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. There is growing demand for smart materials that can change their physical properties in response to various external stimuli such as light, heat, pressure, magnetic fields and electric fields. One such physical property is the magnetic state of material complexes, which depends on electronic spin states. Metal atoms in these complexes can change their spin state—between magnetic and nonmagnetic configurations—in response to light, heat or mechanical pressure. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-synthetic-chemical-framework-magnetic-states.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:10:01 EDT news701965141 Color-changing mood rings, forehead fever strips and car-shade indicators all change hues as they warm and cool, thanks to a phenomenon called thermochromism. On a smaller scale, thermochromism is used in nanotechnologies like sensors, electronics and computing. These applications require smart materials that can be patterned into designs without losing structural integrity, which can be difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-uv-patterns-thermochromic-crystals.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:20:03 EDT news701945222 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 Plants are undeniably one of nature's most promising sources of new medicines, with monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) being a great example. Some intricate compounds are built from multiple-linked chemical units that form highly complex three-dimensional structures. Because of their size and shape, scientists believe such oligomeric MIAs may be able to interfere with specific protein–protein interactions inside cells—a biological target that conventional small-molecule drugs often struggle to reach. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemists-total-synthesis-rare-alkaloid.html Biochemistry Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news700157041 A Canadian deep-sea mining company may become the first to commercially mine the international seabed under a controversial U.S. executive order that bypasses United Nations regulations. A recent legal analysis suggests that this could place Canada in violation of international law. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-companies-bypass-deep-sea.html Environment Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:00:05 EDT news700144502 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are significantly thinner than a single sheet of paper, have long drawn attention for their exceptional performance. However, they have faced a critical limitation: Their performance degrades significantly when multiple layers are stacked. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stacking-2d-conductor-layer-bulk.html Nanophysics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:50:02 EDT news700151762 This week, researchers reported that GLP-1 medications may influence the biology of aging. Hidden meltwater in deep Antarctic coastal waters has a strong climate impact. And a novel prostate cancer treatment reduced risk of disease progression by half in a clinical trial. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-saturday-citations-greenland-sharks-quantum.html Other Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT news699879140 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 Researchers at Kyoto University and Tohoku University have developed a new porous polymer gel that selectively recognizes specific molecules (referred to as "guests" in the study) through coordination chemistry and converts these invisible molecular-scale interactions into strikingly visible, macroscale deformation. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-porous-gel-hardens-molecules.html Polymers Fri, 22 May 2026 17:00:01 EDT news698673541 A research team led by Hee-jung Lee, senior researcher at Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), in collaboration with Professor Sunghwan Park of Kyungpook National University and Professor Mingyu Kim of Yeungnam University, has developed a technology that enhances CO₂ adsorption performance in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) by up to 75% through precise laser-based control of their internal structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-laser-treatment-reshapes-mof-pores.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 13 May 2026 11:04:33 EDT news697889042 Chemists at the University of Iowa have created a three-dimensional lattice that captures water from the air and stores it. In a new study appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers describe a millimeter-scale structure made of metal atoms connected by two types of organic molecules. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the material undergoes a chemical reaction that changes its shape, creating cavities throughout the lattice. Those cavities attract water molecules from the air and store them—like a multitude of tiny canteens. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-reshapes-metal-framework-harvest-airborne.html Materials Science Mon, 11 May 2026 16:40:03 EDT news697733439 RMIT University researchers have developed a new way to coat fragile surfaces, including living plant leaves, using high‑frequency sound waves to create a fine mist that can act like a plant sunscreen. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mist-sunscreen.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 06 May 2026 19:10:02 EDT news697306261 A new study found that cultivating seaweed species alongside marine finfish in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) operations, where seaweeds receive nutrient-rich effluent from fish production, can significantly reduce—and even eliminate—key waste products from marine finfish farming. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-seaweed-boosts-efficiency-aquaculture.html Biotechnology Tue, 05 May 2026 07:40:01 EDT news697178522 Scientists have adapted a centuries-old principle of chemistry to fine-tune a new type of glass made from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)—metal atoms connected by organic molecules—that efficiently trap gases like CO₂ and hydrogen and even capture water. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-generation-glass.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 04 May 2026 13:40:02 EDT news697117081 Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have developed a simple and efficient method for synthesizing polyfunctionalized biaryls without transition-metal catalysts or complex multistep prefunctionalization. Through an innovative substrate design strategy, the researchers achieved a benzidine-type sigmatropic rearrangement of nitroarenes that efficiently produces the desired biaryls in high yields. This approach offers precise control over the reaction pathway, enabling the synthesis of diverse organic compounds, thereby benefiting many industries. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-metal-free-biaryl-method-drug.html Materials Science Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:20:03 EDT news696680258 An international research team led by DTU has developed a new magnetic material that features a stable internal magnetic structure, almost no external magnetic field, and retains these properties above room temperature. These characteristics may be important for future generations of electronic technologies, for example, within fields where magnetic properties are used instead of electrical charge to process information—so-called spintronics. The results have been published in the journal Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-magnet-external-field-reshape-future.html Materials Science Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news696169462 Researchers have demonstrated the first "all-in-one" cocatalyst for photocatalytic overall water splitting, a breakthrough that could simplify the production of clean hydrogen fuel. The discovery marks an important step toward practical technologies that use sunlight and water to generate hydrogen, a key energy carrier expected to play a major role in building a decarbonized and sustainable society. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hydrogen-production-photocatalytic-cocatalyst.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:20:01 EDT news696252902 New research has highlighted how inadequate environmental regulations and assessments of contaminated industrial land in India are endangering human populations and wildlife ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-lack-robust-contaminated-industrial-sites.html Environment Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:40:07 EDT news695985850 Enzymes are nature's tiny powerhouses, helping with everything from digesting food to making it quicker and safer to produce medicines, food and renewable fuels. While they can enhance chemical reactions, their fragile nature makes it difficult to use them in typical industrial processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-green-fragile-enzymes.html Biochemistry Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:40:06 EDT news695318522 Rhodium is one of the most powerful catalytic metals known to chemistry. Small amounts of it can drive reactions that produce millions of tons of useful chemicals every year. But getting rhodium to work well—quickly, selectively, and without degrading—depends heavily on the ligands surrounding it. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-arsenic-lined-crystal-pore.html Analytical Chemistry Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695035888 Researchers at Koç University have developed a light-driven method to produce porous semiconducting polymers under ambient conditions without the need for metal catalysts. The study, led by Prof. Dr. Önder Metin from the Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with Dr. Melek Sermin Özer, Dr. Zafer Eroğlu, and Prof. Dr. Sermet Koyuncu, was published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-driven-method-enables-sustainable-production.html Polymers Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:20:03 EDT news694796641 Control of heat transport in nanostructures is of central importance for numerous modern technologies—from high-performance computer chips that need to be cooled to energy converters—and is a highly active area of research. While great progress has been made in recent years in understanding how heat transport can be influenced by nanostructuring, it was previously unclear whether the replacement of a single atom in a molecule could measurably alter phonon transport—i.e. heat transport through lattice vibrations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atom-substitution-successfully-tunes-molecular.html Nanophysics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694360621 Low-temperature CO2 hydrogenation might have sounded almost paradoxical until a recent study made it possible. Researchers have designed new catalysts that can transform the greenhouse gas into methanol at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 200° C, whereas most catalysts can operate only at or above 250° C. The research is published in the journal Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-disk-catalyst-carbon-dioxide-methanol.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:03 EDT news694278373 Porous materials are widely used for gas storage, separation, catalysis, and environmental purification. Their functionality arises from nanoscale pores that allow molecules to be selectively captured or transported. However, most porous materials, such as metal-organic frameworks, rely on rigid three-dimensional networks formed by strong chemical bonds, which often make them mechanically brittle and difficult to process into practical shapes. A research team led by Professor Shuhei Furukawa at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, has developed a new type of microporous aerogel that overcomes these limitations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microporous-aerogel-van-der-waals.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:10:06 EDT news694273741 Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous structures composed of metal ions (or clusters) and organic linker molecules—much like a molecular scaffold. Thanks to their high porosity and large surface area, MOFs can store large amounts of gases, accelerate chemical reactions, or even transport drugs in a targeted manner. Until now, research has primarily focused on the use of rigid 3D crystals, which, however, have limitations in terms of flexibility and scalability. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nanometer-layer-uio-mof-nanosheet.html Nanomaterials Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:40:02 EDT news693739012 Scientists have developed a new material that can use sunlight and water to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO)—a key building block for making fuels, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other everyday chemicals. The finding could support the development of future technologies that recycle greenhouse gases to make fuels and useful chemicals more sustainably, using nothing more than light and water. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-material-approach-carbon-dioxide-conversion.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:40:03 EDT news692978401 Scientists at the EU4MOFs research network have taken the initiative to standardize the reporting of synthetic procedures and material properties of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). To this aim, they have developed the concept of a "Material Preparation Information File (MPIF)," which has been introduced in a recent paper in Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-community-driven-standard-metalorganic-framework.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:20:06 EST news691779781 Drugs made of mRNA have the potential to transform medicine—if only they could get into cells in one piece. Now, University of Connecticut researchers have shown that packaging mRNA like a virus could smuggle it into cells safely, opening up a new way to deliver mRNA into cells to treat diseases such as cancer. Their research is published in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-viral-strategies-mrna-medicines-cells.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:20:05 EST news691072875 Jessica Rimsza, a materials engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, sees untapped potential in what most people see as waste. Food scraps, manure and sewage are natural byproducts of the U.S. agricultural industry. They are also rich in biogas, a mixture that contains methane and other valuable chemicals. Rimsza and a team of researchers at Sandia are developing chemistry that could help capture methane from biogas and separate it from other gases so it can be put to good use. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-porous-liquids-capture-methane-biogas.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:10:01 EST news690566931 Brazilian scientists have made advances in an area recognized by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: the development and application of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These are porous crystalline materials that have the potential to revolutionize environmental and energy technologies. The study involved researchers affiliated with the Center for Development of Functional Materials based at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar). https://phys.org/news/2026-02-advancing-porous-materials-scientists-solar.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:53:36 EST news690213181