The proportion of harmful substances in particulate matter is much higher than assumed

Measured from the air in real time

02-Apr-2025 - People breathing contaminated air over the course of years are at greater risk of developing numerous diseases. This is thought to be due to highly reactive components in particulate matter, which affect biological processes in the body. However, researchers from the University of Basel have now ...

How to save energy in the laboratory

Electricity Saving Challenge: Exploring savings potential in the laboratory

13-Feb-2025 - Various research groups at the University of Basel have optimized their electricity consumption with the Electricity Saving Challenge. Simple measures have made it possible to significantly reduce electricity consumption – without any limitations on the science. In November 2024, employees at the ...

New method for determining exchange energy in 2D materials

Detective work yielded a simple solution

10-Jul-2024 - Researchers from the University of Basel have looked at how the ferromagnetic properties of electrons in the two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum disulfide can be better understood. They revealed a surprisingly simple way of measuring the energy needed to flip an electron spin. Ferromagnetism ...

Artificial intelligence calculates phase diagrams

This AI could even automate scientific experiments in the future

17-May-2024 - Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a new method for calculating phase diagrams of physical systems that works similarly to ChatGPT. This artificial intelligence could even automate scientific experiments in the future. A year and a half ago, ChatGPT was released, and ever ...

New approach in the synthesis of complex natural substances

New approach for total synthesis paves the way for new drug developments

06-May-2024 - They are found as fragrances in cosmetics or as flavorings in food, and form the basis of new medications: Terpenes are natural substances that occur in plants, insects and sea sponges. They are difficult to produce synthetically. However, chemists at the University of Basel are now introducing a ...

Tiny plastic particles are found everywhere

Research leads to awareness

16-Apr-2024 - Microplastic particles can be found in the most remote ocean regions on earth. In Antarctica, pollution levels are even higher than previously assumed. This is one finding of a recent study involving researchers from the University of Basel. It’s not the first study on microplastics in Antarctica ...

Using light to produce medication and plastics more efficiently

How the energy efficiency of photochemical reactions can be increased tenfold

20-Mar-2024 - Anyone who wants to produce medication, plastics or fertilizer using conventional methods needs heat for chemical reactions – but not so with photochemistry, where light provides the energy. The process to achieve the desired product also often takes fewer intermediate steps. Researchers from the ...

Chromium replaces rare and expensive noble metals

21-Aug-2023 - Expensive noble metals often play a vital role in illuminating screens or converting solar energy into fuels. Now, chemists at the University of Basel have succeeded in replacing these rare elements with a significantly cheaper metal. In terms of their properties, the new materials are very ...

Luminous Molecules

Chemists smooth the path for new and better light sources

13-Apr-2023 - Twisted molecules play an important role in the development of organic light-emitting diodes. A team of chemists has managed to create these compounds with exactly the three-dimensional structure that they wanted. In so doing, they are smoothing the path for new and better light sources. They ...

From the packet into your food: what harmful substances are in food packaging?

Database of previously undocumented chemicals

01-Jun-2022 - Salad boxes to go, sealed-tray lasagna and apple juice in PET bottles: we encounter packaged food and drink everywhere. A new database shows which packaging contains harmful substances that can be transferred to its contents. It also includes findings from researchers at the University of Basel, ...