Most of our clothing contains polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers, a common form of plastic. Recouping PET fibers from discarded clothing, however, can be costly and toxic, often releasing forever chemicals found in the fabric. But researchers have developed a sustainable way to upcycle textile waste by directly incorporating clothing scraps into a synthesis for metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs). The PET-to-MOF pipeline is not a new area of study, but a typical MOF synthesis can require very high heat, very high pressure and harsh solvents. This new synthetic pathway can be done at room temp ..read more

Most glues don’t work at super low temperatures, since they become rigid and brittle when frozen. So these chemists made a polymer that stays flexible, even in liquid nitrogen, allowing it to bond to surfaces when very cold. This new adhesive could be useful in aerospace and polar environments. And as a bonus, potential failures are easy to detect because it glows under UV light at low temperature! #glue #experiment #chemistry #research #science Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.4c01430 (Corresponding author: Ruoyu Zhang, Ph.D.) Video credits: Written and produced by Anne Hy ..read more

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is for computational protein design and structure prediction. David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper took home the prize for their work using artificial intelligence models to revolutionize our understanding of the relationship between amino acid sequence and three-dimensional structure. The tools they’ve developed enable scientists to create entirely new proteins with never-before-seen capabilities. Read the announcement: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2024/summary/ Video credits: Written by Vangie Koonce and Anne Hylden Edited by Andrew ..read more

Using paper coated with silicon resin and iron particles, researchers created an untethered soft robot that can move without any electronics. This magnetically controlled device can detect heavy metal ions in water samples with a color-changing sensor on its back. Read the paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.4c10502 (Corresponding author: Gokhan Demirel, Ph.D.) Credits: Written and edited by Vangie Koonce Produced by Kerri Jansen and Andrew Sobey Narrated by Vangie Koonce Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff Research videos from Gokhan Demirel, Ph.D., Kubra Ozkan Hukum, Ph.D., and ..read more

Wouldn’t it be nice if your clothes could keep you as cool as your A/C? This new, durable fabric coating can cool the wearer by up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit without using any additional energy, thanks to special crystals that reflect both infrared and ultraviolet light. “Functional reflective textile coatings for personal cooling” Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 21, 2024 Presenter: Evan D. Patamia Principal investigator: Trisha L. Andrew, Ph.D. Crystal coating keeps clothes feeling cool | Headline Science To read an ACS press release about this research, go to https://www.acs.org/pressroom/p ..read more

What should we do with unwanted glass bottles? Turn them back into sand and use them to grow food! Researchers are experimenting with using recycled glass to replace some or all of the soil used to grow vegetables. This project could turn waste into a solution for soil erosion and the current sand shortage. “Evaluating recyclable glass material as a substitute for soil in vegetable cultivation: An innovative approach to sustainable agriculture” Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 21, 2024 Presenter: Andrea Quezada Principal investigators: Julie Vanegas, Ph.D., and Teresa Feria-Arroyo, Ph.D. Rec ..read more

Scientists think cosmic ice is where prebiotic molecules — the building blocks of life — form. Here on Earth, researchers replicated particles of space ice and bombarded them with electrons and photons to simulate the conditions in dark, dense clouds found in deep space. They saw that hydrogen peroxide was released from water ice after electron bombardment, an experimental finding that could illuminate the role hydrogen peroxide plays in the chemical processes known to support life in the universe. “Extraterrestrial synthesis of prebiotic molecules” Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 20, 2024 ..read more

Managing heart failure can be challenging as patients typically need to wait for blood tests to be performed and processed by a skilled technician. This creates a noticeable lag between the presentation of symptoms and a prognosis of their condition. This new, portable device would allow patients to assess their status at home in real time, using only their saliva. “Development of a microfluidic electrochemical biosensor for heart failure biomarkers in saliva” Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 19, 2024 Presenter: Trey Pittman Principal investigator: Charles Henry, Ph.D. Saliva test gives hear ..read more

Scientists are testing a new kind of medical implant that could help babies born with a rare heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. They used light-sensitive hydrogels to create a shunt that can be adjusted with minimally invasive surgery to fit a patient’s needs over time. “Development of a geometrically-tunable blood shunt for pediatric heart reconstruction surgery” Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 19, 2024 Presenter and principal investigator: Christopher Rodell, Ph.D. Hydrogel implant expands on demand | Headline Science To read an ACS press release about this research ..read more

Turmeric, the key ingredient in golden milk, contains a bioactive compound called curcumin. Curcumin exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but not much of it passes into the bloodstream when we eat it. Scientists used a pH-driven approach to encapsulate curcumin inside the tiny fat droplets in soymilk, making it more bioavailable. “Utilizing a green pH-driven approach for developing curcumin-infused soymilk” Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 18, 2024 Presenter: Anthony Suryamiharja Principal investigator: Hualu Zhou, Ph.D. Golden milk gets a boost from acid-base chemistry | Head ..read more