Corrosion products of a 450-year-old archaeological metal were investigated at the nanometre level using scanning transmission x-ray microscopy by scientists in France and Canada. The work is on a much finer scale than others, which usually analyse the microscale with methods like transmission electron microscopy. The study of long term corrosion mechanisms of iron and ferrous alloys can be very useful in the area of conservation and cultural heritage artefacts. It can help set up in situ conservation at archaeological sites. It is also important for designing nuclear waste storage containers, as studying archaeological iron artefacts can be considered analogous to steel containers exposed to the environment for long periods of time.
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
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
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
Chemical sensing with 2D materials
During the last decade, two-dimensional materials (2DMs) have attracted great attention due to their unique chemical and physical properties, which make them appealing platforms for diverse applications in opto-electronic devices, energy generation and storage, and sensing. Among their vari ... more
Atomic hydrogen interactions with gas-phase coronene cations: hydrogenation versus fragmentation
Sequential hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) cations drives a gradual transition from a planar to a puckered geometry and from an aromatic to an aliphatic electronic structure. The resulting H-induced weakening of the molecular structure together with the exothermic nat ... more
An intramolecular annulation strategy has been developed for the synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[e]pyrano[4,3-c][1,2]thiazine derivatives by means of coupling of aldehydes with 2-(4-hydroxybut-1-yn-1-yl)-N-arylsulfonamides using a catalytic amount of silver hexafluoroantimonate in toluene at 8 ... more
Top 12 ways the world can eliminate agriculture's climate footprint
Annual carbon emissions from global agriculture can be reduced by as much as 50 to 90 percent by 2030—the equivalent of removing all the cars in the world—according to a comprehensive new report released by Climate Focus and California Environmental Associates. The study highlights twelve k ... more
Newly discovered organisms to help clean up nuclear waste
The nuclear industry generates radioactive toxic waste, which needs to be decontaminated inside the facilities themselves and of the effluents released into the environment. Radionuclide decontamination is currently performed using physico-chemical methods and while they work well, they are ... more
Iodide entrapment in the thyroid gland is essential, and plays a key role in dysfunctions such as thyroid and breast cancers, thyroiditis, Graves–Basedow disease, and Hashimoto's disease. The accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima have revealed growing public concerns, as exposure to radioact ... more
