https://phys.org/chemistry-news/analytical-chemistry/ en-us The latest science news on analytical chemistry Cupping therapy is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique used to treat chronic pain, expedite muscle recovery and other conditions. It increases blood flow by creating suction on the skin. But what is released from the skin during treatment? Researchers reporting in ACS' Analytical Chemistry developed a noninvasive approach to analyze compounds pulled into the cup. In a pilot study with healthy volunteers, they detected changes in 13 volatile compounds before and after treatment. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cupping-therapy-skin.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:00:09 EDT news702729427 Designing high-performance catalysts is essential for cleaner energy technologies, but the behavior of multi-element modern catalyst materials is difficult to predict. In a new study, researchers at Tohoku University with international collaborators developed a collaborative framework that combines large language models with lab experiments to accelerate the discovery of high-entropy alloy catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, a key process in fuel cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-large-language-discovery-catalysts-energy.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:20:05 EDT news702724057 Computers have made it easier than ever before to design the perfect material for a given problem: Scientists can create a virtual version and simulate how that material will behave. Building these atomically precise simulations, however, typically requires deep expertise in computational chemistry. At the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, researchers have developed a kind of shortcut, streamlining scientific workflows using artificial intelligence (AI). https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-framework-battery-combustion-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news702654727 Quantum states can be precisely controlled with the help of tiny carbon rings measuring only a few nanometers in size. This is made possible by a class of rarely used electromagnetic dipoles called toroidal moments. Using computer simulations, physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have now found a way to generate and control these nanostructures without any loss. The findings are published in npj Computational Materials and create new opportunities for quantum computer technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tiny-carbon-enable-quantum.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:00:08 EDT news702638994 Many important medicines and agricultural compounds have origins in natural products made by microorganisms. One such compound is prodigiosin, a vivid red pigment produced by certain bacteria. Beyond its color, prodigiosin and related compounds known as prodiginines have attracted scientific interest because they have shown antibacterial, anticancer, immunosuppressive, antifungal and plant-protection activities. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-newly-marine-bacterial-enzyme-route.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 06 Jul 2026 21:20:02 EDT news702563459 Brown University researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence method for predicting the rate at which materials used in controlled drug-release systems release therapeutic agents. The new method could slash the development time for new therapeutic patches, bandages and implants. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-physics-ai-drug-patches-bandages.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:00:13 EDT news702556261 Nitrenes are the ghosts of synthetic chemistry, formed in an instant and gone just as quickly, rearranging into something entirely different. These highly reactive intermediates are widely used in synthesis, yet remain notoriously difficult to study because they rapidly transform into more stable structures through a process called 1,2-migration. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-chemists-capture-elusive-borylnitrene-crystal.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:00:10 EDT news702543159 Water is the most abundant liquid on Earth's surface, and it is highly anomalous compared with other liquids because it expands upon freezing. The anomalies in water have been linked to how its microscopic structure changes with temperature and pressure. However, there is no systematic scheme for characterizing these structural changes. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-systematic-framework-molecular-liquid.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:00:07 EDT news702287022 Researchers at the University of Bayreuth and Forschungszentrum Jülich have demonstrated that specific light-sensitive enzymes—so-called sensor histidine kinases (SHKs)—transmit their signal through a light-controlled change in asymmetry. With their new study, the researchers contribute to a better understanding of a central mechanism of bacterial signal processing. This may help develop new tools for biomedicine or biotechnology. The findings are reported in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-flips-bacterial-enzyme.html Biochemistry Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news702217862 Cross-coupling reactions have revolutionized the synthesis of complex pharmaceuticals and polymers from simpler, commercially available products. An important first step in these reactions is oxidative addition, which is often facilitated using transition metals such as palladium and nickel. However, achieving the same transformation with more abundant main-group elements, found in groups 1–2 and 13–18 of the periodic table, remains a major challenge for many important substrates, particularly aryl halides. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-gallium-visible-aryl-iodides-rare.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:20:06 EDT news702210211 Solar cells and photocatalysts can be surprisingly inefficient. Despite light consisting of many wavelengths, the range that even highly efficient devices use is limited. Other wavelengths, especially long wavelengths, simply pass through the material without being used as energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-acceptor-molecule-upconverts-energy-green.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:40:02 EDT news702134701 Organic molecular crystals can respond to external stimuli such as heat, light, and mechanical force, making them attractive candidates for next-generation functional materials. However, predicting how multiple intermolecular interactions cooperate or compete to govern crystal behavior remains a major challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-crystal-principle-reveals-molecular-phase.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:20:10 EDT news702124982 Shock-absorbing sneaker soles are likely made of polyurethane, a highly elastic and tough polymer. The ability of these elastomers to absorb impact without breaking is extremely important for practical applications. While multiple strategies exist for enhancing elastomer toughness, each has its limitations. However, achieving synergistic toughening by integrating all three mechanisms within a single material remains challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-polymer-network-reconfigures-sequence-elastomers.html Polymers Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:00:07 EDT news701967241 Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and their collaborators have demonstrated a promising new approach for converting methane—the primary component of natural gas—into liquid chemicals that are precursors for many industrial chemicals and fuels. The research, described in a paper just published in Advanced Functional Materials, shows how molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), an earth-abundant industrial catalyst, can be used with minimal tweaking to selectively convert methane into methyl peroxide and other liquid oxygenate compounds at temperatures below 100°C (212°F). Methyl peroxide is a precursor for making methanol, an energy-dense liquid fuel that can be transported easily. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-abundant-catalyst-methane-valuable-liquid.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:20:03 EDT news702043741 Sialic acid is a natural sugar building block found on the surfaces of our cells. It acts as a protective and recognition molecule and plays a central role in the development of the nervous system. Following the modular principle, individual components can be swapped for new building blocks, thereby altering the properties of the sugar. Researchers at Hannover Medical School (MHH) have investigated how these building blocks reach their target. These fundamental findings are also significant because certain influenza and coronavirus strains specifically use modified sialic acids as receptors to enter host cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-sugar-block-viral.html Biochemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:20:05 EDT news702036482 Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how scientists search for new catalysts—the materials that speed up chemical reactions essential for producing fuels, chemicals and clean energy technologies. However, despite remarkable advances in AI, a major obstacle remains: a lack of comprehensive, standardized data that AI systems can effectively learn from. Solving this data challenge is key to unlocking the next generation of AI-driven catalyst discovery. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-powered-platform-lays-foundation.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:20:03 EDT news702033147 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as "forever chemicals," are among the most persistent contaminants found in water systems worldwide. Their strong carbon-fluorine bonds make them highly resistant to degradation, allowing them to remain in the environment for long periods. While PFAS are often treated as a single group of pollutants, growing evidence suggests that differences in their molecular structure can significantly influence both their environmental behavior and their response to treatment technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-pfas-chain-length-environmental-fate.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:20:01 EDT news701965621 Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based strategy to predict and assess the fire resistance of epoxy resins, one of the most widely used polymers in industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-tool-reliably-flame-resistance.html Polymers Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:00:04 EDT news701961301 Scientists around the world have been searching food, water and other environmental media for microplastics and for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). But microfluoroplastics (MFPs), the intersection between these two fields, have received much less attention. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-faster-reveal-fluoropolymer-microplastics-rarely.html Polymers Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news701968561 Pioneering research has developed a new way of creating carbohydrate-based medicines that could ultimately replace costly drugs for common health conditions, using two cheap basic ingredients—table sugar and vinegar. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-table-sugar-cheaper-quicker-key.html Biochemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:00:09 EDT news701956748 There is growing demand for smart materials that can change their physical properties in response to various external stimuli such as light, heat, pressure, magnetic fields and electric fields. One such physical property is the magnetic state of material complexes, which depends on electronic spin states. Metal atoms in these complexes can change their spin state—between magnetic and nonmagnetic configurations—in response to light, heat or mechanical pressure. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-synthetic-chemical-framework-magnetic-states.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:10:01 EDT news701965141 Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a new way to use molecules as tiny data storage devices with a new manganese-based material. Until now, this was possible only with iron-containing molecular materials, which require very low temperatures—ranging from 100 to a maximum of 130 Kelvin (minus 173 to minus 143°C)—making their application significantly more difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-states-manganese-ions-path-molecular.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:20:08 EDT news701953803 Antibiotic resistance is becoming an accelerating crisis because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics over many years. The problem is exacerbated when antibiotics wipe out susceptible bacteria but leave resistant bacteria behind to multiply, further spreading resistance. There is an ongoing search for new treatments to fight resistant bacteria, and now researchers may have found a way to successfully treat at least one type of resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-compound-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-defense.html Biochemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:20:06 EDT news701953801 Color-changing mood rings, forehead fever strips and car-shade indicators all change hues as they warm and cool, thanks to a phenomenon called thermochromism. On a smaller scale, thermochromism is used in nanotechnologies like sensors, electronics and computing. These applications require smart materials that can be patterned into designs without losing structural integrity, which can be difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-uv-patterns-thermochromic-crystals.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:20:03 EDT news701945222 Enzymes are regarded as the key to sustainable chemistry. Despite major advances in protein design, creating artificial enzymes from scratch has so far remained a grand challenge. A research team at the University of Bayreuth, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Ottawa, has now demonstrated how nonfunctional protein scaffolds can be transformed into highly active enzymes. The researchers report their findings in Nature Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-workflow-nonfunctional-protein-scaffolds-enzymes.html Biochemistry Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news701682571 Researchers have directly visualized a rare type of chemical bond between some of the heaviest elements in the periodic table, providing experimental evidence of how these atoms share electrons in systems where this has been difficult to prove. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-elusive-thoriumthorium-bonding-hirshfeld-atom.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:01:16 EDT news701681463 A research team at Mahidol University, Thailand, has discovered that tosyl groups, long regarded as routine synthetic handles, can actively guide the formation and behavior of pillararenes—a class of pillar-shaped macrocyclic molecules widely used in supramolecular chemistry. Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, reveal that these groups can act as a hidden "instruction code" that influences the organization of molecular components before bond formation and enables temperature-triggered switching accompanied by visible color changes. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hidden-molecular-code-tosyl-groups.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:40:03 EDT news701617681 Researchers at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT/UCC) in Dresden, including Oliver Bruns and Dr. Bernardo Arús, are participating in an international study that has, for the first time, developed novel proteins for near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared imaging (SWIR). The research was conducted in collaboration with an international team that included chemistry Nobel laureate David Baker, who was honored in 2024 for his work on computational protein design. The study, with shared first authorship, was recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-proteins-infrared-swir-deeper-tissue.html Biochemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2026 22:40:01 EDT news701531781 Scientists from the University of Manchester have shown how a plasma-based approach, using nonthermal plasma—an electrically energized gas often described as the fourth state of matter—can prevent catalyst deactivation in a key hydrogen production reaction, maintaining stable performance for 30 hours while also changing how the reaction proceeds at the molecular level. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-plasma-approach-catalysts-longer-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:10:01 EDT news701540161 Sugars are not just a source of energy—they also play a crucial role in how cells communicate, how proteins interact and how materials behave in medicine and industry. But studying these processes is challenging because sugar molecules are structurally complex and difficult to control. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientists-tunable-biomolecules-probe-sugars.html Biochemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:40:03 EDT news701524741