A University of Maine team found that zeolite and sunlight can rapidly break down pesticides in contaminated water. The researchers used malathion, a toxic insecticide linked to lobster deaths, to test the method.
Researchers are studying zeolites, crystals that can produce more gasoline from a barrel of oil, reducing dependence on petroleum. In microgravity, larger crystals are grown, providing insights into their structure and potential for efficient fuel production.
Researchers at Arizona State University have designed and synthesized the first stable example of a new class of materials that can handle large molecules. The material, formed from zinc oxide and terephthalic acid, is a porous framework with large box-like spaces, allowing it to isolate and modify larger molecules.
A new theory suggests that small organic molecules may assemble into self-replicating biomolecules on the surfaces of silica-rich minerals, providing a potential mechanism for life's origin. Geophysicist Joseph V. Smith proposes that organophilic zeolites could have concentrated and protected these organic compounds from destruction.