. However, achieving a balance of useful properties at the molecular level is challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-possibilities-future-electronics-storage.html Polymers Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:01 EDT news705755360 Most glues need a dry surface to stick properly. Bonding materials underwater is challenging because water forms a thin film on any surface, so instead of an adhesive touching a material directly, it touches a layer of water, which weakens the bond. But scientists from China have now created a superglue that repels water and forms a strong, recyclable bond within seconds, as they report in a paper published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-recyclable-bonds-underwater-seconds-years.html Polymers Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news705663880 Capturing carbon or storing hydrogen to combat global warming requires compressing gases into sponge-like porous materials. Until now, gas molecules were thought to adsorb in a disordered manner throughout the pores. But what if invisible gas molecules could be lined up in regular order—like ice crystals or LEGO bricks? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-porous-material-disordered-gas-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:20:05 EDT news705678721 Researchers from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, including Dr. Zachary Birch-Price and professor Anthony Green, have developed a new family of engineered enzymes that can create several different types of chemical bonds used to build complex molecules. This work demonstrates how artificial enzymes can be adapted to carry out a broad range of carbon-carbon (C-C) and carbon-nitrogen (C-N) bond-forming reactions with high selectivity, offering new possibilities for biocatalysis. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-enzymes-forge-carbon-nitrogen-bonds.html Biochemistry Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:20:05 EDT news705595261 Researchers have developed a polymer composite that combines vibration damping with reliable strain sensing. The material uses a thermoplastic polyurethane matrix containing UPy (2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone) units, which form reversible quadruple hydrogen bonds. These molecular links can break and reform. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-composite-retains-response-strain.html Polymers Mon, 10 Aug 2026 15:00:05 EDT news705586351 Biofilms—bacterial communities encased in a sticky, polymer-rich matrix—can be difficult to treat because that matrix slows antibiotics and drug-carrying particles. With help from salt, though, Yale researchers have found a way to steer these particles into some biofilms and even deform the biofilm itself in certain cases. The study is published in Soft Matter. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-salt-drug-particles-deeper-difficult.html Biochemistry Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:40:05 EDT news705580741 The high cost of platinum is one of the main barriers to the wider adoption of hydrogen fuel cells. Now, researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute have developed a catalyst that delivers the same performance while using 75% less of this expensive metal. The study, published in Electrochimica Acta, demonstrates a breakthrough made possible by applying controlled mechanical compression to the catalyst. This modifies its atomic-scale structure, enabling it to achieve energy efficiency comparable to that of pure platinum. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-catalyst-platinum-hydrogen-fuel-cells.html Analytical Chemistry Sun, 09 Aug 2026 14:00:01 EDT news704994481 For the first time, researchers have discovered that the same silver (Ag) nanocatalyst operates at different reaction sites depending on whether a solid oxide cell is generating electricity or producing hydrogen. This finding introduces a new design principle for improving the performance of next-generation solid oxide cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-silver-nanocatalysts-reaction-sites-power.html Materials Science Sat, 08 Aug 2026 02:50:52 EDT news705376221 Oxygen provides the driving force for many vital chemical reactions. Two well-known examples include respiration, the process that allows living things to break down food to release its energy, and combustion, reactions that produce heat and light. But oxygen has an unusual electronic configuration that tends to slow reactions with organic matter, so reactions often need help to get started. In nature, specialized proteins called enzymes can activate oxygen on demand by first rearranging its electrons. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cleaner-chemical-reactions-oxygen.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:20:01 EDT news705328021 α-Silyl alcohols are unique organosilicon compounds bearing a silyl group and a hydroxy group on the same carbon atom. Because these compounds serve as precursors to reactive species, such as carbanions and carbon radicals, they are pivotal building blocks for synthesizing pharmaceuticals and functional materials. However, their synthesis often requires multistep procedures and suffers from poor functional group tolerance. Developing simpler and more versatile synthetic methodologies has therefore become increasingly important. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-photocatalytic-method-cleaves-strong-ch.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:40:05 EDT news705326763 The cuts of meat in a supermarket case can look perfectly fresh even as bacteria are already multiplying inside the package. Is there a way to know before you open it? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-smart-hydrogel-packaging-food-fresh.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:40:02 EDT news705252001 Many material properties depend on how electrons are arranged inside a material. Their distribution determines, for example, whether a material conducts electricity or displays magnetic behavior. Understanding how electrons organize themselves at the atomic scale is therefore one of the major challenges in materials science. Now, a team led by researchers at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) has developed a new technique that, for the first time, reveals how electrons are organized inside materials with an unprecedented level of detail. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-key-material-properties-atom.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news705237421 Carbon dioxide is often viewed as a major contributor to climate change, but it can also become a valuable raw material. If scientists can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into useful fuels using sunlight, it would provide a sustainable way to store solar energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-black-silicon-catalyst-carbon-dioxide.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:45:23 EDT news705235396 The search for leather alternatives has led researchers somewhere unexpected: fungi. Although traditional leather is durable, producing it requires animal agriculture, which carries negative environmental impacts. Meanwhile, vegan alternatives are typically made from petroleum-based plastics that are difficult to recycle. Researchers report in ACS Applied Bio Materials that mycelium, the underground network of fibers below mushroom caps, can be pressed into a durable yet compostable leather-like fabric. They even sewed the fabric into a purse. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-handbag-mushrooms.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:40:06 EDT news705229201 Cancer cells have a voracious appetite for sugar—using it to fuel their rapid growth. This is why many scientists have tried to develop drugs that block cancer cells' metabolism by cutting off their sugar supply. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-experimental-drug-cancer-favorite-fuel.html Biochemistry Wed, 05 Aug 2026 18:20:06 EDT news705160922 A research team from AIST, the Institute of Science Tokyo, and Ritsumeikan University has demonstrated that the phase behavior of histone–DNA condensates depends on the site of histone acetylation. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-histone-acetylation-sites-reshape-dna.html Biochemistry Wed, 05 Aug 2026 17:00:03 EDT news705163682 A research team has developed a highly efficient catalyst that directly converts carbon dioxide—a major contributor to global warming—into high-value industrial 2-propanol. The research was published online in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-catalyst-high-industrial-chemical-room.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:40:03 EDT news705162834 Ceramic materials are used everywhere, from smartphones and computers to electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. These materials are used in a wide range of technologies because of their unique electrical, magnetic and thermal properties. However, discovering new ceramic compositions with better performance remains a significant challenge because each candidate material must typically be synthesized and tested individually, involving multiple labor-intensive steps. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-discovery-ceramic-materials-cellulose-nanofiber.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news705161821 With annual production of around 1 million metric tons (1.1 million tons), formic acid is one of the most important basic chemicals and is used, among other things, as an additive in the animal feed industry. It is also increasingly attracting attention as an H2 carrier. To date, its production has relied on fossil raw materials, which are to be replaced in the long term by sustainable raw materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hydrogen-bio-based-formic-acid.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:26:09 EDT news705162347 Virginia Tech chemist and chemical engineer Guoliang "Greg" Liu and his lab have developed a process that converts the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into polyalphaolefin, a key component in lubricants such as engine oil. Published Aug. 5 in the journal Nature, the research could help address two environmental challenges: recycling one of the world's most difficult plastics and producing a valuable industrial material. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-world-difficult-plastics-premium-lubricant.html Polymers Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:00:07 EDT news705067441 Ultrasound is a powerful way to drive chemical reactions. When high-frequency sound waves pass through a liquid, tiny bubbles form and then violently collapse in a process called acoustic cavitation. During this collapse, gas particles are forced together, creating temperatures inside the bubbles that can exceed 5,000 K—hotter than the surface of the sun—and driving chemical reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-noisy-hinder-ultrasound-boosted-chemical.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:20:04 EDT news705140701 Researchers from Skoltech, SberUniversity, the M.N. Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics of UB RAS and Ural Federal University have published a review of a novel approach to interpreting chemical bonding in solids. The method not only describes crystals in terms of precise calculations but also enables chemists to reclaim explanatory models that are intuitively meaningful to them. The insights that emerge span long-documented anomalies that previously lacked a theoretical account. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chemical-bond-analysis-solids.html Materials Science Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:40:06 EDT news705140041 Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology describes a metal-free dye-fixing process that could help make natural plant dyes more practical for high-performance textiles, addressing a longstanding obstacle to their wider use in sustainable clothing. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-metal-free-dyes-durable-textiles.html Materials Science Tue, 04 Aug 2026 22:40:03 EDT news705071139 A research team led by professor Yousung Jung from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University College of Engineering has developed a new catalyst design principle that suppresses the hydrogen evolution reaction, which interferes with ammonia production, while maintaining the nitrogen reduction reaction that produces ammonia. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-catalyst-suppresses-hydrogen-reaction-ammonia.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:40:03 EDT news705083041