Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a copper catalyst that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals and fuels without wasteful byproducts. This breakthrough could enable the production of renewable fuels, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers at Aalto University developed a new computational model to identify and classify atomic environments on customised carbon surfaces. This knowledge will enable the creation of tailored surfaces for biomedical applications, including real-time monitoring of patient blood levels.
Researchers at MIT have developed a self-healing material that can grow, strengthen and repair itself by reacting with carbon dioxide from the air. The material, made from a polymer and chloroplasts, becomes stronger as it incorporates the carbon.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new MOF that can selectively react with hydrogen molecules over carbon dioxide, allowing for efficient removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. This breakthrough technology has the potential to reduce net CO2 emissions and create valuable chemicals and fuels.
Researchers at UD are developing a solar-driven carbon dioxide utilization technology to produce chemicals and fuels without using fossil sources. The system aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing carbon-neutral solar electricity.
A new type of battery developed by MIT researchers can convert carbon dioxide into a solid mineral carbonate as it discharges. This approach could potentially reduce the cost of carbon capture systems and make them more economically viable. The battery is made from lithium metal, carbon, and an electrolyte that incorporates captured CO2.
Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered a way to produce cheap and small carbon nanotubes from air, which are supermaterials stronger than steel and more conductive than copper. This breakthrough could steer the conversation towards using these materials in future technology, rather than just focusing on reducing emissions.
Researchers found that smaller Ru particles increase the TOF of the reaction, while maintaining selectivity towards GVL. The smallest metal particle size (1.2 nm) showed high activity at both room and elevated temperatures.
A new study found that mountain erosion can also release CO2 into the atmosphere, far faster than it's absorbed by newly-exposed rock. Tiny microbes in mountain soils 'eat' ancient organic carbon, spewing out CO2.
Researchers at the University of Bonn used ultrashort laser pulses to create a highly reactive variant of carbon dioxide, which can form new bonds with other molecules. This breakthrough has the potential to change ideas about extracting and using greenhouse gases for chemical industry.
Researchers have developed a new process for creating complex molecules in just a few steps, making it more efficient and environmentally friendly. The method involves C-H activation, allowing for the transformation of a single C-H bond into a functional group, enabling easy combination of two different molecules.
Scientists at Washington State University and Tufts University have demonstrated that a single metal atom can act as a catalyst in converting carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient and cost-effective catalytic converters, essential for reducing harmful emissions from car exhaust.
Researchers created a sustainable wood carbon sponge material by treating balsa wood, making it highly compressible and suitable for strain sensing and various applications. The material's unique structure provides exceptional mechanical and fatigue resistance, outperforming most reported compressible carbonaceous materials.
Researchers at the University of Maryland have created a durable wood carbon sponge that can withstand repeated compression and extreme mechanical conditions. The sponge has potential applications in energy storage, pollutant treatment, and wearable electronics.
Researchers can now study pollutants and emissions more comprehensively by tracking the changing chemistry of carbon molecules in the air. A new method established by Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz allows for accurate depiction of a compound's behavior over time.
A University of Washington study identifies a new combination of gases that could provide evidence of life: methane plus carbon dioxide minus carbon monoxide. This imbalance signals life, and the method is doable and may lead to the historic discovery of an extraterrestrial biosphere.
University of Delaware researchers have developed catalysts that transform lignocellulosic biomass into high-carbon molecules suitable for jet fuel, enabling cost-competitive and sustainable production. The process operates at low temperature and is scalable, addressing the need for non-petroleum-based fuels for aviation.
A Caltech team has identified a new additive that selectively converts CO2 into fuels containing multiple carbon atoms, including ethylene, ethanol, and propanol. The reaction resulted in an 80% conversion rate, with only 20% going into hydrogen and methane.
Chemical weathering, a process breaking down rocks and trapping carbon dioxide, can occur at tens of thousands of years, not millions, potentially alleviating some climate change impacts. This natural response to increased CO2 levels could help balance the effects of human activities.
Researchers at Osaka University have developed a new method for building complex organic molecules by selectively transforming strong carbon-fluorine bonds. This breakthrough enhances the control over chemical reactions, enabling more synthetic freedom for constructing intricate carbon structures.
Scientists at USC and Caltech have accelerated calcite dissolution in seawater, which could neutralize carbon in deep ocean waters. This process, known as buffering, naturally occurs billions of years and can help mitigate atmospheric CO2.
Researchers created a new form of ultrastrong, lightweight carbon by pressurizing and heating glassy carbon to extreme temperatures. This material has unique properties that make it suitable for various applications, including aerospace engineering and military armor.
A team of UCLA chemists has developed a new technique for breaking carbon-hydrogen bonds and making carbon-carbon bonds, enabling the creation of new molecules. This method uses silicon and boron as abundant and inexpensive catalysts, potentially leading to more efficient production of fuels and pharmaceuticals.
Research finds atomic carbon in young star systems' debris disks, indicating minimal hydrogen presence. This suggests the gas is generated through collisions rather than being primordial.
A team of scientists has created a novel photothermocatalytic reaction that reduces CO2 to form useful carbon sources, opening new avenues for efficient CO2 conversion. The process utilizes powdered elemental boron as an all-in-one catalyst, light harvester, and hydrogen source.
Researchers at Indiana University have engineered a molecule that harnesses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into a carbon-neutral fuel source. The new molecule uses nanographene to absorb light and triggers a highly efficient reaction to produce carbon monoxide, a versatile raw material in industrial processes.
Researchers have made discoveries about the behavior of carbonate species at saltwater surfaces, finding that the more highly charged carbonate ion was more abundant than expected. This raises questions about the global carbon cycle and potential applications in carbon sequestration and biology.
Analysis by Carnegie's Marion Le Voyer and Erik Hauri has doubled the world's known finds of mantle carbon, revealing a more complex distribution than previously thought. The team studied tiny magmatic inclusions trapped inside solid crystals that protected them from degassing during magma ascent and eruption.
Researchers use neutron diffraction to study high-pressure and high-temperature phases of solid carbon dioxide, shedding light on the Earth's carbon cycle and potential for carbon substitution with silicon dioxide. The study provides new insights into the behavior of carbon dioxide under extreme conditions.
A Spanish-Italian team has discovered that carbonaceous chondrites can synthesise complex organic compounds in the presence of water and formamide. This suggests that these meteorites played a vital role in the origins of life in the universe.
Researchers simulate carbon dissolution in water-rich fluids at the Earth's upper mantle, revealing unexpected forms of carbon, and challenging previous geochemical models. The study suggests that water transports carbon mostly through highly active ions, not dissolved CO2 molecules.
Researchers have discovered a new material called diamond nanothread (DNT) that boasts exceptional strength, flexibility, and conductivity. DNT has the potential to be used in various applications, including ultra-strong composites, flexible electronics, and even space elevators.
A collaboration of Chinese and U.S. chemists has developed a highly efficient new method to convert carbon-hydrogen bonds into nitriles, common components of bioactive molecules used in medicinal and agricultural applications.
Researchers at Caltech develop efficient synthesis route for ryanodol, a key intermediate on the path to producing the insecticide ryanodine. The new method reduces reaction steps by five, enabling faster production of the molecule. This breakthrough also opens up possibilities for studying biological function and developing new drugs.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a recipe to make carbon capture materials the best they can be. Experiments showed that once a sorbent material achieved a surface area of 2,800 square meters per gram, neither more surface area nor larger pores made it more efficient at capturing carbon dioxide.
Researchers at U of T have developed a technique to convert climate-warming carbon dioxide into useful chemicals, such as methanol and ethanol, by consuming the greenhouse gas. The breakthrough uses nanoneedles to catalyze the reaction, producing CO2 reduction faster than any catalyst previously reported.
Researchers at MIT develop a method to stack hundreds of nanoscale layers, producing strong and conductive composites. The technique, inspired by pastry-making, enables the creation of materials with tailored properties for various applications.
Indiana University chemists Steven Tait and Kenneth Caulton will develop new catalysts for molecular transformations using surface chemistry and metal-organic chemistry. Their goal is to convert environmentally harmful CO2 molecules into carbon-neutral plastics, building materials, and fuel.
Researchers create efficient way to form carbon-carbon bonds with high chiral selectivity for nitrogen-containing heterocyclic molecules. The breakthrough uses century-old techniques and a copper catalyst, offering a more efficient process for drug discovery and development.
Researchers have synthesized micrometer length-scale carbon chains, surpassing previous records by more than one order of magnitude. The discovery confirms the existence of ultra-long linear carbon chains, also known as carbyne, using various advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new battery system that harnesses heat and uses no toxic materials, with efficiency improvements of over 1,000 times. The technology, based on carbon nanotubes, shows promise for powering small devices and has potential applications in fields such as energy storage and aerospace.
Researchers have developed new tools to understand the complex relationships between ocean-borne compounds and microbes, revealing a vast network of molecular connections that store and transform atmospheric carbon in the world's oceans. The study focuses on dissolved organic matter, or DOM, as a central carbon reservoir.
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed MIDI-STEM, a new method that improves images of light elements using fewer electrons. This technique allows for high-resolution views of lightweight atoms and materials with a mixture of heavy and light elements.
Researchers investigated how carbon dioxide interacts with host rocks like limestone and sandstone. They found that limestone becomes more permeable when dissolved in saltwater-carbon dioxide mixture, while sandstone's cement degrades.
Researchers have successfully woven the first three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) from helical organic threads, displaying significant advantages in structural flexibility and reversibility. The woven COFs can be switched between two states of elasticity reversibly without degrading or altering the structure.
A global challenge is launched to discover new carbon-bearing minerals, with an estimated 145 yet-to-be-described minerals waiting discovery. Researchers believe most of these minerals will be hydrous carbonates, potentially making them challenging for collectors to find.
Researchers propose a photochemical process that could have evolved the Martian atmosphere without creating excess carbon. The mechanism, which involves ultraviolet photodissociation, enriched carbon-13 in the atmosphere, resolving the long-standing issue of 'missing' carbon.
Researchers at Rice University have made a breakthrough in developing tunable carbon-capture materials by heating buckyballs to alter their properties. This process enables the creation of materials that can selectively capture carbon dioxide from various sources, including industrial flue gases and natural-gas wells.
Astronomers detect faint radio signals of ionized carbon in distant galaxies, suggesting these ancient systems were less chemically evolved than expected. The findings reveal that even normal-sized galaxies in the early Universe can exist, but with lower dust concentrations and higher velocities.
Researchers with Berkeley Lab have characterized the hydration structure of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in water, revealing its role in forming carbonic acid and bicarbonate. The study uses X-ray absorption spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to provide a detailed understanding of this critical chemistry.
Researchers have discovered that carbonates in the deep mantle can contain significant amounts of iron, contrary to previous thought. The study found that these minerals undergo a spin transition under pressure, redistributing iron between them.
Researchers introduced a procedure to visualize defects on graphene layers using a contrast agent, revealing organized patterns of defects. This imaging approach enables the visualization of chemical reactivity at the nanoscale.
Hot vents on the seabed may have spontaneously produced organic molecules essential for life, according to a new study. The surfaces of mineral particles inside hydrothermal vents exhibit chemical properties similar to enzymes, allowing them to create simple carbon-based molecules like methanol and formic acid.
Researchers at University of Georgia successfully synthesized silicon oxide fragments using a carbene stabilization technique, isolating highly reactive molecules at room temperature. This breakthrough enables further research into silicon chemistry and its applications in the semiconductor industry.
Berkeley Lab researchers develop a system that captures carbon dioxide and converts it into biodegradable plastics, pharmaceutical drugs, and liquid fuels using solar energy. The technology mimics natural photosynthesis, offering a win/win situation for the environment by producing chemicals in a renewable way.
Scientists discovered that elemental carbon became a key construction material for certain marine organisms, such as agglutinated foraminifers and worm tubes, after the devastating Permian-Triassic extinction event. The high influx of carbon into the ocean environment was linked to volcanic activity and coal combustion.
Researchers at ICFO have successfully generated isolated attosecond pulses at the carbon K-edge, enabling real-time imaging of electronic motion in organic compounds and ultrafast devices. This breakthrough has significant implications for designing new materials and developing petahertz electronics.
Researchers discovered that slightly imperfect single-layer graphene can shuttle protons from one side to the other in mere seconds, outperforming conventional membranes. This new mechanism could lead to improved fuel cell design and fast-charging batteries for transportation.
Researchers developed a new method to stabilize 3DOm carbon, which can improve the performance of lithium-air batteries. This breakthrough enables energy storage with five to 10 times more energy density than current state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have created cheap solar cells from shrimp shells, using chitin and chitosan. The efficiency is currently low, but improving it could make them suitable for wearable chargers and other devices.