A cool chemical separation technology

Gas and liquid separation processes in the chemical industry could be made more efficient and environmentally friendly by using substances known as intrinsically porous materials (IPMs). KAUST researchers review the prospects ...

'Fungal ghosts' protect skin, fabric from toxins, radiation

The idea of creating selectively porous materials has captured the attention of chemists for decades. Now, new research from Northwestern University shows that fungi may have been doing exactly this for millions of years.

Oysters produce 3-D structures organised by physical processes

Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) have discovered that oysters are capable of producing three-dimensional structures organized by physical (colloidal) processes—the result of which resembles a solid foam—by ...

Metal-organic frameworks become flexible

The application potential of metal-organic frameworks was first discovered around 20 years ago, and almost 100,000 such hybrid porous materials have since been identified. There are great hopes for technical applications, ...

Coating plastics with porous nanofilm

Pore size in porous materials affects the property of the material. For example, small pores create more absorbent surface areas. Silica gel, which is often used in food packaging to soak up moisture, is one typical example.

Investigating a thermal challenge for MOFs

To the naked eye, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) look a little like sand. But if you zoom in, you will see that each grain looks and acts more like a sponge—and serves a similar purpose. MOFs are used to absorb and hold ...

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