Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

Polymeric pigments produced by guided oxidation of peptide assemblies. Photography by Matej Vakula, NYC.

Scientists have long known that melanin has numerous useful qualities, including providing protection from cancer-causing UV radiation and free radicals, but also electronic conductance, adhesiveness and the capacity to store energy. To take advantage of these qualities, scientists across the City University of New York (CUNY) have developed a new approach for producing materials that not only mimic the properties of melanin, but also provide unprecedented control over expressing specific properties of the biopolymer, according to a paper published in the journal Science. The discovery could enable the development of cosmetic and biomedical products.

Unlike other biopolymers, eg DNA and...

Sangchul Roh, Dishit P. Parekh, Bhuvnesh Bharti, Simeon D. Stoyanov, Orlin D. Velev. 3D Printing by Multiphase Silicone/Water Capillary Inks. Advanced Materials, 2017; 1701554 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201701554

Using the principles behind the formation of sandcastles from wet sand, North Carolina State University researchers have achieved 3D printing of flexible and porous silicone rubber structures through a new technique that combines water with solid and liquid forms of silicone into a pasty ink that can be fed through a 3D printer. The finding could have biomedical applications and uses in soft robotics. Orlin Velev and coll

eagues show that, in a water medium, liquid silicone rubber can be used to form bridges between tiny silicone rubber beads to link them together – much as a small amo...

Photosystems (PS) I and II are large protein complexes that contain light-absorbing pigment molecules needed for photosynthesis. PS II captures energy from sunlight to extract electrons from water molecules, splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen ions (H+) and producing chemical energy in the form of ATP. PS I uses those electrons and H+ to reduce NADP+ (an electron-carrier molecule) to NADPH. The chemical energy contained in ATP and NADPH is then used in the light-independent reaction of photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide to sugars.
Credit: Brookhaven National Laboratory

Photosynthesis in green plants converts solar energy to stored chemical energy by transforming atmospheric CO2 and water into sugar molecules that fuel plant growth...