Latest Chemistry News

How nano building blocks can be directed to self-assemble into specific structures
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - 09:12

According to Eric M. Furst, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Delaware, engineers and scientists are closer to making this and other scalable forms of nanotechnology a reality as a result of new milestones in using nanoparticles as building blocks in functional materials.

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Real-world levitation to inspire better pharmaceuticals
Thursday, September 13, 2012 - 12:00

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a way to use sound waves to levitate individual droplets of solutions containing different pharmaceuticals. While the connection between levitation and drug development may not be immediately apparent, a special relationship emerges at the molecular level.

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Sliding metals show fluidlike behavior, new clues to wear
Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - 12:25

Researchers have discovered a swirling, fluidlike behavior in a solid piece of metal sliding over another, providing new insights into the mechanisms of wear and generation of machined surfaces that could help improve the durability of metal parts.

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Northwestern Researchers Set World Record for Highest Surface Area Material
Friday, September 7, 2012 - 12:16

Northwestern University researchers have broken a world record by creating two new synthetic materials with the greatest amount of surface areas reported to date.

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Showing the Way to Improved Water-Splitting Catalysts
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 13:58

Scientists and engineers around the world are working to find a way to power the planet using solar-powered fuel cells. Such green systems would split water during daylight hours, generating hydrogen (H2) that could then be stored and used later to produce water and electricity. But robust catalysts are needed to drive the water-splitting reaction.

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Origami Inspires Research Into Materials That Self-Assemble When Exposed To Light
Sunday, August 26, 2012 - 18:50

A multi-university research team led by North Carolina State University will be developing methods to create two-dimensional (2-D) materials capable of folding themselves into three-dimensional (3-D) objects when exposed to light. The effort, which is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), is inspired by origami and has a broad range of potential applications.

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