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. A team of researchers has discovered a new way to make valuable industrial chemicals from propylene using a common, low-cost material: lead dioxide (PbO₂). https://phys.org/news/2025-11-oxygen-hidden-role-propylene-chemicals.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 07 Nov 2025 08:52:04 EST news681727922 Skoltech researchers have created a promising catalyst to speed up a chemical reaction producing clean hydrogen fuel from the urea contained in wastewater. While that process is known to be catalyzed by various forms of nickel, the team has now shown nanowires of that metal embedded in purposely defective carbon nanotubes treated by nitrogen plasma to be particularly fit for withstanding the aggressive alkaline environment of the reaction. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-nickel-nanowires-plasma-nanotubes-boost.html Nanophysics Mon, 20 Oct 2025 13:04:03 EDT news680184235 Scientists at Bath, have introduced a breakthrough carbon-based sensor for detecting lactic acid levels in saliva—avoiding the need for an electrical power source. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-scientists-battery-free-lactic-acid.html Nanomaterials Wed, 22 May 2024 11:54:04 EDT news635597642 Hydrogen gas is a clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuels, but current industrial production methods used to produce hydrogen release carbon into the atmosphere and pollute the environment. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-catalyst-decreases-energy-required-hydrogen.html Nanomaterials Wed, 06 Sep 2023 10:40:38 EDT news613215633 When used as wearable medical devices, stretchy, flexible gas sensors can identify health conditions or issues by detecting oxygen or carbon dioxide levels in the breath or sweat. They also are useful for monitoring air quality in indoor or outdoor environments by detecting gas, biomolecules and chemicals. But manufacturing the devices, which are created using nanomaterials, can be a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-in-place-method-gas-sensor-capabilities.html Nanomaterials Fri, 20 Jan 2023 09:34:03 EST news593429641 Concerns about rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and global warming have made it an environmental imperative to replace fossil fuels with cleaner and more sustainable alternatives. In this regard, hydrogen, a clean energy source, has emerged as an excellent potential candidate. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-heterostructure-catalyst-effective-hydrogen.html Materials Science Mon, 13 Jun 2022 11:30:09 EDT news574338600 Seawater is one of the most abundant resources on earth, offering promise both as a source of hydrogen—desirable as a source of clean energy—and of drinking water in arid climates. But even as water-splitting technologies capable of producing hydrogen from freshwater have become more effective, seawater has remained a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2019-11-catalyst-efficiently-hydrogen-seawater.html Materials Science Mon, 11 Nov 2019 12:37:40 EST news492698254 Noble metal foams (NMFs) are a new class of functional materials that contain both noble metals and monolithic porous materials for impressive multi prospects in materials science and multidisciplinary fields. In a recent study now published on Science Advances, Ran Du and a team of interdisciplinary researchers in Physical Chemistry, Materials Engineering and Physics developed highly tunable NMFs by activating specific ion effects to produce a variety of single/alloy aerogels. The new materials contained adjustable composition—with gold (Au), silver (Ag), palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt)—and special morphologies. https://phys.org/news/2019-06-specific-ion-effects-noble-metal.html Materials Science Wed, 05 Jun 2019 10:00:02 EDT news478942022 A research team led by Professor Sangaraju Shanmugam of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST has developed highly efficient, ultra-durable core-shell nanostructured electrocatalyst and successfully replaced the precious anode in water electrolysis, through the collaboration with the research group of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). https://phys.org/news/2018-02-high-efficiency-low-cost-catalyst-electrolysis.html Materials Science Wed, 14 Feb 2018 05:27:30 EST news437808439 Rice University chemists have produced a catalyst based on laser-induced graphene that splits water into hydrogen on one side and oxygen on the other side. They said the inexpensive material may be a practical component in generating the hydrogen for use in future fuel cells. https://phys.org/news/2017-08-lab-dual-surface-graphene-electrode-hydrogen.html Materials Science Fri, 04 Aug 2017 00:40:46 EDT news421026024 Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce clean energy can be simplified with a single catalyst developed by scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston. https://phys.org/news/2017-07-scientists-robust-catalyst-hydrogen-oxygen.html Materials Science Wed, 26 Jul 2017 13:29:28 EDT news420294557 University of Houston physicists have discovered a catalyst that can split water into hydrogen and oxygen, composed of easily available, low-cost materials and operating far more efficiently than previous catalysts. https://phys.org/news/2017-05-efficient-catalyst.html Materials Science Mon, 15 May 2017 15:00:04 EDT news414065279 The introduction next year of the Euro 6 exhaust-gas standard means that catalytic converters will become more expensive, above all for diesel vehicles. Empa is working on a catalytic substrate made of ceramic foam which, because of its structure, is more efficient and therefore more economic. Not only that—it also requires less noble metal coating. https://phys.org/news/2013-04-ceramic-foam-exhaust-gases.html Materials Science Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:08:00 EDT news286110460 It is not just in laptop computers, mobile telephones and LED screens that scarce metals are to be found but also in solar cells, batteries for mobile technologies and many other similar applications. The rising demand for these metals increases the risk of a bottleneck in supplies. https://phys.org/news/2012-01-future-scarce-metals.html Other Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:02:16 EST news247219316