Major breakthrough: New additive process can make better — and greener — high-value chemicals

“Our research opens up fascinating possibilities for the future of pharmaceutical and agrochemical development”

30-Jul-2024 - Researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) have achieved a significant breakthrough that could lead to better — and greener — agricultural chemicals and everyday products. Using a process that combines natural enzymes and light, the team from the ...

Fluorinated plastics with an expiry date

The fluorine can be recovered from the degraded material to be reincorporated into all kinds of chemicals

15-Jul-2024 - Chemists at the University of Bayreuth, in collaboration with researchers from Berlin, have produced a new class of fluorinated polymers that degrade 20 times faster than their non-fluorinated equivalents. These results can help to prevent the accumulation of the industrially used fluorine ...

Innovative battery design: more energy and less environmental impact

Optimised method makes batteries greener

09-Jul-2024 - A new electrolyte design for lithium metal batteries could significantly boost the range of electric vehicles. Researchers at ETH Zurich have radically reduced the amount of environmentally harmful fluorine required to stabilise these batteries. Lithium metal batteries are among the most ...

Fluorinated Ski Wax Ban

Skis with Functional Surfaces as an Alternative

10-Jan-2024 - The winter sports industry is searching for a substitute for the banned fluorinated ski wax. Scientists at the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) have developed an environmentally friendly alternative that does not compromise performance: skis with an innovative microstructure. Whether in ...

Environmentally friendly non-stick coating replaces per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) on everyday products

16-Oct-2023 - Whether it is pans, cutlery or packaging, per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) have been used for coating in a wide variety of everyday products and processes for many years. Due to known risks of these substances to humans and the environment, at least a partial ban on the production and ...

Chemists develop reaction cascade to produce fluorinated molecules

"Molecular origami" creates new structures in a single operation

14-Jul-2023 - Fluorine is found rarely in naturally occurring organic molecules. However, this chemical element is indispensable for the production of pharmaceuticals or agrochemicals. Synthetic chemistry has an important role to play in the development of new fluorine-containing molecular fragments. Simple, ...

An electric vehicle battery for all seasons

New electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries performs well in frigid regions and seasons

23-May-2023 - Many owners of electric vehicles worry about how effective their battery will be in very cold weather.Now a new battery chemistry may have solved that problem. In currentlithium-ion batteries, the main problem lies in the liquid electrolyte. This key battery component transfers charge-carrying ...

Plastic containers can contain PFAS — and it’s getting into food

10-Mar-2023 - Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are adding to their list of consumer products that contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a toxic class of fluorine compounds known as “forever chemicals.” In a new study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, ...

The future of desalination?

A fast, efficient, selective membrane for purifying saltwater

16-May-2022 - Water scarcity is a growing problem around the world. Desalination of seawater is an established method to produce drinkable water but comes with huge energy costs. For the first time, researchers use fluorine-based nanostructures to successfully filter salt from water. Compared to current ...

Use of PFAS in cosmetics 'widespread'

17-Jun-2021 - Many cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada likely contain high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a potentially toxic class of chemicals linked to a number of serious health conditions, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame. Scientists tested more ...