MOF-polymer composite membranes to enhance proton conductivity in fuel cells

Electrospun polymer fibres better than non-woven polymer fibres at mopping up oil from oil spills

Electrospun polystyrene shell/polyurethane core fibres made by scientists in China have absorption capacities 2-3 times higher than reported for non-woven polypropylene fibres (widely used to clean up oil spills). Electrospun fibres are an ideal candidate for soaking up oil, as their struct ... more

High-performance epoxy resin adhesives from renewable green starting materials

A series of epoxy resins has been synthesised by a team of chemists from Germany, who used renewable starting materials for a more environmentally friendly approach than conventional methods. The resulting epoxy resins have highly desirable mechanical properties, such as high stiffness, tha ... more

Cheap, simple and efficient molybdenum carbide electrocatalysts for hydrogen production

US scientists have made an efficient catalytic system to split water that uses molybdenum carbide nanoparticles on a carbon nanotube support. Molybdenum and carbon are both low cost and abundant elements. Water splitting using sustainable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, has be ... more

NHC-catalyzed reactions of enals with water as solvent

Water is demonstrated as a suitable solvent for NHC-catalyzed reactions of enals. The use of D2O as solvent allows for effective incorporation of deuterium isotopes to organic molecules. more

Series of novel 3D microporous heterometallic 3d-4f coordination frameworks with (5, 6) -connected topology: Synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties

The hydrothermal reaction of rare earth nitrates, CuCN, 1H-1,2,3-triazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (H3tda), and isonicotinic acid (Hina) resulted in the formation of a new series of 3d-4f heterometallic coordination polymers [LnCu(tda)(ina)2(H2O)]•3H2O (Ln= Eu(1),Tb(2)Gd,(3),Dy(4),Ho(5)], H3td ... more

Structural Modifications of (Z)-3-(2-aminoethyl)-5-(4-ethoxybenzylidene)thiazolidine-2,4-dione that Improve Selectivity for the Inhibition of Melanoma Cells Containing Active E ...

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and 2 (ERK1/2) proteins are ubiquitous and essential mediators of cellular responses to extracellular signals. However, constitutive activation of ERK1/2 occurs in many forms of cancer due to mutations in upstream regulators and is observed in dru ... more

MOF-polymer composite membranes to enhance proton conductivity in fuel cells

Nafion (a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane) is widely used in fuel cells to conduct protons, but Nafion membranes are prone to rapid dehydration at low humidity, which results in a loss of conductivity. To overcome this problem, scientists in China have made a metal-organic framework (MOF) co ... more

Zeolites for efficient oil-water separation

Scientists in China have used zeolite-coated mesh films for gravity-driven oil-water separation. The superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity of the zeolite’s surface allow the highly efficient separation of various oils. Unlike other oil-water separation membranes based on sup ... more

Graphene Rainbow

Butterfly wings, rose petals and many other natural surfaces repell water strongly; they are superhydrophobic. Such surfaces have a hierarchical structure on the micrometer or nanometer scale. Their attractive properties and spectacular iridescent colors have triggered a group led by Hong-B ... more