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Category: chemistry

New liquid can simplify hydrogen transportation and storage

Researchers at EPFL and Kyoto University have created a stable hydrogen-rich liquid formed by mixing two simple chemicals. This breakthrough could make hydrogen storage easier, safer, and more efficient at room temperature.

Hydrogen can be the clean fuel of the future, but getting it from the lab to everyday life isn’t simple. Most hydrogen-rich materials are solids at , or they only become liquids under like high pressure or freezing temperatures.

Even materials such as , a solid, hydrogen-rich compound that can store a lot of hydrogen, are difficult because they release hydrogen only when heated, often producing unwanted byproducts.

Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution generalized to real gases

The Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution describes the probability distribution of molecular speeds in a sample of an ideal gas. Introduced over 150 years ago, it is based on the work of Scottish physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) and Austrian mathematician and theoretical physicist Ludwig Boltzmann (1844–1906).

Today, the distribution and its implications are commonly taught to undergraduate students in chemistry and physics, particularly in introductory courses on or statistical mechanics.

In a recent theoretical paper, I introduced a novel formula that extends this well-known distribution to real gases.

This AI-powered lab runs itself—and discovers new materials 10x faster

A new leap in lab automation is shaking up how scientists discover materials. By switching from slow, traditional methods to real-time, dynamic chemical experiments, researchers have created a self-driving lab that collects 10 times more data, drastically accelerating progress. This new system not only saves time and resources but also paves the way for faster breakthroughs in clean energy, electronics, and sustainability—bringing us closer to a future where lab discoveries happen in days, not years.

“This Tongue Outsmarts a Sommelier”: New AI Graphene Sensor Identifies Flavors With 98% Accuracy Faster Than Human Taste Buds

IN A NUTSHELL 🍽️ Scientists have developed an AI-powered graphene tongue that detects flavors with near-human precision. 🧠 The system uses machine learning to interpret chemical signals and identify flavor profiles effectively. ⚡ The integration of sensing and computing in a single device allows for faster, more efficient taste data interpretation. 🔬 Future applications could

Scientists Create the Impossible: New Compound Challenges Fundamental Principle of Chemistry

Once thought unlikely, this new finding in coordination chemistry could lead to promising advances in catalysis and materials science.

For more than 100 years, the widely accepted 18-electron rule has been a foundational guideline in organometallic chemistry. Now, researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have synthesized a new organometallic compound that challenges this principle. They developed a stable 20-electron version of ferrocene, an iron-based metal-organic complex, which could open new directions in chemical research.

“For many transition metal complexes, they are most stable when surrounded by 18 formal valence electrons. This is a chemical rule of thumb on which many key discoveries in catalysis and materials science are based,” said Dr. Satoshi Takebayashi, lead author of the paper published in Nature Communications.

New AI tool deciphers mysteries of nanoparticle motion in liquid environments

Nanoparticles—the tiniest building blocks of our world—are constantly in motion, bouncing, shifting, and drifting in unpredictable paths shaped by invisible forces and random environmental fluctuations.

Better understanding their movements is key to developing better medicines, materials, and sensors. But observing and interpreting their motion at the atomic scale has presented scientists with major challenges.

Researchers in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) have developed an (AI) model that learns the underlying physics governing those movements.

How paper planes could provide sustainable solutions to space debris

Space junk is a huge problem. The surge in satellite launches in recent years is leaving low Earth orbit (LEO) cluttered with debris such as discarded rocket bodies, broken parts and defunct satellites. Beyond the risk of debris colliding with working satellites that are vital for navigation, communication and weather forecasting, large pieces could come crashing back down to Earth.

Space junk may also be a threat to the environment. Old rockets and satellites burn up when they re-enter the atmosphere, leaving a trail of chemicals behind that could damage the ozone layer. The more we launch, the messier LEO gets, and the bigger the problems become.

Space agencies and private companies are looking at ways to clear up the litter we leave behind, but they’re also exploring how to build more sustainable rockets and satellites, using organic polymers instead of metals. In a new study, published in Acta Astronautica, researchers turned to origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, to find a sustainable alternative.

Chinese team says carbon dioxide can be turned into sugar

“Artificial conversion of carbon dioxide into food and chemicals offers a promising strategy to address both environmental and population-related challenges while contributing to carbon neutrality,” the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Bulletin in May.

Reducing carbon dioxide to less complex molecules has proven successful, though the researchers said that generating long-chain carbohydrates – the most abundant substances in nature – has proven to be a challenge for scientists.

“In vitro biotransformation (ivBT) has emerged as a highly promising platform for sustainable biomanufacturing,” the team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology wrote.

Ultrathin clay membrane layers offer low-cost alternative for extracting lithium from water

Lithium, the lightest metal on the periodic table, plays a pivotal role in modern life. Its low weight and high energy density make it ideal for electric vehicles, cellphones, laptops and military technologies where every ounce counts. As demand for lithium skyrockets, concerns about supply and reliability are growing.

To help meet surging demand and possible supply chain problems, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed an innovative technology that efficiently extracts lithium from water. Several team members also hold joint appointments with the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago.

The findings appear in the journal Advanced Materials.

Scientists Confirm The Existence Of Element 117

The official Periodic Table of the Elements is one step closer to adding element 117 to its ranks. That’s thanks to an international team of scientists that was able to successfully create several atoms of element 117, which is currently known as Ununseptium until it’s given an official name.

The paper for this experiment has been published in Physical Review Letters.

Element 117 was first created in a joint collaboration between American and Russian scientists back in 2010. However, before an element can be officially added to the Periodic Table of Elements, its discovery must be independently confirmed.