https://phys.org/chemistry-news/materials-science/ en-us The latest news on chemistry and materials science Molecules can spontaneously organize into complex, ordered structures through a process known as self-assembly. Among these structures, soft quasicrystals display unusual patterns that do not repeat regularly like conventional crystals. However, producing such structures with a uniform orientation over large areas remains a major challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-vapor-treatment-molecules-highly-soft.html Materials Science Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:40:01 EDT news711720483 Catalysts spur chemical reactions used across industries, from producing fuels and medicines to manufacturing chemicals and treating pollutants. Improving their performance requires understanding where and how reactions happen on their surfaces. However, conventional measurements average the activity of many catalyst particles, concealing local differences that could hold clues to designing more effective materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-fluorescent-reaction-reveal-catalyst-conditions.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:50:06 EDT news711728102 Tiny magnetic probes can be used to investigate the chemical forces at work inside the pores of molecular framework compounds, but until now, this had only been possible to a limited degree. A new method developed by a team at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) could help to better understand the properties of these materials and control these properties in the future. The study is published in the journal Small. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-analytical-method-reveals-tiny-molecular.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:00:12 EDT news711703873 Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have developed a new strategy for programming synthetic molecules to self-assemble into precisely defined three-dimensional structures. The study brings scientists a step closer to achieving the sophisticated molecular organization found in nature and could eventually open new possibilities for the development of advanced functional materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-synthetic-molecules-triple-helices-method.html Biochemistry Mon, 19 Oct 2026 18:20:01 EDT news711645182 Large quantities of acrylic glass are used worldwide in a wide range of applications, from windowpanes and car taillights to furniture. The polymer is also known by the brand name Plexiglas. All too often, acrylic glass still ends up as waste, even though it is well suited to recycling. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-simpler-recycling-recovers-pure-raw.html Polymers Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:20:04 EDT news711644761 Nearly all metabolic processes require protons—positively charged hydrogen atoms. Although these are abundant in the cellular fluid, the biocatalysts involved depend on mechanisms for efficiently capturing protons and transporting them to the site where catalysis occurs. Enzymes from microorganisms can produce hydrogen (H₂) by combining electrons with protons. These so-called hydrogenases are so efficient that one biocatalyst can capture nearly 10,000 protons per second. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-molecular-pendulum-shuttles-protons-enable.html Biochemistry Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:40:02 EDT news711642301 They can turn up in a nonstick frying pan, a waterproof jacket, a takeout food wrapper or the foam used to fight fires. Known as "forever chemicals," these substances are ubiquitous in modern society, prized for their extreme durability and versatility. However, their charm comes with a curse: They are so durable they resist degradation, posing threats to human health and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hunter-killer-chemistry-captures-destroys.html Polymers Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:00:06 EDT news711620341 In principle, artificial intelligence could make finding the right material for an application as simple as ordering dinner: Scientists would tell a large language model what they want, and it would serve them the perfect material for the job. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-crystal-view-materials-world.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:20:01 EDT news711622141 Even when AI designs molecules with potential as medicines, drug development can be delayed if the process of producing them is slow. KAIST researchers have developed an "unmanned synthesis platform" that uses synthesis robots and light to automatically carry out the entire process from mixing raw materials to synthesis and analysis. The technology is expected to help secure a wider range of drug candidate compounds by reducing the burden of repetitive experiments. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-unmanned-synthesis-platform-robots-drug.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:00:12 EDT news711621481 There are many ways to produce hydrogen, but not all of them are environmentally friendly. Water electrolysis is a promising method that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen without producing carbon dioxide (CO₂). https://phys.org/news/2026-10-iridium-catalysts-hydrogen-production-longer.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:00:25 EDT news711612013 Australian researchers and international collaborators have demonstrated a solar-driven approach to convert glycerol, a low-value byproduct of biodiesel production, into hydrogen and higher-value chemicals. Using advanced techniques at the Australian Synchrotron, they revealed how the catalyst changed while it was working. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-sunlight-biodiesel-byproduct-life-hydrogen.html Materials Science Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:40:01 EDT news711373459 Structural metals used in engineering projects are expected to have both high strength and high ductility: the ability to withstand heavy loads and deform before failure. Achieving both of these properties at the same time, however, is challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-alloy-strategy-combines-strength-ductility.html Materials Science Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:20:11 EDT news711367261 Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have developed room-temperature liquids containing chemical elements that produce distinctive patterns of light. They say the materials could provide a flexible new approach to optical tagging and anti-counterfeiting, while being compatible with existing processing and printing technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-liquids-products-counterfeiters-distinctive-ultraviolet.html Materials Science Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:20:14 EDT news711367005 Could a cheap roll of duct tape help protect your home from flooding? New research suggests it could make a surprisingly big difference. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-duct-tape-floodwater-sandbags-laboratory.html Materials Science Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:40:05 EDT news711359416 Developing stronger and tougher structural metals such as steel requires exploring an enormous range of processing conditions. Even for the same alloy composition, heat treatment can dramatically change the material's microstructure and mechanical properties. If there were a way to automate the process, we could pinpoint ideal conditions much more efficiently. However, experiments on bulk metallic materials are difficult to automate because they require handling solid specimens and integrating large, specialized equipment. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-fully-automated-bulk-metals-paves.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:20:09 EDT news711356651 Chemical predictions can help prevent unwanted reactions or improve the efficacy of industrial processes, among other applications, but predicting how chemicals interact can be costly and time-consuming—especially because chemicals may behave differently from one environment to another. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chemical-approach-trial-error.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:00:08 EDT news711345131 New materials and catalysts have the potential to transform everything from food production and medicine to batteries and stainless steel. Computer simulations help scientists narrow down promising candidates before testing them in a lab, but those simulations can be unreliable, especially for molecules that contain multiple metals. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-electron-density-chemistry-difficult-metal.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:00:10 EDT news711295441 About 2 billion metric tons of metal are produced worldwide every year to meet the demands of industry, infrastructure and the energy sector. Much of this production still relies on primary raw materials, contributing to an estimated 40% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions and 10% of global energy consumption. Increasing the use of recycled metals could significantly reduce the environmental impact of metal production while also lowering dependence on imports of scarce and strategically critical raw materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-scrap-impurities-ingredients-stronger.html Materials Science Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:20:18 EDT news711292976 Discarded plastic packaging materials, old CDs and even LEGO bricks can be transformed into materials that capture significant amounts of moisture from the air. Materials chemists Anastasiia Naryshkina, Paul Schweng and Robert Woodward at the University of Vienna have converted several types of plastic waste into water-attracting polymer networks that take up water even in dry climates and release it again under moderate heating, for example, using sunlight. The study, published in Chem Circularity, offers a route to give plastic waste a second life as an adsorbent for atmospheric water harvesting. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-plastics-molecular-sponges-capture-air.html Polymers Wed, 14 Oct 2026 18:20:07 EDT news711212221 Flat is fine for a sheet of paper, but many of the most useful molecules need depth. Now, researchers from Japan have found a way to give them that depth using nothing more than a single carbon atom. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-carbon-atom-flat-molecules-3d.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 14 Oct 2026 18:00:01 EDT news711209881 An international collaboration led by a research group from GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt, Germany, has achieved the first measurement of the chemical stability of a superheavy element compound. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-superheavy-element-compound-reveals-weaker.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:40:02 EDT news711197821 Seeing inside an object is one thing; seeing exactly what it is made of, in three dimensions, is far more difficult. Now, researchers at Bar-Ilan University and collaborating institutions have developed a new X-ray imaging technique that can map the three-dimensional chemical composition of an object 43 times faster than conventional approaches, while using more than 97% less measurement data. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-patterned-rays-3d-chemical-faster.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:40:07 EDT news711126334 Researchers at the Oregon State University College of Science have developed a new electrochemical sensor for rapidly and accurately detecting a naturally occurring compound widely used in the food, beverage and fragrance industries. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-electrochemical-sensor-food-quality-faster.html Biochemistry Tue, 13 Oct 2026 16:20:05 EDT news711119942 The humble amino acid glycine—the simplest of all amino acids—is everywhere. The human body produces it, and it helps make up our skin, bones and ligaments. It's found in meats like beef and has even been discovered in comets returned from outer space. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-stabilizing-simple-amino-acid-path.html Biochemistry Mon, 12 Oct 2026 19:40:01 EDT news711039781 A material thinner than a human hair may foster faster computing devices that demand less energy and store more data, according to a multi-institutional team led by researchers in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chemical-disorder-ceramic-magnetic-properties.html Materials Science Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:50:01 EDT news711044161 Researchers at the University of St Andrews have identified the first examples of a new class of advanced organic semiconductor materials that could one day be used as bioimaging agents, opening up new possibilities for deep-tissue imaging. The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by the Zysman-Colman group in the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews in collaboration with the Pal group at Durham University. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-emitting-materials-enable-deep-tissue.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:00:07 EDT news711039277 Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a chemical reaction that directly converts methane and oxygen, the main components of natural gas, into higher-value hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene. However, the reaction presents a fundamental selectivity challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-catalyst-enables-temperature-methane-conversion.html Analytical Chemistry Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:00:01 EDT news710683752 Scientists have created a new family of materials whose behavior can be tuned by changing their metallic "recipe"—opening new possibilities for uses including gas storage and sensing. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-material-properties-tuned-metallic-recipe.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:00:09 EDT news710766722 Localized pitting corrosion can cause sudden failure in aluminum components even when overall corrosion rates are low. Steam coating offers a water-vapor-based route to protective boehmite films, but processing simultaneously changes film thickness, surface morphology, crystallinity and substrate defects. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-reveals-coating-thickness-link.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:40:01 EDT news710770742 A team of engineers has designed a new line of multicolored tattoo inks that switch on and off with different kinds of light. Described in a study published in Matter & Light, the technology could one day help people hide their tattoos when they have an important business meeting. They could even doodle on their own skin using a simple laser pointer. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-responsive-inks-tattoos-visible-demand.html Materials Science Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:00:02 EDT news710667901