A novel high-performance membrane of nanoporous graphene could facilitate the capture of carbon dioxide from industrial waste streams. The 2D graphene structure, just 20nm thick, allows gas to transit easily through the membrane (Energy & Environmental Science, doi: 10.1039/c9ee01238a).
Researchers claim to have hit on a way to transform end-of-life plastics into valuable carbon nanotubes (CNTs), so potentially helping to reduce the burden of future plastic waste.
A US start-up is looking inside the brain to identify novel protein targets for diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Identifying a protein involved in the biology of a disease is often the first step in uncovering a new treatment, leading ultimately to the development of small molecules or other strategies to boost or suppress its activity – and so hopefully improve a patient’s condition.
Arenes are usually ‘bought-in’ for use in organic synthesis but from time to time methods are devised to build substituted arenes to join two (or more) structural features together. The arene now becomes a linker, and because of its inherent stability, it is very suitable in this role.
British cyclists won half of all cycling gold medals during the last two Olympic Games, and six of the last seven Tours de France while competing for Team Sky. The success has been pinned on the concept of ‘marginal gains,’ whereby multiple small changes add up to significant overall improvements.
Analytical laboratories can see big benefits from innovative performance packaging solutions. This includes reducing solvent storage, handling and disposal costs by up to 98%. Users can also accelerate research, often saving a week of lab time per year
A novel artificial protein – designed on a computer and synthesised in the lab – could be used to build new biological circuits inside living cells. These ‘smart’ cells operate like autonomous robots, which could be used to detect damage and disease – and deliver help as and when needed.
At a time when the focus on plastics is centred on sustainability and recyclability, the main attention is on post-consumer waste – post-industrial waste is mainly ignored. One polymer that does figure in post-industrial waste, however, stands out due to what many in the industry say is its undeserved poor reputation: polyvinylchloride (PVC). While the polymer has often been criticised, they claim it can fairly be described as one of the more sustainable and recyclable of all the thermoplastic resins.
On 1 July 2019, Japan announced export restrictions on three key chemicals for semiconductor chip manufacturing bound for South Korea.
The UK government will become the first government ambassador for non-profit organisation The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative to spur electric vehicle (EV) uptake. With businesses owning over half of all registered vehicles on the road, The Climate Group says it is crucial they lead the shift to electric vehicles.