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Chemistry News - January 2010 Archives
 | Naturally occurring methane hydrate may represent an enormous source of methane, the main component of natural gas, and could ultimately augment conventional natural gas supplies. ...> Full Article |
Some natural latexes are the main ingredient in the extraction of natural rubber, an indispensable raw material for all kinds of industries and essential for the manufacture of surgical gloves, condoms or tires.
...> Full Article
 | In the January 29 issue of Science, a team from Harvard led by Vinothan Manoharan and Michael Brenner, presents additional clues to how and why groups of atoms and molecules may favor less symmetrical and more complex, flexible geometric patterns.
The answer relates to a familiar concept in physics -- entropy. The researchers literally first caught sight of the link by using magnetic "stick and ball" construction toys. ...> Full Article |
Like a Venus flytrap, a material developed at Northwestern University permanently traps only its desired prey, the radioactive ion cesium, and not harmless sodium ions. The material can remove 100 percent of the cesium -- found in nuclear waste but very difficult to clean up -- from a sodium-heavy solution. It is cesium itself that triggers a structural change in the material, causing it to snap shut its pores and trap the cesium ions.
...> Full Article
X-rays can do a lot of useful things but who knew they could cause crystals to form? Northwestern University researchers have discovered that X-rays can trigger the formation of a new type of crystal: charged cylindrical filaments ordered like a bundle of pencils experiencing repulsive forces, which is unknown in crystals. The results open the door to using X-rays to control the structure of materials or to develop novel biomedical therapies.
...> Full Article
To make thin films for semiconductors in electronic devices, layers of atoms must be grown in neat, crystalline sheets. But while some materials grow smooth crystals, others tend to develop bumps and defects -- a serious problem for thin-film manufacturing. Cornell physicists shed new light on how atoms arrange themselves into thin films.
...> Full Article
 | The "Parasols" in Seville feature components that are designed to be glued instead of bolted together. To prevent the adhesive from melting, it needs to withstand temperatures of up to 60 degrees. Researchers have optimized the adhesive's resistance to high temperatures. ...> Full Article |
 | Abandon any notion that the duck-billed platypus is a soft and cuddly creature -- maybe like Perry the Platypus in the Phineas and Ferb cartoon. The males can deliver a mega-sting that causes immediate, excruciating pain, like hundreds of hornet stings, leaving victims incapacitated for weeks. Now scientists are reporting an advance toward deciphering the chemical composition of the venom, with the first identification of a dozen protein building blocks. ...> Full Article |
 | In ski sports, it's often only a second that separates the winners from the losers. Using equipment made of the right materials can therefore make all the difference. Researchers are simulating the gliding effects that occur when skis travel over snow -- and creating super fast skis. ...> Full Article |
Chemists at the University of Leicester have received a grant to develop environmentally sustainable solvent technologies.
...> Full Article
 | Berkeley Lab researchers have developed a "molecular worm" algorithm that makes it easier and faster to simulate the passage of a molecule through the labyrinth of a chemical system, a progression that is critical to catalysis and other important chemical processes. ...> Full Article |
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Fish can recognize a face based on UV pattern alone
Ancient DNA from rare fossil reveals that polar bears evolved recently and adapted quickly
'Anaconda' meets 'Jurassic Park': Study shows ancient snakes ate dinosaur babies
Scientists locate apparent hydrothermal vents off Antarctica
Mars Express heading for closest flyby of Phobos
Artificial bee silk a big step closer to reality
Predicting the fate of stem cells
Artificial foot recycles energy for easier walking
New fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing
What drives our genes? Researchers map the first complete human epigenome
Juggling enhances connections in the brain
Tracking down the human 'odorprint'
Scientists discover quantum fingerprints of chaos
Researchers help identify cows that gain more while eating less
Chemicals that eased one environmental problem may worsen another
Helping hydrogen: Student inventor tackles challenge of hydrogen storage
More, better biodiesel
Orange peels, newspapers may lead to cheaper, cleaner ethanol fuel
Researchers envision high-tech applications for 'multiferroic' crystals
Chemists create synthetic 'gene-like' crystals for carbon dioxide capture