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Category: chemistry – Page 26

A new technique involving terahertz light has enabled the creation of chiral states in non-chiral materials, offering exciting possibilities for future technological applications.

Chirality is a key property of matter that plays a crucial role in many biological, chemical, and physical processes. In chiral solids, this property enables unique interactions with chiral molecules and polarized light, making them valuable for applications in catalysis, sensing, and optical devices. However, chirality in these materials is typically fixed during their formation—once a crystal is grown, its left-and right-handed forms, or enantiomers, cannot be switched without melting and recrystallizing it.

Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) and the University of Oxford have discovered a way to induce chirality in a non-chiral crystal using terahertz light. This breakthrough allows them to create either left-or right-handed enantiomers on demand. Published in Science, this finding opens exciting new possibilities for studying and controlling complex materials in non-equilibrium conditions.

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A study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) demonstrates that the drug WIN55,212–2 protects the brain and reverses early cognitive damage caused by dementia, while also explaining its mechanism of action.

Over two decades of research conducted by the Neurochemistry and Neurodegeneration group at UPV/EHU, led by Dr. Rafael Rodríguez-Puertas, has uncovered a promising pathway for developing therapies aimed at improving memory in cases of cognitive impairment caused by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects older adults, leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. It is the most common cause of dementia. The disease is characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, which disrupt cell function and communication. There is currently no cure, and treatments focus on managing symptoms and improving quality of life.

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Mice, like humans, compete for territory and mates, becoming more confident in their fighting abilities with each victory. Early on, a brain chemical called dopamine.

Dopamine is a crucial neurotransmitter involved in many important functions in the brain, particularly those related to pleasure, reward, motivation, and motor control. It plays a central role in the brain’s reward system, where it helps reinforce rewarding behaviors by increasing pleasure and satisfaction, making it critical for habit formation and addictive behaviors. Dopamine is also vital for regulating movement, and deficiencies in dopamine production are linked to neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, dopamine influences various other functions, including mood regulation, learning, and attention, making it a key focus in studies of both mental health and neurodegenerative diseases.

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In the quest to take the “forever” out of “forever chemicals,” bacteria might be our ally. Most remediation of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) involves adsorbing and trapping them, but certain microbes can actually break apart the strong chemical bonds that allow these chemicals to persist for so long in the environment.

Now, a University at Buffalo-led team has identified a strain of bacteria that can break down and transform at least three types of PFAS, and perhaps even more crucially, some of the toxic byproducts of the bond-breaking process.

Published in this month’s issue of Science of the Total Environment, the team’s study found that Labrys portucalensis F11 (F11) metabolized over 90% of perfluorooctane (PFOS) following an exposure period of 100 days. PFOS is one of the most frequently detected and persistent types of PFAS and was designated hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year.

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The vast majority of photoresins for 3D printing (also referred to as additive manufacturing or AM) and related technologies are toxic, non-biodegradable, and sourced from unsustainable feedstocks. Non-traditional approaches to 3D printing offer a way to break free of the traditional confines of unsustainable petroleum-based reagents and chemical methods that require toxic monomers.

A recent collaboration between the University of Wisconsin’s Prof. AJ Boydston (Department of Chemistry) and Prof. Audrey Girard (Department of Food Science) has accomplished the first demonstration of via denaturation (AMPD).

The paper is published in the journal Green Chemistry.

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Scientists have long sought to understand the exact mechanism behind water splitting by carbon nitride catalysts. For the first time, Dr. Paolo Giusto and his team captured the step-by-step interactions at the interface between carbon nitride and water, detailing the transfer of protons and electrons from water to the catalyst under light.

This discovery lays critical groundwork for optimizing materials for as a renewable energy solution. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Plants use light to generate fuels through photosynthesis—converting energy from the sun into sugar molecules. With artificial photosynthesis, scientists mimic nature and convert light into high-energy chemicals, in pursuit of sustainable fuels. Carbon nitrides have long been identified as effective catalysts in this ongoing quest. These compounds of carbon and nitrogen use light to break water into its constituent parts, oxygen and hydrogen—with hydrogen representing a promising renewable energy source.

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The chemical composition of a material alone sometimes reveals little about its properties. The decisive factor is often the arrangement of the molecules in the atomic lattice structure or on the surface of the material. Materials science utilizes this factor to create certain properties by applying individual atoms and molecules to surfaces with the aid of high-performance microscopes. This is still extremely time-consuming and the constructed nanostructures are comparatively simple.

Using , a research group at TU Graz now wants to take the construction of nanostructures to a new level. Their paper is published in the journal Computer Physics Communications.

“We want to develop a self-learning AI system that positions individual molecules quickly, specifically and in the right orientation, and all this completely autonomously,” says Oliver Hofmann from the Institute of Solid State Physics, who heads the research group. This should make it possible to build highly complex molecular structures, including logic circuits in the nanometer range.

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Scientists have built an artificial motor capable of mimicking the natural mechanisms that power life.

The finding, from The University of Manchester and the University of Strasbourg, published in the journal Nature, provides new insights into the fundamental processes that drive life at the molecular level and could open doors for applications in medicine, energy storage, and nanotechnology.

Professor David Leigh, lead researcher from The University of Manchester, said: Biology uses chemically powered molecular machines for every biological process, such as transporting chemicals around the cell, information processing or reproduction.

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Researchers leverage their understanding of molecular motors to improve nanoscale.

The term “nanoscale” refers to dimensions that are measured in nanometers (nm), with one nanometer equaling one-billionth of a meter. This scale encompasses sizes from approximately 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique physical, chemical, and biological properties emerge that are not present in bulk materials. At the nanoscale, materials exhibit phenomena such as quantum effects and increased surface area to volume ratios, which can significantly alter their optical, electrical, and magnetic behaviors. These characteristics make nanoscale materials highly valuable for a wide range of applications, including electronics, medicine, and materials science.

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