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 at the University of Basel, Switzerland, has developed a versatile nanorobot with propulsion and payload modules. The two reusable modules autonomously self-assemble and could be used in medicine or industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-modular-nanorobot-cancer-cells-viability.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 21 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT news700914551 In the future, microorganisms could help return hard-to-recycle plastics to the recycling loop. Nick Wierckx, a molecular biologist at Jülich, explains the opportunities offered by biological recycling processes and the challenges of a truly circular economy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-qa-biological-plastic-recycling-raw.html Biotechnology Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:02 EDT news701086621 In an effort to open the door to new and useful products, chemistry researchers are on the continual lookout for processes that unlock important molecules and the bonds that can put them together. Such is the case for UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Yang Yang, who builds his research around discovering novel biocatalytic methods, processes that facilitate chemical reactions with biocatalysts from evolved natural proteins. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemists-uncover-metal-carbene-radical.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:50:01 EDT news700844582 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 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 Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have achieved two major breakthroughs in interfacial polymerization, a key technique for preparing advanced functional materials. By integrating quantum mechanics with machine learning, the team has elucidated the mechanism by which water molecules facilitate reactions at the molecular level. At the same time, it has transformed microcapsule design from a traditional trial-and-error approach into a predictive science. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-molecule-faster-interfacial-polymerization-lowering.html Biochemistry Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:30:01 EDT news700413772 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 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 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 Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are helping show what it means to design a material almost atom-by-atom. In two publications, scientists show they can carefully choose the types of atoms in a material, where those atoms sit and what is attached to the surfaces of its atom-thin layers. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tuning-atomic-surface-chemistry-mxenes.html Nanomaterials Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:40:01 EDT news699787804 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 The building‐block chemicals behind everyday products—like shampoo bottles, food containers, and kitchen spatulas—are largely derived from oil. Researchers are now working to replace those fossil‐fuel‐based inputs with materials sourced from renewable biological systems, a shift with implications for health, economic resilience, and national security. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-gold-palladium-catalysis-mechanism-advance.html Biochemistry Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:00:05 EDT news699717002 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 Researchers have discovered that atoms can be mixed, separated, and recombined within the same experiment, providing a pathway to a record-breaking catalyst for green hydrogen production. In their study, the team created nanoscale particles containing only a few dozen platinum and nickel atoms and observed unusual dynamic behavior in direct space and in real time. As the two metals separate from one another while maintaining an interface, they become highly active for electrochemical water splitting, leading to efficient hydrogen evolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-atomic-reshuffle-catalysts-hydrogen-production.html Nanomaterials Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:10:01 EDT news699630241 A joint research team has discovered high-performance catalysts capable of significantly reducing "boil-off losses," which had been a longstanding issue in liquid hydrogen storage and transportation. These composite catalysts, in which metallic nanoparticles, such as iron, are supported on silicon dioxide (silica) or other low-cost oxide, demonstrate significantly superior performance compared to conventional iron oxide-based catalysts. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-catalysts-losses-liquid-hydrogen-production.html Materials Science Sat, 30 May 2026 17:00:01 EDT news699029642 The synthesis of materials can serve as a tool for developing smart, adaptive electrocatalysts. This rapidly evolving field of research involves in-situ analytics, data-driven discoveries and autonomous robotics. These new approaches could accelerate the discovery of long-lasting and efficient catalysts for future energy conversion and the decarbonization of the chemical industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-catalysts-synthesis-cleaner-fuels-greener.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 29 May 2026 13:40:07 EDT news699280561 Carboranes are molecules composed of carbon, boron and hydrogen atoms that are proving to have applications of great interest in chemistry, materials science and biomedicine. They are being used, for example, in the fight against cancer through boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), an experimental form of radiotherapy against malignant tumors that is highly selective at the cellular level. These compounds, which are highly stable at high temperatures and under radiation, possess unique electronic properties and can interact with various biochemical molecules. However, chemically modifying them to expand their potential properties and applications remains a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-metal-free-method-carborane-cancer.html Biochemistry Tue, 26 May 2026 12:20:07 EDT news699012058 Scientists may soon stop hunting for new materials—and start designing them to order. For the first time, Northwestern University scientists have demonstrated that megalibraries—tools that dramatically accelerate materials discovery—can do more than uncover promising new materials. They can also help scientists intentionally engineer those new materials with specific properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-megalibraries-reshape-ai-driven-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:05 EDT news698927162 What if the knowledge that could fuel the next scientific breakthrough has simply been forgotten in an old graph or table? Valuable scientific insights may already exist across decades of published experiments, yet remain buried in old research papers, waiting to be rediscovered. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-rediscovering-science-knowledge-hidden.html Materials Science Fri, 22 May 2026 14:20:05 EDT news698677361 Technology that converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into fuels and plastic feedstocks using electricity is gaining attention as a core technology in the era of carbon neutrality. In particular, ethylene and ethanol are high-value materials widely used in the production of plastics, fuels, and chemical products, but until now, the only metal that has effectively produced them has essentially been copper (Cu). Through this study, Korean researchers have revealed the limitations of existing catalyst theories that have explained this principle. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-fuel-catalysts-falling-short-copper.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 21 May 2026 17:30:02 EDT news698600281 Researchers have uncovered a new principle that could accelerate the development of cheaper and more efficient fuel cells by revealing how dual-atom catalysts behave during a key energy conversion reaction. The study, led by researchers at Tohoku University, shows that these catalysts follow a previously unknown "dual-Sabatier optima" pattern, overturning long-standing assumptions in catalyst science. Details of the findings were published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-dual-atom-fuel-cell-catalysts.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 21 May 2026 15:20:06 EDT news698591607 A joint research team led by Professor Hyung Mo Jeong from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and Professor Ji Hoon Lee from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Kyungpook National University has developed a highly efficient, non-precious metal water-splitting catalyst. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-team-awakens-hidden-oxygen-green.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 21 May 2026 11:00:07 EDT news698578561 Gold has been prized for thousands of years for its enduring shine, but Tulane University researchers have discovered that gold's resistance to tarnishing depends on more than its chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-gold-glitter-uncover-resists-tarnish.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 21 May 2026 10:40:01 EDT news698576306 Since their discovery in the 1950s, metallocenes—chemical compounds where a metal atom sits "sandwiched" between two carbon rings—have been at the heart of organometallic chemistry research, finding applications in catalysis, materials design, energy, sensing, drug delivery and more. Yet knowledge of their formation has been limited, due to the transient nature of their unstable intermediates. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-capturing-elusive-molecular-sandwich.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:03 EDT news698512321 The production of many products used in everyday life and in industry, such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, and coatings, requires chemical catalysts, often expensive noble metals with limited availability. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are now presenting the first air-stable iron compound, which enables the direct use of iron(I) for catalysis and, unlike previous methods, does not require strong reducing agents. A first test yielded active iron catalysts. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-sustainable-chemistry-iron-substitutes-noble.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 15 May 2026 16:20:01 EDT news698071973 The selective conversion of alkenes into alcohols is a cornerstone of modern chemical synthesis, underpinning the production of pharmaceuticals, functional materials, and fine chemicals. However, conventional acid-catalyzed hydration reactions typically follow Markovnikov's rule, yielding secondary or tertiary alcohols. Achieving the complementary anti-Markovnikov hydration, where water adds to form primary alcohols, has long remained a challenge in organic chemistry. Although photocatalytic strategies have emerged as promising alternatives, they are limited only to activated substrates, leaving a significant gap in practical and sustainable solutions. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-copperii-complexes-efficient-anti-markovnikov.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 13 May 2026 16:37:55 EDT news697909021 When you hear the word "epoxide," what do you think? If anything, likely "glue." But epoxides are quite common in our everyday lives. You might be sitting on a foam seat cushion made from epoxides. There is a good chance the synthetic textiles in your clothing involve epoxides in their production. The same is true of the paint on your car and the printed circuit boards in your electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-electrified-route-epoxides-pollution-common.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 13 May 2026 11:37:32 EDT news697890970 Protein language models are artificial intelligence tools which help engineer proteins with useful properties, including completely new structures never seen before in nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-roadmap-safer-protein-ai.html Biotechnology Mon, 11 May 2026 13:20:06 EDT news697716121 A nanocrystal is an extraordinarily tiny piece of material—composed of anywhere from a few to a few thousand atoms—in which atoms are arranged in a precise, ordered structure. Think of it like taking a piece of gold and shrinking it down to the size of a few hundred atoms. It's still gold, still crystalline, just almost incomprehensibly small. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-combine-metals-nanocrystal.html Nanomaterials Thu, 07 May 2026 14:00:11 EDT news697361581 Electroreduction offers a promising route for converting CO2 into value-added chemicals using renewable electricity. Among the possible products, formic acid is particularly attractive because it is an important chemical feedstock and a potential liquid hydrogen carrier. However, developing catalysts that convert CO2 into formic acid with both high efficiency and selectivity remains a major challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-dynamic-catalyst-interfaces-smarter-route.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 06 May 2026 18:00:01 EDT news697291981