Chemical & Engineering News: Materials SCENE

Eliminating Ethylene

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 22 May 2013 15:10:56 +0000

Platinum nanoparticles on mesoporous silica oxidize fruit-ripening gas at low temperatures

Iron Makes RNA Catalyze An Additional Chemical Reaction

nobody@acs.org("Carmen Drahl") — 22 May 2013 15:10:55 +0000

Replicating conditions on ancient Earth adds a new twist to RNA’s possible role in the origin of life

Supercapacitors Made From Hemp

nobody@acs.org("Journal News and Community") — 22 May 2013 15:10:54 +0000

Researchers turn agricultural waste into a carbon nanomaterial for high-power supercapacitors

Nanoscale Piezoelectric Quartz

nobody@acs.org("Elizabeth K. Wilson") — 22 May 2013 15:10:53 +0000

New synthetic techniques produce thin films of quartz on silicon

BASF Extends R&D Outside Europe

nobody@acs.org("Alex Scott") — 20 May 2013 05:01:16 +0000

German giant is targeting the best researchers in the U.S. and Asia in emerging scientific fields

Gorgeous, Intricate Microflowers From Mineral Chemistry In A Beaker

nobody@acs.org("Carmen Drahl") — 20 May 2013 05:01:00 +0000

Patterning method is inspired by how the environment shapes shells and coral

Hydrogel Implants Slip Past Immune Defenses

nobody@acs.org("Celia Henry Arnaud") — 17 May 2013 12:11:58 +0000

Biomaterials: Coating could prevent implant rejection

Energy-Storing Nanomaterial Made From Hemp

nobody@acs.org("Katherine Bourzac") — 15 May 2013 12:23:00 +0000

Electronics: Researchers turn agricultural waste into a carbon nanomaterial for high-power supercapacitors

Nanoparticle Network Acts As An Artificial Pancreas

nobody@acs.org("Melissae Fellet") — 14 May 2013 05:03:58 +0000

Biomedical Engineering: Material releases enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels in diabetic mice for at least 10 days

Exhaust Catalyst Traps And Scrubs NO_x

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 13 May 2013 05:03:56 +0000

Sulfur tolerant nitrogen oxide treatment catalyst could boost commercialization of fuel-efficient automobiles

Alloy Makes Iron On The Cheap

nobody@acs.org("Craig Bettenhausen") — 13 May 2013 05:03:51 +0000

Chromium-iron electrode smelts iron without the carbon dioxide

Drug Delivery With A Bang

nobody@acs.org("Stu Borman") — 13 May 2013 05:03:37 +0000

Nanoscience: Chain-shattering polymeric therapeutics could release medicines on demand

Tailored Geometry For Nanostructures

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 13 May 2013 05:03:16 +0000

Unique properties could improve catalysis, batteries

Hear, Hear For The Bionic Ear

nobody@acs.org("Celia Henry Arnaud") — 13 May 2013 05:03:00 +0000

Tissue Engineering: 3-D-printed devices detect frequencies beyond human perception

Robert S. Langer Receives Wolf Prize

nobody@acs.org("Celia Henry Arnaud") — 09 May 2013 21:22:53 +0000

Honors: MIT chemical engineer recognized for work in drug delivery and tissue engineering

Fabricating Biocompatible Electronics That Can Last

nobody@acs.org("Katherine Bourzac") — 07 May 2013 16:39:00 +0000

Medical Devices: Flexible silicon circuits combine performance and durability for medical implants and prosthetics

Thin Inorganic Ribbons Coil And Flex

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 06 May 2013 05:02:40 +0000

Ability to bend imparts biomolecule-like self-assembly qualities to ordinarily rigid inorganic structures

Fluoroalkoxy Carbenes Prepared

nobody@acs.org("Craig Bettenhausen") — 06 May 2013 05:02:39 +0000

Novel ligand system combining two versatile moieties may open up unexplored territory in catalysis

Long-Sought Uranium(VI) Nitride Complex Isolated

nobody@acs.org("Jyllian Kemsley") — 06 May 2013 05:02:39 +0000

Understanding the species will aid actinide science for catalysis and nuclear applications

Batteries Get Flexible

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 06 May 2013 05:02:00 +0000

Polymers could power bendable displays and other devices in safer ways

Iron Spurs C–H Bond Reactivity

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 06 May 2013 05:02:00 +0000

Organometallics: Catalyst creates drug scaffolds quickly

Coatings Fight Furniture Fires

nobody@acs.org("Prachi Patel") — 02 May 2013 22:27:54 +0000

Nanomaterials: Ultrathin films could replace troublesome flame retardants

Nanocoating Helps Furniture Foam Fight Fire Without Troubling Flame Retardants

nobody@acs.org("Prachi Patel") — 30 Apr 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Nanomaterials: An ultrathin film made from a biopolymer and a sulfur-based acid could be an effective replacement for chlorine- and bromine-based commercial flame retardants

Building New Materials With Light

nobody@acs.org("Katherine Bourzac") — 29 Apr 2013 12:38:00 +0000

Nanotechnology: A simple optical system assembles two-dimensional structures of nanoparticles using a laser beam and could lead to new materials for sensors and photonic devices

Deciphering Ordered But Noncrystalline Structures

nobody@acs.org("Jyllian Kemsley") — 29 Apr 2013 05:02:22 +0000

Method combines X-ray diffraction, NMR, and modeling to pick out structures that are tough to determine

Putting Stem Cells In Their Place

nobody@acs.org("Laura Cassiday") — 25 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Regenerative Medicine: Polymer coating could help stem cells target inflamed blood vessels to regrow healthy tissue

Nanosuit Protects Living Bugs In Vacuum

nobody@acs.org("Lauren K. Wolf") — 22 Apr 2013 05:02:49 +0000

Organisms such as fruit fly larvae survive for at least an hour under vacuum when shielded by a flexible polymer membrane

Trifluoromethyl Radicals Tune Up Organic Electronics

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 22 Apr 2013 05:02:48 +0000

One-step, solvent-free, catalyst-free method adds trifluoromethyl groups to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to enhance organic semiconductors

Detecting Single-Atom Nuclear Spins In Silicon

nobody@acs.org("Stu Borman") — 22 Apr 2013 05:02:48 +0000

Magnetic-resonance-based method could aid quantum computing

Hydrogels And Aerogels From Melons

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 22 Apr 2013 05:02:45 +0000

Chemists transform watermelon, promising carbonaceous materials

Nanosponges Soak Up Toxins

nobody@acs.org("Lauren K. Wolf") — 22 Apr 2013 05:02:39 +0000

Tiny membrane-coated particles keep poisonous proteins away from healthy cells, save mice injected with lethal doses

Soaking Up Uranium

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 22 Apr 2013 05:02:38 +0000

Nanotechnology: Porous framework compound may work to extract the dissolved metal from seawater

Ethanol-To-Butanol Conversion A Plus

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 15 Apr 2013 05:03:17 +0000

ACS Meeting News: Catalytic process to upgrade ethanol to butanol provides a better biofuel option for gasoline

Developing Superatom Science

nobody@acs.org("Jyllian Kemsley") — 15 Apr 2013 05:02:30 +0000

Intriguing, discrete species with atom-mimicking properties may lead to new catalysts or materials

Exposition Highlights

nobody@acs.org("Stu Borman") — 15 Apr 2013 05:02:21 +0000

C&EN panelists and instrument industry editors pick new products that stand out

Controlling Nanocrystals

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 11 Apr 2013 23:18:56 +0000

ACS Meeting News: Relative rates of surface deposition and diffusion govern crystal morphology

Preventing Battery Fires

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 11 Apr 2013 19:00:00 +0000

ACS Meeting News: Novel electrolytes could solve flammability problems that grounded Boeing Dreamliners

Preventing Battery Explosions

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 09 Apr 2013 22:16:00 +0000

ACS Meeting News: Novel electrolytes could solve flammability problems that grounded Boeing Dreamliners

Nanosolder For Safer Surgery

nobody@acs.org("Katherine Bourzac") — 09 Apr 2013 12:37:46 +0000

Nanomedicine: Composites of peptides and gold nanorods could help surgeons seal up incisions using laser light

Better Organic Electronics Using Supercharged Thiophene

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 08 Apr 2013 19:30:00 +0000

ACS Meeting News: Powerful fluorine oxidizing reagent adds oxygen to thiophene’s sulfur to generate new conducting materials

Catalyst Stimulates Self-Doping In Silicon Nanowires

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 08 Apr 2013 05:04:51 +0000

Aluminum mediates silicon nanowire growth and becomes absorbed in the growing structure in the process

Germanium Slims Down To Skinny Layers

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 08 Apr 2013 05:04:48 +0000

Single- and few-layer sheets of germanane could find use in optoelectronic and sensing applications

Engineered Tissue On A String

nobody@acs.org("Celia Henry Arnaud") — 08 Apr 2013 05:04:42 +0000

Cell-filled fibers can be woven into three-dimensional structures for therapeutic applications

Copper Claims First As Near-Infrared Photocatalyst

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 08 Apr 2013 05:04:00 +0000

A mix of structural geometries in Cu₂(OH)PO₄’s lattice provides an optimal electronic structure for absorbing near-infrared sunlight

Copper Catalysis That Clicks

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 08 Apr 2013 05:04:00 +0000

Reaction Mechanism: Research reveals details of a workhorse chemical transformation

Chemistry Aficionado And Lifelong Learner

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 08 Apr 2013 05:03:00 +0000

Priestley Medalist Peter J. Stang emerged from adversity to catalyze advances in chemistry and serve as one of the field’s leading statesmen

Liquid Scaffolds From A 3-D Printer

nobody@acs.org("Lauren K. Wolf") — 04 Apr 2013 21:47:00 +0000

Materials Science: Patterned droplet structures might one day help grow artificial tissue

Titanium Dioxide Coating Improves Efficiency Of Graphene-Based Solar Cells

nobody@acs.org("Prachi Patel") — 03 Apr 2013 18:59:11 +0000

Solar Energy: The antireflective layer could lead to efficient, low-cost devices

Elimination Reaction Cooks Up Chiral Allenes

nobody@acs.org("Carmen Drahl") — 01 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

'Unwanted' chemistry proves useful for making possible drug precursors

Mass Spec Discovery Platform Turns Up New Reactions

nobody@acs.org("Celia Henry Arnaud") — 01 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Approach quickly screens and optimizes reaction candidates and helps select catalysts

Illuminating Copper Promotes Propylene Oxide Production

nobody@acs.org("Jyllian Kemsley") — 01 Apr 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Shining visible light on a copper catalyst protects it against oxidation and improves selectivity

Toward Sustainable Electronics

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 01 Apr 2013 05:03:18 +0000

To reduce electronic waste, a diverse team of engineers searches for new materials, training a savvy workforce along the way

Crystal-Free Crystallography

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 01 Apr 2013 05:03:00 +0000

Structure: Small, hard-to-crystallize molecules can be held in nanoscale scaffolds and analyzed via X-ray

Nixing Nitric Oxide

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 29 Mar 2013 13:06:00 +0000

Bioinorganic Chemistry: Reductase enzyme mimic provides insight on how pathogenic bacteria thwart NO attack

Digital Memory Goes 2-D

nobody@acs.org("Kate Greene") — 28 Mar 2013 17:53:00 +0000

Electronics: A new memory device consisting of the two-dimensional materials graphene and molybdenum disulfide could store more data in smaller spaces than conventional memory can

Nanoparticles Treat Degenerative Eye Disease Without Eye Injections

nobody@acs.org("Tim Wogan") — 27 Mar 2013 14:20:00 +0000

Nanomedicine: Polymer particles deliver therapeutic gene to eye tissue to improve the vision of mice with a model of macular degeneration

A Cooler Route To Complex Crystals

nobody@acs.org("Louisa Dalton") — 25 Mar 2013 16:05:06 +0000

Inorganic Chemistry: Quick and easy method crystallizes complex metal hydroxides at low temperatures

Ionic Liquid Helps Recycle Rare Earths

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 25 Mar 2013 05:04:07 +0000

Liquid-liquid extraction separates rare-earth metal ions from transition metals and could serve as a method to recycle magnets

Nanocalipers Get A Grip On Nanotubes

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 25 Mar 2013 05:04:03 +0000

Diporphyrin molecule discriminates among single-walled carbon nanotubes on the basis of diameter and other physical features

DNA Weaved Into A Gridiron

nobody@acs.org("Bethany Halford") — 25 Mar 2013 05:04:00 +0000

DNA origami strategy allows construction of curved and three-dimensional objects from the nucleic acid

A Vision For Bionic Retinas

nobody@acs.org("Celia Henry Arnaud") — 25 Mar 2013 05:03:58 +0000

Bioelectronics: Polymeric device restores light sensitivity to damaged retinas removed from rats

Hydrogels Take Multiple Shapes

nobody@acs.org("Lauren K. Wolf") — 22 Mar 2013 13:51:03 +0000

Materials: Gel sheets adopt 3-D forms in response to various stimuli

Bedbugs Beat Pesticides Their Own Way

nobody@acs.org("Carmen Drahl") — 18 Mar 2013 05:03:34 +0000

Bloodsucking insects beef up defenses near their exoskeletons—a trick no other insect uses

Synthetic Biominerals Outdo Mother Nature

nobody@acs.org("Sarah Everts") — 18 Mar 2013 05:03:33 +0000

Materials that mimic sea sponge skeleton are incredibly flexible and can guide light

Magnetic Superatoms

nobody@acs.org("Jyllian Kemsley") — 18 Mar 2013 05:03:32 +0000

Vanadium-sodium clusters with properties that mimic individual atoms could find use in spintronic devices

Training Immune Cells

nobody@acs.org("Journal News and Community") — 18 Mar 2013 05:03:29 +0000

Researchers trap T cells in emulsion droplets in hopes of reprogramming them to attack new disease targets

Gardens Of Eden

nobody@acs.org("Carmen Drahl") — 18 Mar 2013 05:02:00 +0000

Origin-of-life researchers find inspiration in a classic classroom experiment

Nanocomposite Material Help Capacitors Pack A High Energy Punch

nobody@acs.org("Katherine Bourzac") — 15 Mar 2013 19:38:04 +0000

Electronics: Polymer-nanowire combination leads to electrical components that store large amounts of energy in small volumes

Bold Territory For Polymers

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 15 Mar 2013 19:35:48 +0000

Materials Science: Chemists push the bounds of what’s structurally possible in polymer architectures

Light-Activated Soft Material Inches Along

nobody@acs.org("Lauren K. Wolf") — 15 Mar 2013 17:49:59 +0000

Composite made of a liquid-crystalline polymer and carbon nanotubes might someday put soft robots in motion

Silica Nanostructures Cut Power Demands Of Computer Memory

nobody@acs.org("Kate Greene") — 14 Mar 2013 05:03:00 +0000

Electronics: Phase-change memory with low power needs could lead to fast data storage in personal electronics

Training Immune Cells To Combat Disease

nobody@acs.org("Katherine Bourzac") — 05 Mar 2013 14:45:00 +0000

Immunology: Researchers trap immune cells in droplets of water in oil in hopes of reprogramming them

Crystal Skulls Deemed Fake

nobody@acs.org("Sarah Everts") — 04 Mar 2013 20:58:00 +0000

A potpourri of analytical techniques reveals purported Aztec sculptures are not bona fide

Self-Assembly Gives Anticancer Drug An Edge

nobody@acs.org("Stu Borman") — 04 Mar 2013 06:03:36 +0000

Camptothecin conjugated to a peptide self-assembles into nanomaterials that kill cancer cells effectively

Molecular Velcro Is Sticky When Wet

nobody@acs.org("Lauren K. Wolf") — 04 Mar 2013 06:03:34 +0000

Researchers design reversible adhesive that sticks via hook and loop compounds, even underwater

Carbon Aerogels Sop Up Hydrocarbons

nobody@acs.org("Elizabeth K. Wilson") — 04 Mar 2013 06:03:31 +0000

Porous ultralight materials made from bacterial cellulose could be used to clean up oil and fuel spills

Composite Catalyst For Chiral Synthesis

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 04 Mar 2013 06:03:30 +0000

Catalytic metal particles embedded in monolayers of chiral molecules yield solid catalysts that facilitate enantioselective reactions

The Turnover Fallacy

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 04 Mar 2013 06:02:46 +0000

Chemists debate the best way to use reaction data to compare catalyst efficiencies

Cool Way To Make Hydrogen From Methanol

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 01 Mar 2013 12:59:36 +0000

Fuel Chemistry: Soluble ruthenium catalyst could drop operating temperatures of fuel cells

Toward Silicon Metathesis

nobody@acs.org("Stephen K. Ritter") — 01 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Organometallics: Chemists achieve key steps in quest for a silicon version of classic synthesis

Multiblock Polymer Nanoparticles Attack Tumors

nobody@acs.org("Prachi Patel") — 28 Feb 2013 16:12:00 +0000

Drug Delivery: All-in-one nanocarriers evade the immune system, target tumors, and release drugs inside cancer cells

Carbon Nanotube-Coated Filters Foil Bacteria

nobody@acs.org("Louisa Dalton") — 27 Feb 2013 16:11:00 +0000

Water Treatment: The materials hold a charge to thwart microbial slime from clogging reverse osmosis filters

Select Nanocrystal Facets Activate Oxygen

nobody@acs.org("Mitch Jacoby") — 25 Feb 2013 06:03:27 +0000

Study finds Pd {100} facets selectively induce oxygen electronic excitation and subsequent oxidation reactions

Heparin Mimic Shields Protein Therapeutic

nobody@acs.org("Lauren K. Wolf") — 25 Feb 2013 06:03:26 +0000

When conjugated to a protein that shows promise for tissue regeneration, a charged polymer protects the protein against heat, acidic conditions

Bipyridine-Based Molecular Wire Conducts Easily

nobody@acs.org("Jyllian Kemsley") — 25 Feb 2013 06:03:23 +0000

Robust conductor may enable molecular electronic devices