Latest Chemical Stories
What happens when materials take tiny hitsDecember 11, 2018
High-speed camera shows incoming particles cause damage by briefly melting surfaces as they strike
Purple bacteria ‘batteries’ turn sewage into clean energyNovember 27, 2018
Purple phototrophic bacteria - which can store energy from light - when supplied with an electric current can recover near to 100% of carbon from any type of organic waste, while generating hydrogen gas for use as fuel
How to mass produce cell-sized robotsNovember 27, 2018
Technique from MIT could lead to tiny, self-powered devices for environmental, industrial, or medical monitoring
Graphene takes a step towards renewable fuelNovember 13, 2018
Researchers are working to develop a method to convert water and carbon dioxide to the renewable energy of the future, using the energy from the sun and graphene applied to the surface of cubic silicon carbide
New, durable catalyst for key fuel cell reaction may prove useful in eco-friendly vehiclesOctober 30, 2018
A new catalyst exceeds US Department of Energy targets for performing the oxygen reduction reaction, a key step in generating an electric current in a hydrogen fuel cell
Chemists discover unexpected enzyme structureOctober 16, 2018
Metal cluster in enzyme that breaks down carbon dioxide can switch between two different shapes
Cash, carbon, crude: How to make oil fields bury emissionsOctober 2, 2018
A new analysis looks at what it would take for oil companies to start pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide into their wells to boost crude production - and what it would mean for the climate
Transparent loudspeakers and MICs that let your skin play musicOctober 2, 2018
An international team of researchers has presented an innovative wearable technology that will turn your skin into a loudspeaker
Engineered sand zaps stormwater pollutantsSeptember 18, 2018
Engineers have created a new way to remove contaminants from stormwater, potentially addressing the needs of water-stressed communities that are searching for ways to tap the abundant and yet underused source of fresh drinking water
Thomas Midgley Jr: The man who harmed the world the mostSeptember 4, 2018
With his deadly inventions, Thomas Midgley Jr has greatly contributed to the environmental problems we face today, writes Susan Fourtané
New class of materials could be used to make batteries that charge fasterAugust 7, 2018
Researchers used materials with a complex crystalline structure and found that lithium ions move through them at rates that far exceed those of typical electrode materials, which equates to a much faster-charging battery
Piper Alpha – What have we learned?July 24, 2018
Fiona Macleod and Stephen Richardson ask: What went wrong on Piper Alpha? Why did it have such disastrous consequences? And what lessons can still be learned today?
Food-safe lubricants: Avoiding recallsJuly 24, 2018
Chris Johnson examines a common cause of recalls in the food industry — chemical contamination, and provides advice on choosing the correct food-grade lubricant for food processing applications, and the potential dangers of taking shortcuts
Nanomaterials could mean more algae outbreaks for wetlands and waterwaysJuly 10, 2018
Combined with nutrient runoff from fertilised cropland and manure-filled pastures, nanomaterials in agrochemicals like pesticides and fungicides could lead to more toxic algae outbreaks for nearby streams, lakes and wetlands, a study has found
‘Artificial blubber’ protects divers in frigid waterJune 26, 2018
MIT engineers develop a way to triple the survival time for swimmers in wetsuits, writes David L Chandler
Scientists develop process to turn toxic air into cheap carbon nanotubesJune 12, 2018
Vanderbilt University researchers present a new method of extracting cheap carbon nanotubes from the CO₂ in the air, writes Maverick Baker
Chemical sensing chip sniffs out cocaine within minutesMay 29, 2018
What if you could test for cocaine, opioids and marijuana as quickly as a breathalyser identifies alcohol?
Microwaved plastic increases lithium-sulfur battery lifespanMay 29, 2018
Engineers have figured out a way to tackle plastic landfills while also improving batteries - by putting ink-free plastic soaked in sulfur-containing solvent into a microwave, and then into batteries as a carbon scaffold
Engineers upgrade ancient, sun-powered tech to purify water with near-perfect efficiencyMay 15, 2018
Low-cost device - shaped like a birdhouse - could help provide drinking water to people affected by natural disasters
Advanced anaerobic digestion in Ireland: An analysisMay 1, 2018
Matt Smyth looks at the opportunity for advanced anaerobic digestion in Ireland, which, followed by reuse of the residual biosolids on land, has been evaluated to be the most sustainable solution for wastewater sludge treatment and disposal