New high-speed method for spectroscopic measurements

Researchers at Tampere University and their collaborators have shown how spectroscopic measurements can be made much faster. By correlating polarization to the colour of a pulsed laser, the team can track changes in the spectrum of the light by simple and extremely fast polarization measurements. ...

How chemical reactions compute

A single molecule contains a wealth of information. It includes not only the number of each kind of constituent atom, but also how they’re arranged and how they attach to each other. And during chemical reactions, that information determines the outcome and becomes transformed. Molecules collide, ...

Risks from microplastics – public perception not in line with scientific studies

Microplastics and the possible risks for the environment are highly debated. However, whereas scientists still see many open questions and have yet to complete their risk assessment, the general public ranks the environmental and health risks posed by microplastics as relatively high. Researchers ...

Using X-rays to identify liquid chiral molecules

New method can for the first time distinguish their components in liquid form – and more effectively than ever before

Sugars, amino acids, drugs - chiral molecules are everywhere. Researchers in the AQUACHIRAL project at the Fritz-Haber-Institut have used X-rays to study hair-thin liquid jets of these molecules. Using a new method, they can now for the first time distinguish their components in liquid form – and ...

Researchers obtain promising results against capacity loss in vanadium batteries

A computational study conducted in Brazil could help extend the working lives of these batteries, which are widely used by utilities and manufacturers

An article by researchers at theCenter for Development of Functional Materials(CDMF)in Brazil describes a successful strategy to mitigate charge capacity loss in vanadium redox flow batteries, which are used by electric power utilities among other industries and can accumulate large amounts of ...

Molecular Electronics: Trapped molecule in contact

There are worlds between the Zuse Z3, the first functioning digital computer from 1941, and modern microprocessors - both in terms of speed and size. But the further miniaturization of current silicon-based electronics is reaching its limits due to fabrication methods. Paving the way to the ...

Liquid crystals for fast switching devices

Simple rod-shaped molecules with a single center of chirality self-assemble into helical structures at room temperature

An international team has investigated a newly synthesized liquid-crystalline material that promises applications in optoelectronics. Simple rod-shaped molecules with a single center of chirality self-assemble into helical structures at room temperature. Using soft X-ray resonant scattering at ...

Renewable energy through photo-electrochemistry

A new multi-modal setup determines the structural changes affecting PEC material under realistic operation conditions

Photo-electrochemistry (PEC) holds the potential to convert renewable energy such as solar light into useful green fuels. However, most known PEC materials suffer from instability issues which are difficult to track and cause a decrease in their performance under continuous operation. A research ...

Molecular device turns infrared into visible light

Breakthrough ushers in a new class of compact sensors for thermal imaging and chemical or biological analysis

Light is an electromagnetic wave: it consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields propagating through space. Every wave is characterized by its frequency, which refers to the number of oscillations per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). Our eyes can detect frequencies between 400 and 750 ...

Chemistry under sheer force

How to trigger chemical reaction without the use of solvent

Bottle, glass tube and solvent, those are what we usually find in a chemistry lab or industry. Chemistry using solvents, or liquid based materials is the traditional way of synthesis. Although it is very efficient, an inevitable question is how to recycle solvent safely and environment friendly? ...