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. We generally throw away a broken camera lens, earphones or an old phone that has stopped working and is beyond repair because they seem useless when they no longer function. However, these objects contain rare earth elements (REEs) that have applications in magnets, superconductivity, optics and batteries, among others. When these objects end up in water, recovering REEs becomes difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-approach-captures-toxic-metals-recovers.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:50:02 EDT news710511962 Next-generation computing technologies could be one step closer to emulating how neurons respond and communicate with each other, thanks to research examining how electrons and ions move through materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ions-electrons-porous-material-potential.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:40:01 EDT news710084581 In materials chemistry, identifying common parameters that can organize magnetic ground states across complex intermetallic compounds remains a central challenge. Researchers have long used chemically tunable parameters to control magnetic properties. One is valence-electron concentration, commonly discussed as the electron-per-atom (e/a) ratio. The e/a ratio has been widely used to classify magnetic ground states in metallic systems such as Heusler alloys and approximant crystals. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-crystal-spacing-magnetic-states-complex.html Condensed Matter Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:02 EDT news709895521 Researchers have coated mitochondria with innovative materials without compromising their function, according to a study by IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta (FINCB) and Politecnico di Milano. The research was conducted as part of the BraiNs joint laboratory, inaugurated in 2023. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-coating-mitochondria-retain-ability-energy.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:40:07 EDT news709916702 Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) is attractive for long-distance energy transport because of its high volumetric energy density. But even well-insulated tanks cannot completely prevent heat from entering. As the liquid warms, hydrogen evaporates and pressure builds, leading to boil-off losses during storage and transport. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-rethinking-liquid-hydrogen-storage-metal.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:40:01 EDT news709916342 Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new family of materials that use light to produce hydrogen from water, opening the door to new ways of converting the sun's rays into clean energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-family-materials-efficiently-sunlight-energy.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:40:01 EDT news709912773 Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the front lines. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when mixed into clothing dyes, could limit the impact of chemicals commonly found in pesticides, insecticides and nerve agents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wearable-nanotech-combat-nerve-agents.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:40:02 EDT news709889641 Hydrogen—the lightest atom—does the heavy lifting when it comes to important chemical reactions. It can be stored and released as clean fuel, and its movements help catalysts build medicines, fertilizers and materials. One way hydrogen is available for use is through a hydride—a hydrogen (H) atom bound to a metal. Yet with standard tools, this metal-bound atom can be hard to find in the structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microcrystal-electron-diffractometer-hidden-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:20:05 EDT news709291087 A single application of a "smart" self-repairing coating is being developed to dramatically extend rust protection for buildings, bridges, cars and other steel components. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-rust-coating-nanotech-conquer-corrosion.html Nanomaterials Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:40:01 EDT news708672061 Packaging already tells us where food comes from, when it was made, what's in it and how many calories it contains. But researchers see a future where packaging can "see," in real time, what's happening inside and translate that into information that producers and consumers can act on. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-smart-packaging-ai-food-spoilage.html Biochemistry Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:20:05 EDT news708346815 Industrialized countries send millions of metric tonnes of used clothing, electronic equipment and other products to the Global South, along with the environmental and health costs tied to producing, consuming and disposing of those goods. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-western-consumption-global-south-environmental.html Environment Fri, 11 Sep 2026 07:20:01 EDT news708326461 Drug discovery has traditionally followed the "rule of 5," which identifies chemical properties generally associated with good absorption of orally administered drugs, including a molecular weight below 500 daltons (Da). However, some pharmaceutical compounds fall outside these guidelines. Known as beyond rule of 5 (bRo5) molecules, these compounds can have larger, more complex structures while still exhibiting strong therapeutic activity and favorable pharmacological properties. Their size and structural complexity, however, make it difficult to characterize them using conventional methods, particularly when very small quantities are available. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-crystalline-sponge-reveals-large-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:00:07 EDT news708097381 Copper has been knocked off the top of a stability ranking it had dominated for decades. Without altering the atoms directly bonded to the metal, a KAIST research team reversed the longstanding trend in which copper generally forms the most stable complexes by tuning only the weak hydrogen bonds in its surrounding environment. The findings, which appear in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could open new avenues for selective metal separation and recognition, as well as catalyst design. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-weak-hydrogen-bonds-dethrone-copper.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 07 Sep 2026 16:00:01 EDT news708004262 Plastic is a wonder material that has molded itself to fit a wide variety of applications. But it comes with a host of drawbacks that aren't fully considered. That's why the United Nations has convened to hammer out a treaty to address plastic pollution. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-solution-plastic-pollution-scientists-urge.html Environment Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:00:10 EDT news707740441 What happens when a superconductor becomes so thin that electrons can no longer behave as if they were moving through an ordinary three-dimensional piece of metal? This question has been at the center of my recent work on quantum confinement in metallic films. Over the past few years, I have been developing this line of theory with my colleague Giovanni Ummarino at Politecnico di Torino. Our initial goal was to understand something rather concrete: Why does shrinking the thickness of a superconducting film change the temperature at which superconductivity appears? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-superconductors-thinner-accommodate-magnetic-fields.html Superconductivity Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:40:01 EDT news707392815 Restructuring a molecule without rebuilding it from scratch is an increasingly important goal in modern organic chemistry. Skeletal editing is an approach that helps chemists explore new chemical structures and simplify the synthesis of molecules with potential pharmaceutical applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fuse-strategy-route-molecular-skeletal.html Biochemistry Sun, 30 Aug 2026 17:00:03 EDT news707112646 The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch this weekend aboard a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. When it becomes operational early next year, it will transform our view of the universe. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nasa-telescope-honors-nancy-grace.html Astronomy Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news707116922 Near-infrared organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that emit about 1,000 nanometers could support biomedical and security technologies. Yet pushing organic light to these longer wavelengths usually causes a steep drop in efficiency. As the energy gap becomes smaller, molecular vibrations more readily turn excited-state energy into heat rather than light. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-makeover-brightens-nanometers.html Materials Science Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:20:03 EDT news707050828 Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses mechanical vibration to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important chemical feedstock. The catalyst consists of barium titanate (BaTiO3) coated with a metal-organic framework (MOF)—a porous material that captures and concentrates CO2 near the catalyst surface—and incorporates isolated copper (Cu) atoms as reaction sites. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mof-coated-catalyst-faster-ultrasonic.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:40:05 EDT news707064301 Machine learning doesn't replace human intelligence, but it can outlast human endurance, which makes it a helpful tool for chemistry and materials discovery. Scientists know machine learning models can make predictions based on the vast reams of data they are trained on, but can they take it a step further and massively scale up testing those predictions? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-machine-methods-labs-closer-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:50:01 EDT news706981081 Researchers at TU Dortmund University, Paderborn University, the University of Duisburg-Essen, and the University of Oxford have developed a new method for selectively modifying the internal structure of specific types of glass. The study, published in the journal Nature Materials, shows how adding an organic molecule during melting causes the chemical bonds in the material to rearrange. The process reduces the required processing temperature, prevents the substance from decomposing, and allows the magnetic and optical properties to be precisely tuned. These specialized glasses are used, among other things, in gas storage, batteries, optical applications and catalysis. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-door-generation-glass.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:10:01 EDT news706807741 Artificial intelligence has analyzed data scattered across hundreds of research papers to discover new lead-free dielectric materials that maintain stable performance even at high temperatures. The study presents a new approach that could transform materials discovery from a trial-and-error process into a data-driven one. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-driven-literature-discovery-stable.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:40:01 EDT news706454403 Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and energy production remains one of the major technological challenges in addressing climate change. Membrane-based gas separation offers an energy-efficient alternative to conventional separation technologies, but identifying membranes that allow gases to pass through rapidly while also separating them effectively has long presented a major materials-design challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-screens-membrane-combinations-carbon.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:20:04 EDT news706359481 Developing new materials to tackle pressing global issues is a gap-filled process that can leave potential climate solutions lost in unread academic papers and forgotten dissertations. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-materials-capture-methane.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:20:04 EDT news706270381 Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and a decline in other mental functions. Past studies have consistently linked this disorder to the accumulation of the protein amyloid-β (Aβ) between brain cells, ultimately resulting in the formation of so-called amyloid plaques. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gold-nanoclusters-alzheimer-amyloid-plaques.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:00:01 EDT news706177996 The strongest glasses have an Achilles' heel that causes them to fail catastrophically when pushed past their limit. They do not bend or stretch, as all damage concentrates into a single plane and the material fails in an instant. This brittleness has long capped the usefulness of high-stability amorphous solids, from bulk metallic glasses to engineered metamaterials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-particles-stable-glasses-stronger-catastrophic.html Soft Matter Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news705982865 Research teams have developed a multifunctional fiber-shaped electronic device capable of both generating electricity and detecting hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas. The achievement demonstrates that a single fiber can function as a self-powered safety sensor that generates its own electricity while detecting hazardous gases. The technology is expected to accelerate the practical application of smart clothing and wearable devices for industrial safety. The study is published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fiber-based-electronic-device-generates.html Materials Science Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:02:05 EDT news705841304 University of Birmingham scientists who used green chemistry to make a next-generation metal-organic framework (MOF) for capturing heavy metals from wastewater have shown that it is cheaper and more resource-efficient to produce than a similar MOF processed conventionally. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-greener-material-decontamination.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:40:04 EDT news705771481 In Nature Communications a research team led by Professor Tae-Hyun Bae of the KAIST Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering introduced hydrogen-selective transport pathways at the angstrom scale inside polymer membranes and clarified their separation performance through the concept of "network completeness." https://phys.org/news/2026-08-polymer-membrane-high-purity-hydrogen.html Polymers Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:20:06 EDT news705771122 Capturing carbon or storing hydrogen to combat global warming requires compressing gases into sponge-like porous materials. Until now, gas molecules were thought to adsorb in a disordered manner throughout the pores. But what if invisible gas molecules could be lined up in regular order—like ice crystals or LEGO bricks? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-porous-material-disordered-gas-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:20:05 EDT news705678721