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  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...