news

Researchers working within the Cluster of Excellence "Unifying Systems in Catalysis (UniSysCat)," have uncovered how bacteria use two nickel-containing enzymes to convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide CO2 into energy-rich organic compounds In two studies that have just been published in the journal Nature Catalysis , the research teams show how the two nickel-containing enzymes carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) and acetyl-CoA synthase (ACS) transform CO2 into activated acetic acid.

Caltech scientists have developed a method to create metallic objects of a precisely specified shape and composition, giving them unprecedented control of the metallic mixtures, or alloys, they create and the enhanced properties those creations will display. Want a stent that is biocompatible and mechanically robust? How about strong but lightweight satellite components that can operate in space for decades? The new technique can tell scientists exactly which combination of metals will yield the best product.

HU researchers develop light-driven nano-motor and use it to produce ring-shaped molecules that are intertwined like links in a chain. Berlin, July 31, 2025 - Threads and ropes are ideal for braiding, knotting and weaving. In chemistry, on the other hand, such processing of molecular strands is an almost impossible challenge.

Researchers from Humboldt-Universität develop light-powered nano-motor and use it to create ring-shaped molecules that are intertwined like links in a chain. Berlin 31 July, 2025. Threads or ropes can easily be used for braiding, knotting, and weaving. In chemistry, however, processing molecular strands in this way is an almost impossible task.

An international research team has identified a new protein that specifically transports enzymes into peroxisomes. Its mode of action is extraordinary: it operates like a relay racer. Peroxisomes can be described as tiny vesicles filled with enzymes that are present in all cells, with particularly high concentration in liver cells.

Supercapacitors, or supercaps in short, are fast, powerful energy storage devices. They complement the relatively slow (dis-)charging batteries in numerous applications ranging from electric cars to industrial machines and wind turbines.

Researchers at the University of Basel have repurposed a natural enzyme so that it catalyzes a highly challenging chemical reaction. Their approach opens new possibilities for synthesizing complex molecules-such as pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals-in a more environmentally friendly and efficient way.

Researchers at Humboldt-Universität develop unusual strategy to increase battery performance. Led Nicola Pinna and Patrícia Russo from the Department of Chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), scientists have succeeded in disrupting the atomic order of batteries in a targeted manner. The result: high-performance anodes for lithium and sodium-ion batteries with exceptional high charging speed and stability - a decisive step towards safer and longer-lasting energy storage systems.

Nikolay Kornienko's team shows how ammonia can be produced from water and nitrogen gas using electricity from solar and wind Humanity has an insatiable appetite for ammonia: this substance is used to make fertilizer, which in turn is used in most modern agriculture. Until now, the Haber-Bosch process has been the method of choice for extracting nitrogen from the seemingly inexhaustible atmosphere and binding it in the form of ammonia.

Researchers from the University of Bern, in collaboration with researchers from Australia and New Zealand, have recreated an important process in the laboratory that enables organisms to obtain energy directly from components found in air. This confirms that certain organisms such as bacteria can actually live on air alone, without relying on sunlight or other energy sources.

Astronomers find signs of complex organic molecules - precursors to sugars and amino acids - in a planet-forming disc. To the point First tentative detection of prebiotic molecules in a planet-forming disc: In the young V883 Orionis system, ALMA observations have revealed signatures of complex organic compounds such as ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile - potential precursors to sugars and amino acids.

Analytical chemist Paolo D'Imporzano and geochemist Gareth R. Davies studied samples from eight works by Johannes Vermeer.

Researchers have created a uranium catalyst that converts nitrogen gas into ammonia using a unique binding method, potentially offering insights into more sustainable fertilizer production. Ammonia (NH3) is vital for agriculture, as it is the basis for fertilizers that are needed to feed the world's population.

A few years ago, chemists at Friedrich Schiller University Jena developed a molecule that can function as a potential qubit-i.e. as a computing unit in a quantum computer. With the help of this copper complex, they have now enormously increased the possibilities for future developments in quantum technology together with colleagues from the University of Florence.

By leveraging the concept of chirality, or the difference of a shape from its mirror image, scientists have engineered an optical metasurface that controls light to yield a simple and versatile technique for secure encryption, sensing, and computing. Imagine trying to wear a left-handed glove on your right hand: it doesn't fit because left and right hands are mirror images that can't be superimposed on each other.

A new study has revealed promising progress in developing a non-invasive sampling method to detect early signs of Parkinson's disease - up to seven years before motor symptoms appear - by analysing the chemical makeup of skin. The research, published today in the journal, npj Parkinson's Disease , demonstrates that compounds or 'volatiles' found in sebum - the oily substance produced by our skin -hold key biomarkers for identifying Parkinson's in its earliest stages.

A team from the University of Geneva and the University of Pisa has designed surprisingly stable molecular assemblies, paving the way for new drug constructs and geometrically controlled materials. Can you imagine a life-saving molecule whose "twin" is a deadly poison? As surprising as it may seem, this chemical reality is known as "chirality".

Researchers at EPFL and Kyoto University have created the first hydride-based deep eutectic solvent-a stable hydrogen-rich liquid formed by mixing two simple chemicals. This breakthrough could make hydrogen storage easier, safer, and more efficient at room temperature. Hydrogen can be the clean fuel of the future, but getting it from the lab to everyday life isn't simple.

To curb global plastic pollution and to make plastics safer and more sustainable, countries are currently negotiating a global treaty. A new study with participation from Eawag and Empa published in Nature provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of all chemicals that can be present in plastics, their properties, uses, and hazards.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance, researchers at ETH Zurich have studied the atomic environments of single platinum atoms in solid supports as well as their spatial orientation. In the future, this method can be used to optimize the production of single-atom catalysts. 02.07.2025 by Oliver Morsch, freelance author Catalysis - the acceleration of a chemical reaction by adding a particular substance - is extremely important in industry as well as in everyday life.