https://phys.org/chemistry-news/materials-science/ en-us The latest news on chemistry and materials science Coatings are everywhere. A thin protective layer, often barely visible. They keep out moisture, sunlight and rust, helping products last longer. Think of laminate on kitchen cabinets, automotive body coatings or the outer layer of a soda can or chip bag. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-electron-tougher-faster-coatings-packaging.html Polymers Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:00:03 EDT news700760702 Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential for everyday technologies such as smartphones, LED lights, wind turbines and many medical applications. At the same time, supply chains are under pressure because of the geographic concentration of production, and electronic waste is growing worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hybrid-materials-rare-earths-harsh.html Biochemistry Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:20:06 EDT news700739925 For more than a century, chemists have been building complex molecules step by step—bond by bond, atom by atom. But what if, instead of painstakingly reassembling molecules, they could be directly "rewritten"? This is exactly what a research team led by organic chemist Nuno Maulide from the University of Vienna has now achieved. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemists-reveal-alkyl-swap-rewrites.html Biochemistry Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:40:04 EDT news700735977 Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed a new palladium (Pd) precatalyst that combines exceptional stability with high catalytic performance. This precatalyst can be stored for extended periods under ambient conditions and suppresses undesirable side reactions during activation, highlighting its potential for the efficient synthesis of organic materials and pharmaceuticals. The work is published in the journal Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stability-reactivity-palladium-precatalyst-high.html Materials Science Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:20:05 EDT news700736962 A method to interpret artificial intelligence (AI) models used in materials discovery by analyzing their learned features has been developed by researchers from Japan. The method extracts key features from an AI model trained on atomic structural data and optical absorption spectra, and then groups materials with similar structural and spectral characteristics. This approach can be extended to reveal how atomic arrangements influence other material properties, paving the way for more efficient materials design. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-materials-discovery-uncovering.html Analytical Chemistry Sun, 14 Jun 2026 21:30:01 EDT news700482481 Steel and metal production are among the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 10% of global CO2 emissions. At the same time, modern technology relies on tailored steels and metals for applications in fields such as mobility, energy, infrastructure, safety and medicine. Hydrogen-based metal production offers a promising CO2-free alternative and goes even further by integrating reduction, alloying and microstructure design into a single production step. However, hydrogen-based metal production still faces a number of challenges on its path to widespread adoption, one of which is the relatively slow reduction kinetics of metal ores at temperatures below 800°C (1,472°F). https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hydrogen-based-steelmaking-2x-boost.html Biochemistry Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700414341 A new cellulose-based material platform developed in Finland responds to tightening regulatory requirements and industry pressure to both replace and reduce plastic in packaging, including emerging thresholds such as limiting plastic content to below 5 wt% in fiber-based materials. The technology enables transparent, high-performance films and coatings that match the functionality of plastics while supporting industrial scalability and enabling simplified recycling or biodegradation across multiple environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cellulose-plastic-enabling-recycling-biodegradation.html Materials Science Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:30:03 EDT news700318446 Mechanoluminescent materials convert mechanical energy such as stress, strain and vibration directly into light, making them attractive as self-powered sensors that require no batteries or wiring. From biomedical sensors to self-powered infrastructure monitoring sensors, mechanoluminescent materials have a wide range of potential applications. However, high-performance mechanoluminescent materials have traditionally relied on expensive rare-earth materials or complex material compositions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rare-earth-free-zinc-oxide.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:20:08 EDT news700486981 Oxidation reactions are indispensable to the chemical industry, but from a process safety perspective, they are among the most challenging transformations. A research team at the University of Bayreuth, working in collaboration with international partners, has now introduced a fundamentally new approach to oxidation reactions in which carbon dioxide is used as the oxygen source for chemical synthesis. This makes the reaction both safer and more sustainable. The researchers report on this new approach in Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-carbon-dioxide-safer-oxidation-chemistry.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:40:10 EDT news700479241 Artificial intelligence is often used to generate images. In research, specialized AI models are used for scientific applications—for example, to predict the positions of atoms in materials. The MatterGen model developed by Microsoft can generate complex crystal structures from just a few pieces of information—which atoms should be present and in what proportions—and researchers can then use these structures for computer simulations of new materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-tracks-hydrogen-atoms-crystals.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:20:04 EDT news700477952 Researchers have developed a solar-driven catalyst material that harnesses the energy of a single photon to reduce carbon dioxide and oxidize organic waste at the same time, producing valuable chemicals in both reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-photon-reactions-catalyst-biowaste-simultaneously.html Biochemistry Fri, 12 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news700385161 Researchers at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) outline in a perspective paper how high-performance materials for batteries, hydrogen technologies, wind turbines, energy conversion, chemical processes and modern electronics can be designed to be more sustainable, safer and more resource-efficient in the future. This is intended to address growing dependencies on critical raw materials, limited recyclability and performance losses in practical use. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-robust-materials-ease-critical-mineral.html Materials Science Thu, 11 Jun 2026 23:00:01 EDT news700402692 From paints and inks to catalysts and drug-delivery materials, many advanced technologies rely on substances dispersed in organic solvents. Yet directly observing these materials in their native liquid environments has remained a major challenge, limiting scientists' ability to understand how microscopic structures and elemental distributions influence performance. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cryo-electron-microscopy.html Materials Science Thu, 11 Jun 2026 21:40:04 EDT news700389686 One September day, it started to snow inside MIT's Pierce Laboratory. Researchers depressurized a tank of liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), instantly freezing it and releasing solid flakes. These were blended into cement paste and pressed into disks roughly the size of a dime, each sealed with a thin layer of vegetable oil to keep water in and air out. The team trained lasers on each one, observing for the first time the transient chemical reaction that might explain why CO2-injected cement paste gains strength faster. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-reveals-hidden-cement-chemistry-stronger.html Materials Science Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:20:05 EDT news700413588 Building the complex 3D molecules needed for new medicines has always been a bit like assembling a puzzle with pieces that keep trying to flip over. Now, chemists at Scripps Research have found a way to snap two such molecular pieces together while keeping their original 3D shapes intact, even when using some of the most reactive molecules in chemistry: free radicals. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemists-snap-complex-3d-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:00:03 EDT news700400641 My mother loves butter. It is the primary fat I ate growing up. She smeared it on any kind of bread, potatoes, nut rolls or coffeecake. She baked with it exclusively. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-butter-margarine-food-scientist-subtle.html Materials Science Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:20:01 EDT news700315135 Sunlight, water, air and metal-organic catalysts—that could be all it takes. TU Wien has shown how catalyst design can be advanced for solar-driven NH3 synthesis. Without this chemical technology, feeding the world as we know it would be nearly impossible. The Haber-Bosch process, developed more than a century ago, converts nitrogen from the air into ammonia—the key ingredient in most synthetic fertilizers. Today, roughly half of the world's food production depends on fertilizers derived from ammonia, making the Haber-Bosch process one of the most important industrial innovations in human history. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-catalyst-boosts-solar-driven-ammonia.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:20:04 EDT news700321981 Electrolysers produce hydrogen. Fuel cells, in turn, generate electricity from hydrogen. Both technologies are considered key building blocks of the energy transition, offering well-established solutions for storing, transporting and producing renewable energy. However, there is a challenge: The platinum catalysts often used in these systems gradually lose performance under high operating loads. In a sense, they "wear out" too quickly, increasing the costs of hydrogen technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rays-reveal-platinum-oxidizes-real.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:10:07 EDT news700327021 Exciting new research at Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) explains how to transform decades of scattered literature data into computable design rules for catalysts. By using human intelligence, regression models, and AI agents, researchers can accelerate the discovery of efficient, low-cost catalysts for clean energy technologies like fuel cells, water splitting, and CO₂ reduction. By combining these methods, researchers can uncover new discoveries that were hidden in the literature data all along. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hidden-catalytic-knowledge-literature.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:00:02 EDT news700149661 Colors brighten our lives and help define countless items we use daily—from the vibrant clothes we wear to decorative paper and packaging materials. What adds different colors to these things? Dyes, which bind themselves to the structure of the material they are coloring. For example, methylene blue (MB) is a dye used to color paper, leather products, silk and wool, and is also employed as a diagnostic agent and in the rubber and cosmetic industries. But what happens after these dyes have served their purpose? https://phys.org/news/2026-06-super-sponge-toxic-dyes-industrial.html Polymers Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:40:02 EDT news700145283 A research team has developed a novel organocatalysis method based on a silylium Lewis acid. This technology employs an ion-pair catalyst combining a diethylsilylium ion with a weakly coordinating anion, enabling the direct installation of sulfonamide groups into functionalized ketone compounds, including β-ketoesters, which had previously been difficult to react using conventional catalytic methods. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-secondary-silylium-ion-pot-ketone.html Biochemistry Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:03 EDT news700132151 A research group has developed a new method for selectively synthesizing three-dimensional macrocycles,⁽¹⁾ in which four panels are arranged in a square, by connecting planar π-conjugated molecules⁽²⁾ at right angles. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-strategy-conjugated-panels-square-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 05 Jun 2026 21:40:04 EDT news699875636 Metal cluster molecules are discrete compounds containing multiple metal atoms held together by metal–metal and metal–ligand bonding. They serve as excellent candidates for catalysts, biosensors, and even for drug development. Developing atomic-level molecular editing methods for such metal clusters remains an important challenge and represents a promising strategy for expanding their structural and functional diversity. Such approaches can enable structure-specific properties, high near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence quantum yields, and unique reactivities and electronic structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-asymmetric-alloying-generation-luminescent-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 05 Jun 2026 05:00:04 EDT news699791041 Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a computation-guided strategy to produce urea more efficiently from carbon dioxide and nitrate. By combining large language models, density functional theory calculations and experiments, the approach identified a cadmium-modified iron oxide catalyst that maintains high urea selectivity at practical current densities. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-catalyst-fertilizer-industrially-relevant.html Materials Science Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:40:05 EDT news699792661 Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence-powered platform that could significantly speed up the discovery of catalysts for methane pyrolysis, a promising technology for producing hydrogen with lower carbon emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digmethpy-ai-driven-platform-methane.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:00:04 EDT news699787442 Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute have developed a new hybrid methodology that combines quantum mechanics and thermodynamic calculations to predict the phase diagram of nickel-cobalt alloys. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-strategy-phase-diagram-nickel-cobalt.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:00:04 EDT news699721021 Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new method to recycle mixed plastic packaging without using harmful chemical solvents—an approach that could make one of the world's most difficult waste streams significantly easier to handle. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cleaner-recycling-method-reusable-plastics.html Polymers Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:20:07 EDT news699711488 Why do certain surfaces behave very differently from what theoretical calculations suggest? Scientists long assumed that the aluminum oxide surface should be highly reactive and capable of splitting water molecules. In experiments, however, this behavior is barely observed. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-aluminum-oxide-irregular-atomic-surface.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:20:06 EDT news699717182 With help from a novel cross-linking molecule, MIT chemists have shown they can substantially improve the ballistic impact resistance of common polymers, including polystyrene and a type of rubber used to make shoe soles. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-common-plastics-ballistic-impacts-linking.html Polymers Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:12 EDT news699694921 Conical intersections are crucial molecular switching points in light-driven reactions, but accurately predicting them usually requires computations. A researcher from Shibaura Institute of Technology has developed a new low-cost quantum chemistry method that can simultaneously describe ground and excited molecular states while efficiently locating these elusive structures. The approach reproduces benchmark geometries with strong accuracy and enables practical simulations of photochemical processes, making it promising for applications in photocatalysis, solar cells, and biological light-response studies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-method-uncovers-conical-intersections-driven.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:40:01 EDT news699550441