https://phys.org/chemistry-news/analytical-chemistry/ en-us The latest science news on analytical chemistry Water is not usually thought of as a magnetic material. But a new study led by researchers at Tohoku University's Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, in collaboration with National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), has found that tiny shifts in the orientation of water molecules can flip on magnetic partnerships between metal ions that are not even directly bonded to each other. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-molecules-secret-messengers-magnetism.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:10:01 EST news713547001 Health care researchers have long sought to harness the power of computing to design molecules that bind to specific receptors and can be used as targeted treatments for diseases. Even with the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence, however, this technological promise has yet to be realized. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-ai-generated-molecular-fingerprints-compounds.html Biochemistry Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:30:01 EST news713546221 University of Missouri researchers have created a single solid material that responds differently depending on what it's exposed to. Shine light on it, and it changes from yellow to white, an indication of a chemical reaction. Heat it, and it undergoes a different chemical reaction. Scratch the surface, and it flashes blue. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-molecules-scientists-material-physical.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:10:06 EST news713545621 Quantum chemistry can be used to calculate the probabilities of which chemical processes will occur. This involves a great deal of programming work. Dr. Michael F. Peintinger from the Mulliken Center for Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Bonn has investigated what happens when artificial intelligence is used for this purpose. His work is published in the Journal of Computational Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-ai-probabilities-chemical.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 10 Nov 2026 11:40:05 EST news713527521 Cobalt phosphide (CoP) is a promising alternative to platinum for producing hydrogen from water. However, scientists have struggled to explain why it performs so well. Computer models have suggested that CoP should become unstable under the conditions used to produce hydrogen, yet experiments show that it remains active and durable in acidic, neutral and alkaline environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-catalyst-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:40:08 EST news713524441 An international research team led by the University of Sydney has found a way to formulate microemulsions without traditional surfactants, which are often toxic and hard to separate from end products. The findings have important implications for pharmaceutical applications and food additives. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-alternative-approach-reliance-potentially-toxic.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:50:01 EST news713464321 Discovering new molecules for specific uses is a major driver of progress in a wide variety of industries, whether it's pharmaceutical companies looking for new drugs or electronics or energy companies seeking new materials with particular properties. But it's also largely a trial-and-error process, because there is not yet any way to perfectly predict how a given chemical compound will behave in terms of the myriad different properties and responses materials can exhibit. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-chemeleon-molecular-properties-scant.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:00:12 EST news713451481 Throughout the drug development process, which can take a decade or more, tens of thousands of chemical compounds are produced that never go on to become medicines. A Florida State University researcher is part of a team that has discovered a new way to give some of these "dead ends" a second chance at becoming the foundation for tomorrow's blockbuster drugs. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-powered-method-resurrects-dead-compounds.html Biochemistry Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:40:01 EST news713194382 A battery material can look perfect in the lab and still fail in a real battery. That is the puzzle facing researchers working on solid electrolytes, the materials seen as key to safer, longer-lasting batteries. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-trial-error-framework-ai-driven.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 06 Nov 2026 13:40:07 EST news713184692 Enzymes are biology's tiny chemists. They help build, break and rearrange molecules quickly and precisely. In the lab, scientists have long put enzymes to work making useful chemicals. But nature's enzymes cannot do every reaction a researcher might want. Sometimes scientists need an enzyme to take on a job it did not evolve to do. That's where enzyme engineering comes in—researchers make changes to an enzyme, test how those changes affect what the enzyme does and look for versions that work better. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-synfit-enzyme-traits.html Biochemistry Fri, 06 Nov 2026 13:00:03 EST news713191261 You have probably performed a sandwich assay before, even if you didn't know it. Sandwich assays are the molecular sensing technology behind lateral flow tests like the at-home COVID test. After a sample is dripped onto the test strip, it combines with detector antibodies attached to tiny gold particles, which bind to any viral proteins present. When the sample reaches the test line, a second antibody anchored to the strip binds to a different site on the viral protein, creating a molecular "sandwich." As the gold particles accumulate, the test line turns dark red, becoming visible to the naked eye. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-paired-dna-strands-sequence-small.html Biochemistry Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:40:04 EST news713117401 Researchers Dr. Shayma El-Atawneh and professor Amiram Goldblum at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a new computational framework that identified 92 promising candidates for future sugar substitutes from more than 50 million chemical compounds. The study, published in the journal Food Chemistry, demonstrates how artificial intelligence and molecular modeling could accelerate the discovery of new sweeteners while helping overcome one of the industry's persistent challenges: unwanted bitter aftertastes. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-sweeter-future-ai-scientists-sugar.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:40:10 EST news713099550 University of Sydney researchers have made a breakthrough by directly observing hydrogen in the tiny spaces between the atoms in metal alloys. The world-first observation of hydrogen dissolving in these 'metal crystal lattices' offers fresh insights into why hydrogen can weaken metals and how more hydrogen-resistant materials might be developed. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-reveal-hydrogen-dissolved-tiny-gaps.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 04 Nov 2026 19:20:06 EST news713034421 Electron spin is a quantum property that makes electrons behave like tiny magnets. It can influence how electrons interact with each other and how chemical reactions take place. But what does this have to do with producing fertilizers, making cleaner fuels or improving energy technologies? What connects all these processes is the use of catalysts, materials that help chemical reactions happen faster and more efficiently. By controlling electron spin, scientists may be able to improve how these catalysts work, opening up new possibilities for more efficient chemical processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-catalysts-roadmap-smarter-chemical-reactions.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:20:06 EST news713004303 Chinese researchers have developed a new way to improve sodium–sulfur battery performance by changing the atomic structure of a catalyst. Led by professors Wang Hui and Zheng Fangcai from the High Magnetic Field Laboratory at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the study is published in Angewandte Chemie. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-asymmetric-atomic-sodiumsulfur-battery.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 03 Nov 2026 18:40:05 EST news712925338 Dialing up the power on electricity-driven chemical reactions doesn't guarantee that they'll be more efficient, suggests a new study, a finding that gets researchers closer to creating the ideal conditions for sustainable chemical manufacturing. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-power-payoff-reveals-bottleneck-cleaner.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 03 Nov 2026 16:00:01 EST news712930741 While ammonia (NH₃) is best known for its role in fertilizer production, it is attracting attention as a carbon-free hydrogen carrier, potentially offering a practical way to store and transport clean fuel. Despite this promise, NH₃ synthesis still depends on high-temperature, high-pressure processes that are difficult to scale up sustainably. The reason behind this is the extremely strong bond between nitrogen atoms in nitrogen gas (N₂), which requires a lot of energy to break. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-molecular-dinitrogen-anions-pave-temperature.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:20:08 EST news712846992 Many have voiced concerns that artificial intelligence will take jobs away from humans. But assistant professor of chemistry Zhongyue (John) Yang, along with his former doctoral student Qianzhen Shao (now a postdoc at Stanford) and other team members, has created an AI tool that aims to elevate the work that scientists do—not replace them. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chemists-ai-tool-human-ingenuity.html Analytical Chemistry Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:00:01 EDT news712327561 A research team has designed and synthesized a molecular cage with an internal cavity by connecting two curved π-conjugated molecules face-to-face at three points. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-molecular-armor-planar-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:01 EDT news712244725 Finding new drugs requires screening vast numbers of compounds to identify those that interact with a biological target. DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) help researchers explore these large collections by attaching a short DNA sequence to each molecule, acting as a molecular barcode that allows compounds with promising properties to be identified. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chemical-reaction-options-dna-encoded.html Biochemistry Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:20:06 EDT news712582201 Nitrogen dioxide is a harmful gas that requires sensitive detection. Researchers used intense light pulses lasting 10 milliseconds to make molybdenum disulfide flakes and anchor isolated metal atoms in one step. Adding platinum improved the material's room-temperature response to nitrogen dioxide, reaching 100.8% at 400 parts per billion and a detection limit of 17.2 parts per billion. This approach could support advanced gas sensors and applications in catalysis and energy technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-millisecond-sensitive-gas-sensors.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:20:15 EDT news712572361 A newly published study advances our knowledge of how microplastics may age in the environment and whether they stick to other contaminants as they do so. Microplastics (MPs) are tiny plastic pieces that measure less than 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) in length. The study looked at the aging of MPs made of three common polymer chemicals—polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene—to see if they changed as they aged and how that affected nearby contaminants. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-lab-aged-microplastics-enable-interactions.html Polymers Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:20:01 EDT news712505882 Chemical reactions are often understood as molecules crossing a high-energy saddle point, known as a transition state, before following a downhill pathway toward a product. Conventional quantum chemical calculations typically trace this single pathway to determine how a reaction proceeds. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-reveal-hidden-pathways-chemical-reactions.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Oct 2026 19:00:01 EDT news712499221 A reaction on a single electrode can tell scientists a remarkable amount about the chemical nature and number of analytes involved. The challenge comes when they want to distinguish many reactions on the same electrode. After more than a decade of trying to overcome that limitation, Ravi Saraf and his Nebraska Engineering graduate students have demonstrated a way to quantify many reactions on the same electrode without sacrificing extraordinary sensitivity. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-multiple-reactions-electrode-extraordinary-sensitivity.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Oct 2026 18:40:01 EDT news712499641 Many chemical processes that sustain modern society depend on molecules binding to metal surfaces. The production of synthetic fertilizer, for example, relies on heterogeneous catalysis, in which gases react on the surface of a solid catalyst. Yet, until now, an important question has remained unresolved: How much of the metal surface actually participates in determining the strength of a chemical bond on the surface? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-molecule-atoms-platinum-bonds-surface.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Oct 2026 14:00:01 EDT news712485842 Over a century ago, the Haber-Bosch process, a two-step reaction for the synthesis of ammonia (NH₃), an irreplaceable chemical for the fertilizer industry, prevented the world from going into a serious food crisis. Today, however, the same method consumes about 1% of global energy and contributes more than 1% of annual anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-catalyst-proton-highways-tackle-hurdle.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:00:08 EDT news712490573 Two nearly identical materials have completely different chemical behavior. Research teams at the University of Vienna and TU Wien studied catalysts that use the energy of sunlight to produce ammonia. Surprisingly, when the three iron atoms that form tiny triangles in these catalysts are replaced by chromium atoms, the chemical reaction no longer takes place. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-atomic-magnetism-reveals-iron-chromium.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:00:01 EDT news712420921 Chemical reactions have their own "impatient molecules." Unable to stay still even for a moment, they latch onto other molecules indiscriminately. Researchers have now found that even these molecules change where they "sit" and how far they roam depending on who their neighbors are. The findings are expected to help scientists make better medicines and materials by directing reactions only to the desired sites. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-radical-paths-ray-snapshots-reveal.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:20:13 EDT news712419782 What do you see when you look up at the night sky? While everyone may have a different answer, the truth is that almost everything out there is hydrogen. The first element in the periodic table is by far the most abundant substance in the cosmos. It's the fuel of stars and the raw material from which the heavier elements were forged over billions of years. Even the sun is, at its core, a furnace for fusing hydrogen atoms together. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hydrogen-atom-raw-material-universe.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:40:01 EDT news712405107 In a new publication in the journal Nature Chemistry, chemists in professor Holger Braunschweig's team at the University of Würzburg, supported by computational work from the team of professor Ashwini K. Phukan at Tezpur University in India, detail their discovery of a method for preparing and isolating a range of surprisingly stable oxoboranes—a challenge that has stood for over 60 years. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-year-chemists-isolate-elusive-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:00:06 EDT news712398602