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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Geoscience: Oceanography
Published Toxic formaldehyde's dual nature to be probed with new chemical tool
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Newly developed ompounds aim to reveal the dual nature of formaldehyde, a chemical that is known to cause cancer but is also believed to play important roles in our biology.
Published Scientists unveil fire-safe fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemical engineers have designed a fuel that ignites only with the application of electric current. Since it doesn't react to flames and cannot start accidental fires during storage or transport, it is a 'safe' liquid fuel.
Published Capturing CO2 with electricity: A microbial enzyme inspires electrochemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Humanity continuously emits greenhouse gases and thereby worsens global warming. Increasing research efforts go into developing strategies to convert these gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), into valuable products. CO2 accumulates dramatically over the years and is chemically very stable, thus challenging to transform. Yet, for billions of years, some microbes have actively captured CO2 using highly efficient enzymes. Scientists have now isolated one of these enzymes. When the enzyme was electronically branched on an electrode, they observed the conversion of CO2 to formate with perfect efficiency. This phenomenon will inspire new CO2-fixation systems because of its remarkable directionality and rates.
Published Accelerating sustainable semiconductors with 'multielement ink'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have demonstrated 'multielement ink' -- the first 'high-entropy' semiconductor that can be processed at low-temperature or room temperature. The new material could enable cost-effective and energy-efficient semiconductor manufacturing.
Published Atlantic walrus more vulnerable than ever to Arctic warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Past cycles of climate change, along with human exploitation, have led to only small and isolated stocks of Atlantic walrus remaining. The current population is at high risk of the same issues affecting them severely, according to a new study.
Published Separating molecules requires lots of energy. This new, heat-resistant membrane could change that
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has created a new, heat-resistant membrane that can withstand harsh environments -- high temperatures, high pressure and complex chemical solvents -- associated with industrial separation processes. It could eventually be used as a less energy intensive alternative to distillation and other industrial processes that separate molecules that ultimately serve as ingredients in medicine, chemicals and other products.
Published Antarctica's glacial border migrates for miles with the tide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New measurements of how boundary between onshore glacier and floating ice shelf glides back-and- forth could help predict melting.
Published How organic solar cells could become significantly more efficient
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The sun sends enormous amounts of energy to the earth. Nevertheless, some of it is lost in solar cells. This is an obstacle in the use of organic solar cells, especially for those viable in innovative applications. A key factor in increasing their performance: Improved transport of the solar energy stored within the material. Now a research group has shown that certain organic dyes can help build virtual highways for the energy.
Published Crystallization as the driving force
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have successfully developed nanomaterials using a so-called bottom-up approach. They exploit the fact that crystals often grow in a specific direction during crystallization. These resulting nanostructures, which appear as 'worm-like and decorated rods,' could be used in various technological applications.
Published Copper-based catalysts efficiently turn carbon dioxide into methane
(via sciencedaily.com) Copper-based catalysts developed by materials scientists help speed up the rate of carbon dioxide-to-methane conversion.
Published New study definitively confirms Gulf Stream weakening, understanding the changes could help predict future trends in extreme events
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Gulf Stream transport of water through the Florida Strait has slowed by 4% over the past four decades, with a 99% certainty that this weakening is more than expected from random chance, according to a new study.
Published Ocean acidification makes ecologically important seaweed species fragile
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ocean acidification will likely almost triple by the end of the century -- a drastic environmental change that could impact important marine species like fleshy seaweeds, algae that grow vertically and promote biodiversity in more than a third of the world's coastline. To get a better idea of how seaweeds might fare in a rapidly acidifying ocean, a team of marine scientists subjected a common fleshy seaweed species to the acidification levels expected by the end of the century. They report that increased acidification impacted the seaweed's chemical balance, made both its structure and its tissues weaker, and reduced its overall chances of survival.
Published Unraveling the mysteries of glassy liquids
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A collaborative study builds a novel theory to explain the puzzling collective behavior of glass-forming liquids at low temperatures, a phenomenon with widespread implications in fields like material science and biology.
Published New development model for the world's third-longest river
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers reveal rapid fluvial incision attributed to the growth of high topography in China's Yangtze River.
Published Scaling up the power of nanotechnology
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers created a proof of concept of a nanocapsule -- a microscopic container -- capable of delivering a specific 'payload' to a targeted location. While beyond the scope of this study, the discovery could one day impact how drugs, nutrients and other types of chemical compounds are delivered within humans or plants.
Published New recycling method fights plastic waste
(via sciencedaily.com) Almost 80% of plastic in the waste stream ends up in landfills or accumulates in the environment. Scientists have now developed a technology that converts a conventionally unrecyclable mixture of plastic waste into useful chemicals, presenting a new strategy in the toolkit to combat global plastic waste.
Published Long-lasting La Nina events more common over past century
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Multiyear La Niña events have become more common over the last 100 years, according to a new study. Five out of six La Nina events since 1998 have lasted more than one year, including an unprecedented triple-year event.
Published Mussels able to adjust heart rate to cope with marine heatwaves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that mussels are pretty crafty sea creatures: able to withstand marine heatwaves by adjusting their heart rate and other physiological functions, boding well for their survival in future decades as the world heats up.
Published One-atom-thick ribbons could improve batteries, solar cells and sensors
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers created nanoribbons made of phosphorus and tiny amounts of arsenic, which they found were able to conduct electricity at temperatures above -140 degrees Celsius, while retaining the highly useful properties of the phosphorus-only ribbons.
Published Riddle of varying warm water inflow in the Arctic now solved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the 'weather kitchen,' the interplay between the Azores High and Icelandic Low has a substantial effect on how much warm water the Atlantic transports to the Arctic along the Norwegian coast. But this rhythm can be thrown off for years at a time. Experts finally have an explanation for why: Due to unusual atmospheric pressure conditions over the North Atlantic, low-pressure areas are diverted from their usual track, which disrupts the coupling between the Azores High, the Icelandic Low and the winds off the Norwegian coast. This finding is an important step toward refining climate models and more accurately predicting the fate of Arctic sea ice in the face of progressing climate change.