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Researchers have found a way to super-charge the 'engine' of sustainable fuel generation - by giving the materials a little twist. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, are developing low-cost light-harvesting semiconductors that power devices for converting water into clean hydrogen fuel, using just the power of the sun.

A new computer process developed by chemists at ETH Zurich makes it possible to generate active pharmaceutical ingredients quickly and easily based on a protein's three-dimensional surface. The new process could revolutionise drug research. "It's a real breakthrough for drug discovery," says Gisbert Schneider, Professor at ETH Zurich's Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences.

Key Takeaways Materials known as perovskites show great promise to reduce the costs of solar power but are not yet durable enough to be commercially viable. Scientists developed a simplified process to fabricate perovskite solar cell materials with improved durability and efficiency. Berkeley Lab researchers used simultaneous characterization techniques to understand why the process worked so well, providing key insights to nudge perovskites closer to commercialization.

Electromobility and portable electronic devices such as laptops and cell phones are unthinkable without the use of lithium-ion batteries. The problem: highly toxic materials such as cobalt are often used for the cathodes of these batteries, which endanger the environment and the health of people in the countries where they are mined.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have engineered bacteria in the laboratory to efficiently use methanol. The metabolism of these bacteria can now be tapped into to produce valuable products currently made by the chemical industry from fossil fuels. To produce various chemicals such as plastics, dyes or artificial flavours, the chemical industry currently relies heavily on fossil resources such as crude oil.

Regenerating damaged tissues or organs has been a dream of scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the FMI and Novartis Biomedical Research have discovered a new molecule that activates a protein involved in regeneration. The tool holds promise for advancing our understanding of how organisms repair damaged tissue.

Study: Single-chain fluorescent integrators for mapping G-protein-coupled receptor agonists (DOI: 10.1073/pnas. University of Michigan researchers have developed a new tool to better understand how chemicals like dopamine and epinephrine interact with neurons. These chemicals are among a wide variety of signals that get processed in the brain through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), proteins that sit on the surface of neurons to receive messages-in the forms of proteins, sugars, fats, even light-that inform cellular behavior.

What determines the cycle life of batteries? And, more importantly, how can we extend it? An international research team led by TU Delft has discovered that local disorder in the oxide cathode material increases the number of times Li-ion batteries can be charged and discharged. Their results have been published in Nature .

Such discoveries help researchers better understand the development of molecular complexity in space during star formation. New research from the group of MIT Brett McGuire has revealed the presence of a previously unknown molecule in space. The team's open-access paper, " Rotational Spectrum and First Interstellar Detection of 2-Methoxyethanol Using ALMA Observations of NGC 6334I ," appears in April 12 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters .

The energy density of supercapacitors - battery-like devices that can charge in seconds or a few minutes - can be improved by increasing the 'messiness' of their internal structure. This could be a turning point for a field that's been stuck for a little while. Alex Forse Researchers led by the University of Cambridge used experimental and computer modelling techniques to study the porous carbon electrodes used in supercapacitors.

Human mini-lungs grown by University of Manchester scientists mimic the response of animals when exposed to certain nanomaterials. The study at the University's NanoCell Biology Lab at the Centre for Nanotechnology in Medicine is published in the influential journal nanotoday . Though not expected to replace animal models completely, human organoids could soon lead to significant reductions in research animal numbers, the team led by cell biologist and nanotoxicologist Dr Sandra Vranic argues.

Peptides are organic compounds that play a crucial role in many biological processes, for example, as enzymes. A research team led by Dr Serge Krasnokutski from the Astrophysics Laboratory at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy at the University of Jena had already demonstrated that simple peptides can form on cosmic dust particles.

Researchers have used artificial intelligence techniques to massively accelerate the search for Parkinson's disease treatments. Machine learning is having a real impact on drug discovery - it's speeding up the whole process of identifying the most promising candidates Michele Vendruscolo The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, designed and used an AI-based strategy to identify compounds that block the clumping, or aggregation, of alpha-synuclein, the protein that characterises Parkinson's.

Sensors that detect plant signaling molecules can reveal when crops are experiencing too much light or heat, or attack from insects or microbes. Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers from MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) have discovered signals that reveal when plans are experiencing stresses such as heat, light, or attack from insects or bacteria.

Researchers at the University of Twente have shown how to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production in an experimental setup. They showed that the magnetic order of the molecules plays a critical role. In the search for green hydrogen, the design of efficient catalyst materials that increase the efficiency and speed of the chemical reaction that produces (green) hydrogen is essential.

In research that may lead to next-generation airplanes and spacecraft, MIT engineers used carbon nanotubes to prevent cracking in multilayered composites. To save on fuel and reduce aircraft emissions, engineers are looking to build lighter, stronger airplanes out of advanced composites. These engineered materials are made from high-performance fibers that are embedded in polymer sheets.

Techniques developed by researchers from Western University to create images from old, badly tarnished photographs could also be used to study other historic artifacts and fossils and prevent corrosion on modern materials. Chemistry professor T.K. Sham Chemistry professor Tson-Kong (T.K.

A research team has developed a new type of polymer, the main component of plastics, which is more easily degradable than conventional materials. Mechanical treatment such as grinding, combined with the use of an alkaline solution, is all that's needed to facilitate chemical recycling and reduce environmental impact .

Bringing together chemists and physicists to thoroughly investigate how electrochemical processes work on the smallest scale. That is the goal of the new Advanced Nano-electrochemistry Institute of the Netherlands, or ANION for short. The consortium receives a Gravitation funding of 23.6 million euros for this purpose.

Scientists have found new paths to steer and optimize electrochemical processes. Optimizing electrochemical reactions is essential for the transition to renewable energies. In electrochemical reactions, electric currents and potential differences are used to binding and induce reactions. Electrochemistry is a pre-requisite for hydrogen production, and for batterie technology, and thus for sustainable chemistry.