Articles tagged with Crystal Structure
A new phase of pure boron has been discovered with a partially ionic structure, exhibiting unusual physical properties and bringing surprise to the scientific community. The discovery was made possible by a computational method developed by ETH Zurich researcher Artem Oganov, who predicted the stable crystal structures of materials.
Researchers found that stable nanoclusters of calcium carbonate form in water with a small quantity of dissolved calcium carbonate, not as previously thought. This discovery may help explain the structure of biominerals and provide insights into coping with lime scale in washing machines.
Engineers at the University of Leeds developed a technique using infra-red spectroscopy to analyze chemical processes, enabling real-time monitoring of supersaturation levels required for crystallization. This can help predict optimum crystal structure conditions and improve pharmaceutical manufacturing efficiency.
A protein in H5N1 avian flu virus forms tiny tubules hiding double-stranded RNA from the immune system, allowing the virus to evade an antiviral response. The discovery could lead to drug development to block this action and potentially fight influenza worldwide.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution develop new technique to improve diamond properties, producing single-crystal diamonds with controlled compositions and few defects. The method, called chemical vapor deposition, allows for rapid growth of diamonds at low pressure, enhancing optical clarity.
Researchers found giant magnetic crystals, unlike anything previously seen, in fossil layers deposited during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, an ancient global-warming event. The unique 'Magnetic Death Star' fossils provide insights into radical environmental transformation and may hold clues for understanding future climate change.
Svilen Bobev, a University of Delaware assistant professor, has been awarded the American Crystallographic Association's Early Career Award for his outstanding achievement in crystallographic research. The award recognizes his potential to make significant contributions to the field.
Scientists at Leiden University have discovered that receptor models commonly used in drug design may not be accurate, leading to a better understanding of how drugs work. The adenosine A2A receptor's crystal structure has been cracked, revealing a small molecule called ZM241385 with high affinity for the receptor.
Scientists have discovered a new mineral, xieite, with a post-spinel structure in the Suizhou meteorite. The mineral is a high-pressure polymorph of chromite-spinel with a density about 10% denser than chromite.
Brookhaven researchers modified a desaturase enzyme to produce three new products, including two variations of an allylic alcohol and a fatty acid with two double bonds. The discovery expands the potential for engineering designer plant oils as biofuels and raw materials.
Researchers at NIST have identified a small biomolecule that binds specifically to hydroxyapatite, the key crystal structure of teeth and bones. This new peptide can be used as a nondestructive tag to monitor bone and tooth mineralization.
Scientists discover enzyme crucial for methanogenesis, a process releasing methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The findings could improve industrial processes and provide insights into natural biology's impact on climate change.
Researchers have found that the special atomic structures formed in glass when it cools are responsible for its non-crystalline state. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new materials like metallic glasses, which could be used in flexible products such as aircraft wings and engine parts.
A new technology developed by University of Leeds engineers can monitor crystals as they form in drug manufacture, providing a method to ensure production of desired drug compounds. This can lead to huge delays and costly challenges for drug companies, but the technology has enormous commercial potential.
Spider silk exhibits different mechanical properties based on its amino acid composition, with proline-rich silks behaving like rubber bands and low-proline silks acting as rigid springs. The presence of proline affects the silk's hydration level, causing some silks to shrink and swell more than others.
Scientists have developed an iron-zirconium alloy that retains its nanocrystalline structure at temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius. The alloy's high-temperature stability enables bulk production and easier shaping into useful forms.
University of Utah chemists have discovered the ideal photonic crystal structure, dubbed the "champion" crystal, in the shimmering green scales of a Brazilian weevil beetle. The scale material has a diamond-like structure that can manipulate light efficiently, but its chitin composition makes it unsuitable for long-term use.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a novel method for growing nanowires using spiral-shaped trees. By manipulating crystal defects, they create long, twisting trunks and spiraling branches. This discovery has significant implications for creating new materials with unique properties.
Researchers have developed a new method to create diamond-like crystals, which could improve optical communications and other technologies. The technique uses tiny particles suspended on water to form a precisely ordered layer of particles.
Researchers at Yale University have visualized the crystal structure of group II introns, a type of RNA that catalyzes its own removal during gene maturation. The study provides new insights into the mechanism of mRNA splicing in humans and shares a close evolutionary heritage with ancient bacteria.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have deciphered the three-dimensional structure of a membrane-bound enzyme crucial to glycerol metabolism, a vital source of energy. The breakthrough could lead to advances against obesity, diabetes, and other diseases.
Researchers from Uppsala University found that the body-centered cubic crystal structure of iron in the inner core explains seismic wave patterns. This discovery may impact our understanding of the earth's heat balance and magnetic field stability, opening new perspectives for studying the earth's past, present, and future.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a technique using DNA to assemble crystalline structures out of gold nanoparticles, resulting in materials with unique properties. The method allows for the creation of 'designer' materials with specific applications in fields like therapeutics and electronics.
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory successfully created 3D crystalline structures of nanoparticles using DNA, opening doors for new applications. The method relies on the attractive forces between complementary DNA strands to guide nanoparticle interactions and produce ordered crystals.
A research team led by Dieter Fenske has synthesized four large and silver-rich clusters, providing insights into the properties of nanoscale semiconductor materials. The clusters, composed of hundreds of atoms, have been characterized using X-ray crystallographic studies and mass spectrometry.
Swedish researchers used a computer to simulate ice melting after heating with a short light pulse. The simulation showed that the energy causes OH bonds to oscillate and eventually breaks bridging hydrogen bonds, leading to crystal collapse.
Aperiodic materials exhibit unusual behavior during phase transitions, which could have significant implications for research and technology. Studying these systems helps better understand symmetry breaking in aperiodic materials.
A mathematical analysis of the diamond's microscopic structure reveals its special properties, including maximal symmetry and strong isotropic property. The K4 crystal, sharing these properties, has sparked curiosity about its potential existence in nature or synthesis.
German researchers have developed a new class of inorganic ionic conductor materials with a structure analogous to the mineral argyrodite. These materials exhibit unusually high lithium mobility, which is essential for enhancing the performance of rechargeable batteries.
Researchers found that compressing nanoscale nickel pillars drives out dislocations, producing a perfect crystal and increasing strength. The process, called mechanical annealing, reduces dislocation density by 15 orders of magnitude, making small structures stronger than expected.
Researchers have discovered how life evolved from simple self-replicating molecules to complex organisms by studying a primitive fungus protein. The study shows how RNA progressed to share functions with proteins, a critical missing step in the evolution of life.
Researchers at NIST have shown that silicon crystals can develop cracks and breakdown under mechanical stress, contrary to conventional wisdom. The team's findings have significant implications for the design of micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices, which are critical components in various industries.
A team of researchers at UCLA has modeled the structure of the largest cellular particle ever crystallized, proposing ways to engineer vaults for targeted drug delivery. The proposed atomic structure consists of a barrel-shaped shell with 96 identical protein chains, offering a human-friendly nanocontainer for therapeutic applications.
Researchers at UCLA have modeled the structure of large cellular particles, known as vaults, which may function in innate immunity. The study proposes ways to engineer these particles for targeted release of drugs.
Researchers are developing three-dimensional photonic crystals that can reflect single colors of light, enabling compact optical semiconductor components. This technology has the potential to replace electrical signals with light-based transmission, leading to faster and more efficient data transfer in telecommunications.
Researchers have determined the first known structure of a human G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), specifically the beta2-adrenergic receptor. This breakthrough promises to speed the discovery of new and improved drugs, as well as broaden our understanding of human health and disease.
Researchers have found a way to use solid-state NMR equipment to crack the secrets of hydrogen atoms and spot unwanted polymorphs in pharmaceuticals. This breakthrough opens up hydrogen nuclei to useful study by solid-state NMR, bringing immense benefits to the study of polymorphism in drugs.
Researchers at HHMI used a new computational method to predict protein structure with remarkable accuracy. The method, called Rosetta@home, uses distributed computing and targeted rebuilding to overcome challenges in predicting protein structures.
Researchers at the University of Leeds have mapped the 3D structure of T7 endonuclease 1 enzyme, responsible for splitting DNA strands and creating genetically unique offspring. The discovery is expected to shed light on human individuality and viral replication mechanisms.
Researchers have developed new sol-gel inks that can be printed into three-dimensional structures of metal oxides with nanoscale features. These inks enable the direct patterning of functional oxides at the nanoscale, opening up new avenues for functional devices.
Scientists have successfully determined the structure of microcrystal grains using a new set-up at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. This breakthrough allows researchers to study crystalline structures previously too small to analyze, enabling potential advances in fields like chemistry, physics, and biology.
A chemist warns that the skin-care industry is skipping out on science, potentially providing consumers with less effective products. The industry often focuses on replicating existing formulas rather than applying sound science to improve products, according to Stig E. Friberg, Ph.D.
Researchers at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) solved the 3D structure of LTC4 synthase, a protein targeted for asthma treatments. The breakthrough allows for the development of new and more effective medications against airway inflammation.
Scientists have developed a new type of flexible plastic film that combines natural and manmade optical effects, producing a color-changing effect that depends less on viewing angle. The films are made from arrays of spheres stacked in three dimensions, which scatter light and produce intensely colored colors.
Researchers from NIST and Georgia Tech created detailed maps of electron interference patterns in graphene to understand how single-atom defects affect charge flow. The results show that missing carbon atoms cause strong scattering, unlike irregularities in the underlying silicon carbide.
Scientists have discovered that mother-of-pearl's unique mosaic architecture, with non-aligned crystals, may contribute to its exceptional strength by preventing the formation of natural cleavage planes. Researchers aim to model and reproduce this process to develop new biomimetic materials with improved mechanical properties.
Researchers at Yokohama National University demonstrate a highly efficient room-temperature nanolaser that produces stable, continuous streams of near-infrared laser light. The device uses a photonic crystal design to achieve its high efficiency, enabling applications in future miniaturized circuits.
Researchers used magnetic eruptions from the sun to detect a molten rock layer roughly 10 miles thick beneath the American Southwest, challenging existing theories about the Earth's mantle. The discovery provides insights into the formation of rocks and minerals at extreme pressures, paving the way for further studies.
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have discovered the crystal structure of curium under pressure, revealing new insights into magnetically stabilized crystals. The study uses electron energy-loss spectroscopy and density functional theory to understand the electronic and magnetic structure of Cm.
Quasicrystals, crystal-like materials with atomic structures in between order and disorder, are shown to not conduct electricity like traditional crystals. Mathematician David Damanik offers a key proof for this, revealing that electrons behave uniquely within quasicrystals.
Scientists from BCM and Rice University discover a new way to analyze protein movement, making it easier to classify and scrutinize active sites implicated in cancer and other diseases. The breakthrough uses a mathematical algorithm in conjunction with X-ray crystallography to narrow down possible ways a protein might flex and bend.
Gérard Férey and his team at Institut Lavoisier have discovered a new family of trivalent metal dicarboxylates with unprecedented respiration properties, exceeding 300% volume variation upon solvent immersion. These crystalline solids possess reversible respiration mechanism without apparent bond rupture.
Researchers at Stanford and Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science built a nanoscale semiconductor system that demonstrates the two-channel Kondo effect. By tuning the coupling between two sets of mobile electrons, they created a state where the magnetic atom cannot decide which set to pair with, leading to a conductance that depends s...
Researchers in France have successfully modeled the defects responsible for deformation in the Earth's mantle layer, a 2900-kilometer-deep region that has long puzzled geophysicists. By studying dislocations at the atomic scale, they gained insights into the layer's deformation and its effects on convection movements within the mantle.
A new study at Cornell University has imaged 'electronic gridlock' in certain copper oxides, revealing patterns of alternating high- and low-charge density. The research uses a scanning tunneling microscope to image electronic states, showing that holes are centered on oxygen atoms within the Cu-O-Cu bond.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory found a unique phase transition in vanadium crystals under high pressure, changing shape but not volume. This discovery has significant implications for superconducting materials and challenges previous theories on element stability.
A new study reveals that viruses share common DNA replication mechanisms, with the SV40 T-ag protein facilitating DNA binding and assembly of complex proteins. This discovery sheds light on a complex process previously difficult to investigate in eukaryotes.
A team from the University of Cambridge and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory reported that minerals intended to entrap nuclear waste may break down within 1,400 years due to radiation. The study used NMR to show that plutonium incorporation into mineral zircon rapidly degrades its crystal structure.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created uniform porous silicon oxide nano-objects with defined sizes and structures by disassembling larger lattice-like structures. The resulting particles exhibit worm-like pores and can be easily customized by varying the colloidal crystals used as moulds.
Researchers have discovered that aspirin forms crystals containing both long-known and predicted structures, upending fundamental principles. The two 'polymorphic' forms exist in one single crystal, raising questions about the definition of polymorphism and its implications for patent law.