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A new study from an international research team was published in the journal nature. The team has created a multi layered two dimensional polyaniline (2DPANI) crystal. The material has a unique metallic out of plane charge transport and is highly conductive. There are many different types of conducting polymers, such as polyaniline, polythiophene and polypyrrole. These polymers are best known for their electrical conductivity. They are low cost, flexible and lightweight, making them a possible alternative to traditional metals and semiconductors. Charge transport between polymer chains has been a huge challenge that scientists are addressing. Researchers from the round the world are collaborating, including Ningbo Institute of material technology and engineering (NIMTE) Of the Chinese academy of sciences ( CCAS), TU Dresden, The max Planck  Institute of microstructure physics and CIC nanoGUNE BRTA. They have developed a new 2DPANI crystal. They used a topology directed 2D depolymer...

TAIOx, or transparent aluminum oxide is it real material. Years ago, it did make an appearance on Star Trek, used for both starship windows and space aquariums. It is very hard and resistant to scratches And a perfect protective coating on electronics, solar panels, and optical sensors. The methods for making TAIOx are costly and complex. It requires large vats of dangerous chemicals, vacuum chambers, and high-powered lasers. A change is being brought fourth by a few Filipino scientists from the Ateneode Manila University.  Instead of dipping entire sheets of metal in a large vats of acid, the scientists applied micro droplets of acid onto small aluminum surfaces. They then applied 2 V of electricity (About an AA battery). The team realized this was all that was needed to transform metal into the TAIOx. The group published their work in the journal Langmuir.  The new process is named droplet scale anodization. It is a much simpler way to manufacture TAIOx, but also environment...

  New information was published in advanced functional materials. A team is being led by Wang Guozhong. He is from the Hefei Institute of physical science of the Chinese Academy of sciences. His team is working on a new catalyst design for industrial applications. They have developed a new way to precisely control the size of nickel (Ni) particles in a catalyst.  This improves the performance of hydrogenation reactions. Catalysts are important in accelerating chemical reactions without being consumed. The size of the metal particles is consequential for influencing their performance. Large Ni particles have more high coordination, specially locales that facilitate hydrogen disassociation. Small Ni particles have low coordination sites that enhance reactant adsorption. Precise control over particle size is a huge challenge to scientists. The study synthesized mesoporous silica. It used a methodology that adjusted the molar ratio of ethylene diamine (EDA) to Ni. This created an ...

  A new diffraction phenomenon was researched and published on January 14, 2025. The team was led by Tohoku University with collaboration from the Japan atomic energy agency and the RIKEN Center for emergent matter science. Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are elastic vibrations. They travel along the surface of materials, not unlike ripples on a pond. SAWs are an important part of frequency filters used in every day devices like our cell phones. These devices change electrical signals in vibrations, or ripples. This occurs because of the piezoelectric  effect and it enables efficient signal processing. During this experiment, the team created a periodic array of magnetic nanoscale materials. The magnetic array is a sort of specialized grating that the waves passed through. The scientists were surprised. Instead of the usual symmetric defraction, the team saw something different. They observed a completely new, asymmetrical diffraction of SAWs called ‘non-reciprocal defraction’....

  An interesting form of charcoal is being studied at the university of Waterloo. It is extremely effective at absorbing chromium and changing it into a safer form. Chromium is a heavy metal. It exists in two separate forms. One form, chromium (III) is a micro nutrient that our body needs. Chromium (VI) is a very dangerous carcinogen. It is linked to liver cancer,lung, ovarian cancer, and even reproductive problems. Chromium (VI) is often made during processes like leather tanning, mining, and  stainless steel production. It can occur naturally in the presence of manganese. Biochar is a form of charcoal. It is made by heating agricultural waste without oxygen. It is being studied for chromium pollution cleanup at industrial sites. The research was posted in the journal Chemosphere. Filip Budimir is at the university of Waterloo, in the Earth and environmental sciences department. He is researching what happens when water contaminated with chromium (VI) is mixed with an oak bas...

  PET is the most common plastic, it’s in bottles, fibers and many other products. It’s full name is Polyethylene terephthalate. It’s a unique section of the plastic family, as it can be broken down into monomers. This breakdown is caused by PETases,  enzymes that degrade PET.  Scientists in the past have  discovered PETases in nature, these include bacteria, ideonella sakaiensis, and even leaf compost cutinase. These biocatalysts are currently being used in industrial practices.  Recycling technology has focused on decomposing contaminated PET under mild conditions. They are hoping for high purity monomer. There is, however a need for a much more efficient biocatalysts.  A team from Kyungpook National University (KNU) is studying a new biocatalyst. They are being led by Kyung-Jin Kim. He is a professor of life science and biotech technology and head of KNU Institute for microorganisms. They have created a novel methodology for the discovery of naturally oc...

  An interesting flower-like nanostructure has been discovered. Scientists hope that someday this material could be used in bandages to promote wound healing. A team reported new findings in ACS applied nano. Laboratory tests show this new nanoflower coated dressing displays antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists claim that these results show tannic acid and copper phosphate will sprout nanoflowers. And nanoflower bandages are good candidate for the treatment of infections and inflammatory circumstances. Nanoflowers are very small, self assembling structures. They have a large surface area. This provides a lot of room to attach drug molecules. This is why nanoflowers are used to deliver drugs. Pier Francesco Ferrari and Fatemah Ahmadpoor with  their colleagues have investigated nanoflowers. They chose copper phosphate, and tannic acid because of the antibiotic and anti- inflammatory properties. After they grew nanoflowers in a saline mixture, the scientists ad...

  Water pollution like leftover medicines and hygiene products end up in lakes and rivers. A team from the university of Manchester has created a new material that could help reduce this water pollution. The research was posted to Cell Reports Physical Science. It describes a novel way to use a molecular structure called a metal organic cage or MOC. These small cages act like traps. They can hold harmful molecules that can be found in our drinking water supplies. In the past, MOCs have been studied for use with gas and chemical capture. They are studied in chemical solvents, because their behavior differs when in water. Being able to show the capture of established wastewater pollutants is a viable step for MOCs.  Jack Wright is a researcher at the university of Manchester. He reports, “being able to use MOCs in water is a really exciting development. We know how valuable MOCs are for capturing unwanted substances, but until now researchers have not been able to apply them to ...

  Scientists are working on a dark matter experiment in space. They are hoping to unravel some of the universe’s greatest mysteries. Scientists have been puzzled about dark matter for years. It is an invisible force and makes up about 85% of all mass in the cosmos.   Scientists at the university of Southampton have created a theory that they claim will advance our understanding of what dark matter truly is. Testing has begun on a device that measures tiny signals. It uses a laser shining through graphite sheets, which are levitating in zero gravity. Tim Fuchs explains that this could be the first steps to more space based experiments that may detect dark matter. He reports, “ there are a lot of theories as to what dark matter might be, but no experiment on earth has ever come close to detecting it. Dark matter remains one of the fundamental questions scientists are still trying to answer. It dictates the structure of the universe, but is still undetectable. Our experiment...

  Valuable insights into valence electrons can be learned using molecular crystals. Molecular crystals have low impurity concentrations, high conductivity and magnetism features. Molecular crystals have assisted in the understanding of charge ordering to superconductivity.  The crystals have been used to learn about quantum spin liquids. Valance electrons with quantum properties are also believed to exhibit similar behavior. However, the extent magnetism plays a role in molecular crystals was unclear.  A team released a paper in physical review B. A new team used light to analyze valence electron arrangements. They built on the studies of superconductors and quantum spin fluids. The molecular crystal contains molecules at the vertices  Of a triangle. One valence electron is assigned to each vertex. The distribution of these electrons was experimentally determined. Irradiation of the crystal was performed, using synchrotron infrared light, along with near infrared and...

  Platinum is a noble metal. It can create useful catalysts to speed up chemical reactions. This is especially true during hydrogenation. (The process of adding hydrogen atoms to a molecule.)  Professor Bruce Gates is from the UC Davis Department of chemical engineering. He is studying platinum catalyst that are highly efficient and stable during chemical reactions.  The team published their works in nature chemical engineering. Works tested in the past have shown that platinum that is arranged in clusters of atoms makes a more efficient hydrogenation catalyst than single platinum atoms. This is true for every larger nano particle of platinum. The smaller clusters tend to want to dump into larger particles. This creates a loss in efficiency.  Yizhen Chen is from the Gates catalyst research group. He used an idea from Jingyue Liu, from Arizona State University. Chen planned to “trap” platinum clusters on a tiny island of cerium oxide.  The island is supported on ...

  Geckos have hydrophilic mechanisms on the bottom of their feet to allow easy movement on slick or moist surfaces. Scientists are studying animals like this and are searching for a solution to slip and falls. They have found that using silicone rubber augmented with zirconia nanoparticles creates a slip resistant polymer. The material sticks to ice and could be incorporated into shoes. The team published their study in ACS applied materials and interfaces. According to the world health organization, slip and fall accident account for more than 38 million injuries and 684,000 deaths each year. Almost 50% of these accidents are on ice. Contemporary anti-slip technology involves natural rubber that repels liquid away from the pavement on a rainy day. On icy sidewalks, these type of rubber souls can cause the ice to melt beneath the pressure from the shoe wearer. This creates a slippery layer the shoes are designed to protect against.  Gecko feet have inspired anti-slip polymers ...

  The university of Waterloo is developing a new type of  cloth. The fabric can heat up when exposed to the sun. Nanoparticles are embedded into the fabric’s fibers.  This is a huge improvement and an environmentally friendly option for winter warmth. Wearable heated clothing works by a metal or ceramic heating element. This heating element requires an external power source. This is a huge risk for users.  The new cloth uses conductive polymer nanoparticles that can heat up to 30°C. The design has no external power and will change color (To monitor temperature differences). The team published their findings in advanced, composite and hybrid materials. Yuning Lu Is a professor at Waterloo Department of chemical engineering. He is part of the research team that includes Chaoxia Wang and Fangquin Ge From the College of textile science and engineering at Jiangnan University in China. Li reports, “ The magic behind the temperature sensitive color change lies in the combin...

 Static electricity is being studied as an untapped source of energy. Scientists use a device called a TENG or tribal electric nano generator it uses the tribal electric static effect to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Most TENGs use costly, specifically manufactured materials. One team instead used extremely inexpensive materials, store-bought, tape, aluminum, metal, and plastic. The research team posted about their Improved tape based TENG NACS Omega. The team was led by Gang Wang and Moon Hyung Jang. The last experiment consisted of stacking layers of tape, plastic film, and aluminum. It formed a useful, low-cost TENG. When the layers are pressed together and pull apart, a tiny bit of electricity is created. The stickiness of the tape was preventative as a lot of of force had to be executed to pull apart the layers. The new TENG has new tape. The old TENG used double-sided tape, the scientist decided to use thicker heavy duty, single-sided tape. Power was sudde...

  A team of Italian computer scientists are studying the complexity of music. The team is from both the Sapienza university of Rome and the university of padova. They report that network science can be used to measure music’s complex complexity, allowing for a comparison between genres. Their study was reported using an arXiv preprint server. The team found that it was relatively easy to apply the knowledge of network science to musical composition. Each note on a network is thought of as each node. (The connecting happens as if they came directly one after another). The researchers thickened the edges. This is based on the number of times a single note transitioned into another single note. This allowed the researchers to manufacture a network, based on the type of music and it’s patterns. When a series of notes to repeated throughout a song, patterns were noted. The more complex the notes, the more complex the music. The team then automated their process. They created networks fo...

  An international team has created a novel approach to understanding the secrets of dark matter. Scientists from Queensland Australia and Germany’s metrology Institute (the Physik-alisch-Technique Bundesanstalt, PTB) are teamed up.  The group used information from both atomic clocks and cavity stabilized lasers. The lasers are located far apart in space and time. The lasers are being used to search for types of dark matter that were previously invisible. The procedure allows scientist to detect signals from dark matter models. These signals interact universally with all atoms, previously this process has been elusive to science during traditional experiments.  The group broke down data from a European laser. Originally reported in 2022, the European network used ultra stable lasers that are connected by fiber optic cables. The team also analyzed atomic clocks on board GPS satellites. The researchers compared precision instruments across vast distances. The data became se...

  A peculiar discovery has been made about the human body. A team of scientists from around the world are researching how soap can be important in our understanding of the body. The team examined complex systems like lungs and attempted improvement to respiratory distress syndrome using surfactants.  Surfactants are the molecules found in soap. Scientists discovered that surfactants can naturally find their way through a maze using the shortest path. The path of soap in a maze has little penetration or finds few dead ends.  Researchers compared the action of soap in a maze to the transport process in branching networks in the human lungs. They claim it reveals understanding how liquids (and drugs) travel through these networks. They also claimed that it could lead medical scientists to discover more effective and novel therapies. Scientists at the university of Manchester worked with universities from France and the US. The work was published in physical review letters....

  Nathan van Wyk and his team have developed a new technology. They will someday turn mining operations into a zero waste facility.  Magnesium and other metals in mine waste are solubilized and recovered using an acid-producing bacteria. This will greatly reduce environmental pollution and create raw materials for industrial uses. Every year, 3 billion tons of metal are manufactured for use. With exploitation, the metal content of ores has decreased. This makes it more difficult to reach the metals, which in turn creates high metal prices and harmful waste.  The increased need for rare-earth elements generates a lot of mine waste, as they are found in low concentrations. Mine waste is usually placed in large piles at a mine. Metals in the waste pile can reach the groundwater and windblown waste can also spread pollution. The waste is useful though, and Van Wyk has proved it. He researched how the metals can be removed from the waste by using acids produced by bacteria. He...

  A team from Cornell University have created a unique wireless, micro electronic device. The device is powered by light and can change a conventional well plate into a formation of small electrochemical reactors. The university of Lausanne Have published their work in Nature. A news and views peace in the same journal, outlines the work by Thomas O’Brien and Alistair Lennon. Chemist around the world are interested in driving organic reactions with electricity. The issues arise when high throughput is introduced. Multiple experiments on the same equipment requires a lot of wires and electrodes. Working with a 384 well plate, the scientist need 768 electrodes and 768 wires, all connected to power. Starting in 2021, the team started looking at solutions. They built a novel reactor that can create 24 electrochemical reactions at the same time. Ribbon cables were used instead of wires. It was only slightly better, but it led scientiststo a new technique. Each reactor uses a device powe...

  Research was published on January 16, 2025 in the journal Nature Synthesis. Scientists at the University of Twente have created a semiconductor material at room temperature. The team used metal halide perovskites. These are well known for absorbing sunlight adeptly. They are currently used in LED devices, semiconductors and solar cells. Making these materials in a useable form with single orientation is very difficult. The conventional formation is usually polycrystalline form (or non-ordered fashion.) Normally, high ordered semiconductors use high processing temperatures. This novel process skips the heat and builds up the material in layers using a pulsing laser beam.  Junia Solomon Sathiaraj is a Ph.D. student at the Inorganic Material Science research group. She explains, “Halide perovskites are already remarkable semiconductors and are, for example, used in solar cells. But usually we have very little control in how exactly the material grows. This means the molecules i...

  Wurzburg scientists have published new findings in the journal Nature. The team has controlled the passage of halide ions through graphene by introducing defects into a two layer system.  The study will advance water purification techniques in the future.  The next research steps will focus on controlling the permeability of graphene for different substances. Frank Wurthner is from the Julius-Maximillian’s Universitat Wurzberg in Bavaria, Germany.  He explains, “ so-called defects can be created in the carbon lattice of Graphene. These can be thought of as small holes that makes the lattice permeable to  the gases.” The team hasn’t worked with other ions like fluoride, chloride or bromide yet.  Wurthner responds, “. . .this would be a fundamental scientific interest for applications such as the desalination of water, the detection or purification of mixtures of substances. The defects in graphene are known to allow the passage of ions.” For the first time...