Finding sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels that would both solve the problem of dwindling supplies of oil and cut the net carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles running on hydrocarbon fuels is a cause high on the environmental agenda. The use of biomass as a source for fuels compounds has benefits, but the setting aside of […]
catalyst
A chemical spider that spins a polymer thread using a simple catalyst could drive a nanomotor, according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University, US. Ayusman Sen and colleagues say that these nanomotors have potential applications in the deposition of polymers within the channels of microdevices for instance. More Spiders, Grubb’s and polymer-powered nanomotors.
Researchers in China have developed a new process for making zeolite catalysts with wide open pores. Their controllable synthesis leads to materials active in the conversion of methanol to propylene with a high, 98%, conversion rate. More Opening up catalysts
UW-Madison chemists devise better way to prepare workhorse molecules - Writing in the current online issue (June 9) of the journal Science, a team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry Professor Shannon Stahl reports a new, environmentally friendly way to make substituted aromatic molecules that can be customized for different industrial needs. Molecular movements could […]
Electron confounds predictions and remains stubbornly spherical - UK scientists have made the most accurate measurements to date of the shape of the electron and found - contrary to predictions that it would be aspherical - that it remains round. How to Enable Exact Structure Search and Substructure Search on Your Website - This article […]
Fluorine in organic chemistry is an important topic across the synthetic pharmaceutical, agrochemical and materials areas because switching out hydrogen atoms selectivity for this element allows chemists to tune the reactivity of specific groups within a given molecule. Now, chemists in Switzerland have turned to fluorine to help them make specific carbon-carbon bonds. The formation […]