Tootfinder

Some interesting #chemistry found on #Mars, could it be life? https://www.science.org/conte…

TIL our garden soil is pH neutral (to my surprise). Beautiful royal blue!
#SoilSamples #Chemistry #Gardening

I didn't take A-level chemistry back when I was a teenager, so playing catch-up... the equilibrium bond angles in sp² and sp³ hybridized bonds make shapes that tesselate nicely (regular hexagonal prisms and regular tetrahedra respectively) to form crystalline solids. But that didn't have to be the case, did it? Is that one of the anthropic coincidences cosmologists get exercised about? #Chemistry

The Chicago Regional Inorganic #Chemistry Colloquium (CRIC-2025) is being held at the University of #Minnesota this year, October 4, 2025!
🚨Free registration!

🍸 'Super alcohol' created in space-like lab reveals cosmic secrets
#chemistry

'Super alcohol' created in space-like lab reveals cosmic secrets
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers in the Department of Chemistry have created a molecule once thought too unstable to exist called methanetetrol using extreme, space-like conditions. The discovery could reshape our understanding of chemistry in the universe and shed light on the complex reactions happening in deep space.

"Simple #chemistry helps explain the origin of life, new study suggests" | WaPo (should be a gift link) #geology #biology

Simple chemistry helps explain the origin of life, new study suggests
Scientists have figured out how proteins may have been created on early Earth.

Unlocking ceramic 3D printing for next-generation chemical reactors
#materials #chemistry #ceramic #manufacturing

Unlocking ceramic 3D printing for next-generation chemical reactors
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have integrated binder jet additive manufacturing with an advanced post-processing method to fabricate leak‐tight ceramic components, overcoming a key challenge of ceramic additive manufacturing.

🦋 Biohybrids: Pioneering sustainable chemical synthesis at the energy-environment frontier
https://phys.org/news/2025-09-biohybrids-sustainable-chemical-synthesis-energy.html

Biohybrids: Pioneering sustainable chemical synthesis at the energy-environment frontier
With global energy demand climbing and climate challenges intensifying, researchers are exploring transformative new ways to make chemical manufacturing sustainable.

🫁 A new crystal that 'breathes' oxygen expands possibilities for clean energy and electronics
https://phys.org/news/2025-08-crystal-oxygen-possibilities-energy-electronics.html

A new crystal that 'breathes' oxygen expands possibilities for clean energy and electronics
A team of scientists from Korea and Japan has discovered a new type of crystal that can "breathe"—releasing and absorbing oxygen repeatedly at relatively low temperatures. This unique ability could transform the way we develop clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, energy-saving windows, and smart thermal devices.

🎨 New catalyst could make mixed plastic recycling a reality
#chemistry

New catalyst could make mixed plastic recycling a reality
The future of plastic recycling may soon get much less complicated, frustrating and tedious. In a new study, Northwestern University chemists have introduced a new plastic upcycling process that can drastically reduce—or perhaps even fully bypass—the laborious chore of pre-sorting mixed plastic waste.

🧵Researchers explore new strategies to develop environmentally safe polymer materials
https://phys.org/news/2025-09-explore-strategies-environmentally-safe-polymer.html

Researchers explore new strategies to develop environmentally safe polymer materials
Traditional polymers such as plastics are widely utilized for their chemical inertness and durability. However, these very properties make them non-degradable in nature and cause long-term environmental damage due to their persistence.

💩 A more climate-friendly way to produce nitrogen fertilizer
#chemistry

A more climate-friendly way to produce nitrogen fertilizer
Humanity has an insatiable appetite for ammonia: This substance is used to make fertilizer, which in turn is used in most modern agriculture. Until now, the Haber-Bosch process has been the method of choice for extracting nitrogen from the seemingly inexhaustible atmosphere and binding it in the form of ammonia. However, this method requires an extremely large amount of methane gas and energy.

🚭 High-purity green hydrogen with very low tar from biomass, with chemical looping gasification
#energy #hydrogen #biomass

High-purity green hydrogen with very low tar from biomass, with chemical looping gasification
A promising industrial process can turn crushed sugar cane waste into green hydrogen far more efficiently than previously thought, shows a SECLG process simulation from the University of Johannesburg. The study is published in Renewable Energy.

⚡ High-pressure electrolysis sustainably converts captured CO₂ into industrial-grade ethylene
https://phys.org/news/2025-09-high-pressure-electrolysis-sustainably-captured.html

High-pressure electrolysis sustainably converts captured CO₂ into industrial-grade ethylene
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have unveiled a breakthrough system that could change the way we think about carbon emissions. Published in Nature Catalysis the researchers outline a system for converting captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) into industrial-grade ethylene, a commodity chemical essential to plastics, textiles, and construction. The work shows a direct path to transforming greenhouse gas emissions into valuable chemical products.

🌞 Sunlight-activated material turns PFAS in water into harmless fluoride
#chemistry

Sunlight-activated material turns PFAS in water into harmless fluoride
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a sunlight-activated material that can degrade per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water, breaking down the pollutant into harmless components, including fluoride. The work is published in the journal Small.