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    Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Researchers invent ‘Perfect’ Soap molecule that is Better for the Environment, cleans in all conditions

    October 27, 2016, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Environment/Geology

    The OFS soap molecules made from renewable sources could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment. Credit: Paul J. Dauenhauer, University of Minnesota

    The OFS soap molecules made from renewable sources could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment. Credit: Paul J. Dauenhauer, University of Minnesota

    A team has invented a new soap molecule made from renewable sources that could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment. The soap molecules also worked better than some conventional soaps in challenging conditions such as cold and hard water. The technology has been patented by the University of Minnesota and is licensed to the new Minnesota-based startup company Sironix Renewables.

    “Our team created a soap molecule made from natural products, like soybeans, coconut and corn, that works better than regular soaps and is bett...

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    3D-Printed Structures Shrink when Heated

    October 26, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    3d-printed-structures-shrink-when-heated-science-astronomy-medical-news-up_2016-10-26_14-15-26

    (a) Schematic of the multimaterial projection microstereolithography system. [(b) and (e)] Computer-aided designs and fabricated samples in [(c) and (f)] three-dimensional and [(d) and (g)] two-dimensional views of the fabricated unit cell and 2 by 2 lattice, respectively.

    Counterintuitive ‘metamaterial’ may enable heat-resistant circuit boards. Almost all solid materials, from rubber and glass to granite and steel, inevitably expand when heated. Only in very rare instances do certain materials buck this thermodynamic trend and shrink with heat. Eg, cold water will contract when heated 0 – 4C, before expanding. Engineers from MIT, the University of Southern California, and elsewhere are now adding to this curious class of heat-shrinking materials...

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    Structure of key DNA Replication Protein Solved

    October 25, 2016, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Biology/Biotechnology

    Overall structure of human PrimPol ternary complex with template-primer DNA and incoming dATP. The N-helix and modules ModN and ModC are shown in cartoon representation in dark blue, yellow, and cyan, respectively. The DNA is shown as gray sticks, and the Ca2+ ion is shown as a light blue sphere. The templating base T and the incoming dATP are shown in red. Yellow and cyan dashed lines depict unstructured regions in the ModN and ModC, respectively. The side chains of key catalytic active-site residues Asp114, Glu116, and Asp280 are highlighted in red. Secondary structure elements (α helices and β strands) are labeled in black.

    Overall structure of human PrimPol ternary complex with template-primer DNA and incoming dATP. The N-helix and modules ModN and ModC are shown in cartoon representation in dark blue, yellow, and cyan, respectively. The DNA is shown as gray sticks, and the Ca2+ ion is shown as a light blue sphere. The templating base T and the incoming dATP are shown in red. Yellow and cyan dashed lines depict unstructured regions in the ModN and ModC, respectively. The side chains of key catalytic active-site residues Asp114, Glu116, and Asp280 are highlighted in red. Secondary structure elements (α helices and β strands) are labeled in black.

    A research team led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) has solved the 3D structure of a key protein that helps damaged cellular D...

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    Improved Water Splitting advances Renewable Energy Conversion

    October 25, 2016, Categories  Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Improved water splitting advances renewable energy conversion

    Gas bubbles form as researchers use a unique catalyst to convert water to hydrogen and oxygen. The inset image shows the catalytic materials at the nanoscale. Credit: Washington State University

     
    WSU researchers have found a way to more efficiently create hydrogen from water – an important key in making renewable energy production and storage viable. The researchers, led by professors Yuehe Lin and Scott Beckman in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, have developed a catalyst from #low #cost materials. It performs as well as or better than catalysts made from precious metals that are used for the process. Energy conversion is a key to the clean energy economy...
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