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A tiny bit of silver, combined with water and air, can convert aldehydes into acids efficiently - instead of the classical methods using stoichiometric amounts of expensive or toxic metal oxidants, according to a new study by McGill University researchers. The findings, published March 27 in the journal Science Advances , could lead to a variety of possible applications in the chemical industry.

An atomically thin layer of water freezes at room temperature to form square ice with symmetry completely alien to water molecules, University of Manchester researchers have found. The breakthrough findings allow better understanding of the counterintuitive behaviour of water at the molecular scale and are important for development of more efficient technologies including filtration, desalination and distillation.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. One infrared scan can give pathologists a window into the structures and molecules inside tissues and cells, enabling fast and broad diagnostic assessments, thanks to an imaging technique developed by University of Illinois researchers and clinical partners. Using a combination of advanced microscope imaging and computer analysis, the new technique can give pathologists and researchers precise information without using chemical stains or dyes.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. Natural chemical could help attract and kill pregnant malaria carrying mosquitoes Researchers have found for the first time that a naturally occurring chemical attracts pregnant malaria-transmitting mosquitoes - a discovery which could boost malaria control efforts.

A cancer drug could be made 50 times more effective by a chemical found in stinging nettles and ants, new research finds. Researchers at the University of Warwick found that when the chemical, Sodium Formate, is used in combination with a metal-based cancer treatment it can greatly increase its ability to shut down cancer cells.

Early in our embryogenesis, the two main body axes (head-tail and back-to-belly axis) are established to provide positional cues through a coordinate system for the differentiating cells. In a new publication in the journal Cell Reports the team of developmental biologist Ulrich Technau from the University of Vienna has now found evidence for an ancient origin of the back-to-belly axis in a sea anemone.

A new technique invented at Caltech to produce graphene-a wonder material made up of an atom-thick layer of carbon-at room temperature could help pave the way for commercially feasible graphene-based solar cells and light-emitting diodes, large-panel displays, and flexible electronics. A new technique invented at Caltech to produce graphene-a material made up of an atom-thick layer of carbon-at room temperature could help pave the way for commercially feasible graphene-based solar cells and light-emitting diodes, large-panel displays, and flexible electronics.

Years of research satisfy a graduate student's curiosity about the molecular minuet he observed among drops of ordinary food coloring. A puzzling observation, pursued through hundreds of experiments, has led Stanford researchers to a simple yet profound discovery: under certain circumstances, droplets of fluid will move like performers in a dance choreographed by molecular physics.

UCLA engineer co-authors study that could lead to longer-lasting fiber optics, display screens and cement structures Bill Kisliuk Courtesy of UCLA Engineering Rendering of the molecular structure of sodium disilicate glass. Researchers have identified a way to produce glass that is more durable. Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris have identified a method for manufacturing longer-lasting and stronger forms of glass.

Chemistry Professor Kyoung-Shin Choi (right) and postdoctoral researcher Hyun Gil Cha (left) have developed an innovative approach to combining solar energy conversion and biomass conversion. Photo: UW-Madison Chemistry Department In a study published March 9 , University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry Professor Kyoung-Shin Choi presents a new approach to combine solar energy conversion and biomass conversion, two important research areas for renewable energy.

One-third of the world's food-producing land has been lost in the past 40 years as a result of soil degradation, putting global food security at risk. Researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered how aluminium, a toxic result of soil acidification, acts to reduce plant growth. UQ School of Agriculture and Food Sciences researcher Dr Peter Kopittke said the increasing human population and continuing degradation of farm soils has made food security a critical issue.

Methane is one hot gas. It's a prominent component of natural gas, an important atmospheric gas, and a product of both biology and chemical reactions. Its presence was recently confirmed in the atmosphere of Mars by NASA's Curiosity Rover and it has made the news both as a critical greenhouse gas and as a groundwater contaminant resulting from fracking.

Waste CO2 could be harnessed to produce useful materials - from furniture to trainer soles - using methods developed at Imperial College London. New research, published in ACS Catalysis , shows that waste carbon dioxide, captured from the emissions from a UK power station, can be used to produce polymers which are important in the production of materials called polyurethanes.

Researchers from institutions including Lund University have taken a step closer to producing solar fuel using artificial photosynthesis. In a new study, they have successfully tracked the electrons' rapid transit through a light-converting molecule. The ultimate aim of the present study is to find a way to make fuel from water using sunlight.

A unique study of frozen ice cores from the Tibetan Himalaya has shown that international agreements on phasing out the use of toxic persistent organic pollutants are working. The research paper in the leading American Chemical Society journal, Environmental Science & Technology has been named as the journal's most read paper of 2014.

UCLA Engineering A UCLA graduate student researcher with two of the polymers used in developing more efficient solar cell technology, as well as a polymer blend. Paving the way for lighter and more flexible solar devices, UCLA researchers have identified the key principles for developing high-efficiency polymer solar cells.

Scientists have discovered that the mineral jarosite breaks down organic compounds when it is flash-heated, with implications for Mars research. The destructive properties of some iron sulphates and perchlorate to organic matter may explain why current and previous missions have so far offered no conclusive evidence of organic matter preserved on Mars' surface.

Scientists in Brisbane and Ireland have developed a small molecule that blocks a key driver of inflammatory diseases - a finding that could inspire new treatments for arthritis, multiple sclerosis and a family of rare autoinflammatory diseases. University of Queensland scientists worked with an international team, including experts from Trinity College Dublin, to study the molecule known as MCC950.

Scientists report that chemicals that are not controlled by a United Nations treaty designed to protect the Ozone Layer are contributing to ozone depletion. In the new study, published today , the scientists also report the atmospheric abundance of one of these ‘very short-lived substances’ (VSLS) is growing rapidly.

A molecular chaperone has been found to inhibit a key stage in the development of Alzheimer's disease and break the toxic chain reaction that leads to the death of brain cells, a new study shows. The research provides an effective basis for searching for candidate molecules that could be used to treat the condition.