https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have taken an important step toward developing intelligent molecular materials. The team headed by Dr. Bernd M. Schmidt (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry) and Professor Dr. Jan Meisner (Institute of Physical Chemistry) has shown that complex molecular nanostructures can be selectively activated, disassembled in a controlled way and even reassembled using ultrasound. The results, published in Nature Communications, could, for example, aid the development of more targeted cancer medication in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-molecular-nanostructures-ultrasound.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:20:09 EDT news702562709 Bio-based polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are considered one of the most promising sustainable alternatives to fossil-derived plastics. Poly[(D-lactate)-co-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (LAHB) is an environmentally biodegradable microbial copolyester, and its lactate (LA) content significantly influences its properties. A new study shows how reinforcing the gene expression of the LA-polymerizing enzyme in a recombinant strain of Cupriavidus necator improves the LA fraction. The LA-enriched LAHB maintained a high molecular weight and displayed a balance of strength and elongation comparable to polyethylene. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-enzyme-high-production-durable-lactate.html Polymers Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:10:08 EST news691256582 Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been hailed as next-generation materials for capturing water from air, powering dehumidifiers, and driving energy-efficient heat pumps. Built from lightweight and organic building blocks, these crystalline and highly porous materials are akin to molecular Lego sets: their geometry and chemistry can be tailored with precision. However, a significant issue remained: in humid air, COFs may collapse. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-molecular-rivets-porous-materials-collapsing.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:50:01 EDT news677846571 A new study reveals an alarming number of mechanisms throughout the life-cycle of plastic that could enhance or spread antimicrobial resistance. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-plastic-pollution-antimicrobial-resistance.html Environment Tue, 22 Jul 2025 13:12:04 EDT news672408714 Photocatalysts are powerful materials that use light as a source of energy for operation, becoming indispensable materials in many fields, from the food and biomedical industry to energy production. They are mainly composed of metal-based compounds like oxides, sulfides, etc., but despite their high effectiveness, with time they will become waste. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-defect-carbon-nitride-ability-degrade.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:41:25 EDT news669908479 Drinks including water, soda, beer and wine sold in glass bottles contain more microplastics than those in plastic bottles, according to a surprising study released by France's food safety agency Friday. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-glass-bottles-microplastics-plastic.html Environment Fri, 20 Jun 2025 10:13:07 EDT news669633182 A team led by Prof. Shlomo Magdassi from the Institute of Chemistry and Prof. Hanna Dodiuk from Shenkar College has recently developed a new adhesive that addresses one of the major challenges in materials science: developing adhesives that, on the one hand, have rapid curing capabilities and can function on a wide range of surfaces, and, on the other hand, are recyclable and removable without compromising their properties. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-adhesives-bond-seconds-recycled-microwave.html Polymers Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:58:47 EDT news668858323 Lately, there's been plenty of progress in 3D printing objects from the lunar regolith. We've reported on several projects that have attempted to do so, with varying degrees of success. However, most of them require some additive, such as a polymer or salt water, as a binding agent. Recently, a paper from Julien Garnier and their co-authors at the University of Toulouse, published in Acta Astronautica, attempted to make compression-hardened 3D-printed objects using nothing but the regolith itself. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-quality-3d-lunar-regolith-varies.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:06:03 EDT news665078761 Every week, millions of Americans toss their recyclables into a single bin, trusting that their plastic bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard boxes will be given a new life. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-stream-recycling-choices.html Environment Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:05:04 EDT news664106701 More than 70% of the Earth is covered with water—H2O. An almost negligible proportion of a few per million consists of "heavy water," in which the hydrogen atoms (H) are replaced by deuterium atoms (D). Deuterium has one more neutron in its nucleus than hydrogen and weighs about twice as much. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-heavy-similarly.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 09 Apr 2025 09:35:03 EDT news663410101 An edible biofilm, obtained from agricultural and fishing waste and developed by researchers at the São Carlos Institute of Chemistry of the University of São Paulo (IQSC-USP) in Brazil, allows the shelf life of strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) to be extended. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-edible-biofilm-based-pomegranate-shelf.html Biotechnology Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:22:03 EDT news662746921 Magnesium is a common chemical element, an alkaline earth metal, which is highly chemically reactive and is very light (even lighter than aluminum). Magnesium is abundant in plants and minerals and plays a role in human physiology and metabolism. In the cosmos, it is produced by large aging stars. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-magnesium-superconductor-2d-limit.html Condensed Matter Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:20:01 EDT news662636519 Interconnected materials containing networks are ubiquitous in the world around us—rubber, car tires, human and engineered tissues, woven sheets and chain mail armor. Engineers often want these networks to be as strong as possible and to resist mechanical fracture and failure. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-law-energy-fracture-stretchable-networks.html General Physics Mon, 17 Mar 2025 10:34:57 EDT news661426491 Researchers from RMIT University and the University of Melbourne have discovered that water generates an electrical charge up to 10 times greater than previously understood when it moves across a surface. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-movement-surfaces-electric.html Condensed Matter Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:29:04 EDT news660911341 On Jan. 1, polystyrene packaging became illegal to sell, distribute or import into California—the result of a landmark waste law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022, and heralded by lawmakers and environmentalists as a game-changer in the fight against single-use plastics and pollution. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-california-polystyrene-plastic-industry-spooked.html Environment Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:01:07 EST news659001656 You may have seen images of seabirds that have built their nests on discarded nets, lengths of rope and other plastic litter, or perhaps birds with stomachs full of microplastics. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-scientists-plastic-pollution-ocean.html Environment Tue, 11 Feb 2025 17:10:11 EST news658516202 A study published in the journal Science Advances from researchers at the University of Kansas shows a new eco-friendly method for separating the chemicals found in common refrigerants for easier recycling at an industrial scale. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-eco-friendly-method-recycle-refrigerants.html Polymers Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:12:21 EST news658512738 The life of billions of people inhabiting Earth is owed to a temporary organ that supported and nourished them in a mother's womb. The placenta, or afterbirth, is considered sacred by some cultures, its pivotal role in pregnancy recognized as far back as the raising of Egypt's pyramids. It provides nutrients and oxygen to the fetus via the umbilical cord, acting like a gut, kidney, liver, and lungs. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-nanoparticle-gene-therapy-major-stillbirth.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:32:41 EST news652638757 Researchers at University of Limerick in Ireland have developed a new method of growing organic crystals that can be used for energy-harvesting applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-method-generating-eco-friendly-energy.html Condensed Matter Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:56:13 EST news651254168 Plastics are not as safe and inert as previously thought. A new research study written by an international team of researchers uses the planetary boundaries framework to structure the rapidly mounting evidence of the effects of plastics on the environment, health and human well-being. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-plastics-pollution-worsens-impacts-planetary.html Environment Thu, 07 Nov 2024 16:09:21 EST news650218156 Plastics have long been a mainstay in modern manufacturing, but their environmental impact has increased demand for eco-friendly alternatives. Researchers at The University of Warwick have made significant progress in the search for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-small-molecule-eutectics-potential-plastics.html Polymers Mon, 19 Aug 2024 16:24:03 EDT news643303441 The old saying "the dose makes the poison" also holds true for ultraviolet (UV) light. While UV light is essential for vitamin D production, it is also important in phototherapy, several industrial processes, and plant growth. It also has harmful effects such as premature skin aging and cancer. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-ultraviolet-molecular.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 22 Jul 2024 14:16:03 EDT news640876561 A pair of new University of Alberta studies show how to make firefighters' clothing safer to wear, maintain and manufacture. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-firefighters-safer.html Polymers Mon, 27 May 2024 13:30:10 EDT news636035407 While it is the fastest growing sector of the wine-packaging market, canned wine faces a few hurdles. It's not considered as elegant as wine in a bottle, and it's not as popular as the formerly maligned "wine bag in a box." There is also the unfortunate fact—and there is no gentle way to put this—that canned wine occasionally smells like rotten eggs. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-team-culprit-canned-wine-rotten.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 16 Apr 2024 15:23:04 EDT news632499781 Polymer systems composed of multiple components can spontaneously induce emulsion or microdroplets by mechanical mixing, as an intermediate state of macroscopic phase separation. Unfortunately, the size of generated droplets is nonuniform and their spatial-arrangement is rather random. In addition, they tend to grow larger with time (coarsening). https://phys.org/news/2024-03-spontaneous-microdroplets-quasi-dimensional-confinement.html Polymers Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:54:03 EDT news630150841 Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed flexible films that exhibit bright colors purely by virtue of their physical structure, without the need for any pigment. When stretched, the films exhibit a change in color as a response to the mechanical deformation. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-tunable-displays-sensors.html Nanomaterials Tue, 19 Mar 2024 09:26:03 EDT news630059161 Using a novel microfluidic chip, ETH researchers led by Professor Roman Stocker and Estelle Clerc have shown that bacteria not only recognize small food molecules, but also swim towards large, complex polymers. A startup is now using these findings and applying the technology to find microbes in the environment that can break down pollutants. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-microfluidic-chip-reveals-bacteria-large.html Ecology Thu, 01 Feb 2024 09:38:13 EST news626002687 Straws are one of the most common plastic waste products found on coastlines. As more and more plastic products are being produced, consumed, and disposed of, scientists and manufacturers are developing alternative materials that work equally as well, and don't contribute to persistent plastic pollution in the environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-plastic-straws-degrade-quickly.html Polymers Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:12:31 EST news625842746 The anti-anxiety drug diazepam causes side effects: drowsiness, confusion, and nausea. The same applies to the antidepressant amitriptyline. A possible solution to the problem could be a new compound, GML-3. It simultaneously exhibits the anti-anxiety activity of diazepam and the antidepressant activity of amitriptyline. At the same time, it is devoid of most of their side effects. However, it is not used in pharmaceuticals since it is poorly soluble in water; this is a necessary condition to create convenient dosage forms based on the drug. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-solubility-effective-antidepressant-factor.html Biochemistry Mon, 22 Jan 2024 14:33:03 EST news625156381 Soil is the largest reservoir of microplastic (MP), with the corresponding content being 4 to 23 times that in oceans. Plastics are widely used in production and daily life due to their low cost, good ductility and durability. However, approximately 80% of plastics ultimately accumulate in soil, rivers, and marine environments. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-chemodiversity-soil-dissolved-microplastics.html Ecology Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:40:03 EST news624890401