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Stronger, faster. Quantum computers promise far greater speed and processing power than today's most powerful supercomputers. The quantum quandary. Because these next-generation computers rely on the fragile interaction of atomic and subatomic particles, scaling up their processing power has proved a challenge.

In the 1860s, the chemists, Lothar Meyer and Dmitri Mendeleev, independently presented the first periodic system. Since then, the well-known tabular arrangement of the elements has been the guiding principle of chemistry. A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences and the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics at the University of Leipzig provides computational approaches based on extensive data sets from the Reaxys chemistry database that explain the development of the first periodic systems.

A new method to cool gases of polar molecules to near absolute zero paves the way for studying quantum effects of exotic forms of matter Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have developed a novel cooling technique for molecular gases. It makes it possible to cool polar molecules down to a few nanokelvin.

A team of researchers at Empa developed a water-activated disposable paper battery. The researchers suggest that it could be used to power a wide range of low-power, single-use disposable electronics - such as smart labels for tracking objects, environmental sensors and medical diagnostic devices - and minimize their environmental impact.

Graphene scientists from The University of Manchester have created a novel 'nano-petri dish' using two-dimensional (2D) materials to create a new method of observing how atoms move in liquid. Publishing in the journal, Nature , the team led by researchers based at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) used stacks of 2D materials including graphene to trap liquid in order to further understand how the presence of liquid changes the behaviour of the solid.

Researchers at The University of Queensland have found that a native New Zealand stinging tree produces toxins that could hold clues for future pain medication. In a quest to find new molecules that affect pain pathways, Dr Thomas Durek , Dr Sam Robinson and a team from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) studied toxins from the tree nettle known as ongaonga, one of New Zealand's most poisonous plants that can cause painful stings that last for days, and in severe cases can even be fatal.

Researchers unravel the assembly of an enzyme that detoxifies the greenhouse gas N2O The greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced as a by-product of industrial processes and through the use of fertilizers in agriculture. It makes a steadily growing contribution to climate change and ozone depletion.

The sophisticated artificial skin sweats where and how much the researchers want it to. This was reported in an Angewandte Chemie article by Danqing Liu and first author Yuanyuan Zhan. Following the breakthrough with their first sweating artificial skin two years ago, Danqing Liu-s multidisciplinary team hasn-t been sitting still.

Scientists develop greener, more efficient method for producing next-generation antibiotics An international team of researchers has developed a method for altering one class of antibiotics, using microscopic organisms that produce these compounds naturally. Study: Chemoenzymatic synthesis of fluorinated polyketides (DOI: 10.1038/s41557'022 -00996-z) The findings, published July 25 in Nature Chemistry, could lead to more efficient production of antibiotics that are effective against drug-resistant bacteria.

Berkeley Lab scientists observe nanoparticles ripening in solution at record-breaking resolution For decades, a textbook process known as "Ostwald ripening," named for the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Wilhelm Ostwald, has guided the design of new materials including nanoparticles - tiny materials so small they are invisible to the naked eye.

HEIDELBERG RESEARCHERS DEVELOP NEW CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS THAT ADSORB POLYFLUORINATED HYDROCARBONS ON THEIR SURFACE Emissions of greenhouse gases contribute significantly to global warming. Not only carbon dioxide (CO2) but also fluorine-containing gases - including so-called per- or polyfluorinated hydrocarbons, or PFCs - have a significant share in this development.

A study published in the journal Pharmacological Research reveals the oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex, a component present in the brain which is involved in the analgesic and addictive effects of certain opioids. The study includes the participation of the experts Vicent Casadó, Estefanía Moreno and Verònica Casadó-Anguera, from the Molecular Neuropharmacology Research Group of the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (I ).

New approach combines zero-to-ultra-low field magnetic resonance with hyperpolarization technique SABRE-Relay to study alcohols Nuclear magnetic resonance provides the basis for numerous applications, such as magnetic resonance imaging in medical diagnostics. However, strong magnetic fields are still required, which limits the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).

Heidelberg researchers develop new crystalline materials that adsorb polyfluorinated hydrocarbons on their surface Emissions of greenhouse gases contribute significantly to global warming. Not only carbon dioxide (CO2) but also fluorine-containing gases - including so-called peror polyfluorinated hydrocarbons, or PFCs - have a significant share in this development.

High cost of catalysts . Platinum is the best catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells, but its rarity makes it expensive. Finding alternatives . The new method quickly identifies which alloys — combinations of platinum and other, less expensive metals — are likely to achieve the best results in fuel cells.

Synthetic rotary motors at the nanoscale perform mechanical work A research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has succeeded for the first time in producing a molecular electric motor using the DNA origami method. The tiny machine made of genetic material self-assembles and converts electrical energy into kinetic energy.

At the heart of energy conversion, electrons and protons move in an intricate, coordinated dance. Chemists at Yale and in Sweden say they may have learned the steps to a new, photo-chemical rhumba. The discovery, published in the journal Science , could provide insights into the way the natural world converts solar energy into fuel, such as in photosynthesis.

Berkeley Lab technology provides low-carbon manufacturing solution for plastic products - By Alison Hatt Scientists have designed a new material system to overcome one of the biggest challenges in recycling consumer products: mixed-plastic recycling. Their achievement will help enable a much broader range of fully recyclable plastic products and brings into reach an efficient circular economy for durable goods like automobiles.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MS imaging) provides highly precise information on the spatial distribution of substances in many areas. Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have now presented some exemplary new applications in food analysis in the journal "Food Chemistry". For the first time, they have succeeded in making visible an additive in dairy products and a production-related contamination in baked goods.

Researchers at a Scottish university have found a greener, cleaner way to produce a common chemical relied on by multibillion-dollar industries. In a new paper published today in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science , researchers from the University of Glasgow demonstrate a new method of creating anilines - chemicals commonly used in the manufacture of products including dyes, plastics and insulation, and pharmaceuticals like paracetamol.