modern alchemy tagged posts

Modern Alchemy creates Luminescent Iron Molecules

iron complex [Fe(btz)3]3+

iron complex [Fe(btz)3]3+

A group of researchers have made the first iron-based molecule capable of emitting light. This could contribute to the development of affordable and environmentally friendly materials for e.g. solar cells, light sources and displays. For over 50 years, chemists have developed metal-based dye molecules for a wide range of different applications, such as displays and solar cells. This would ideally involve common and environmentally friendly metals like iron, but despite a number of attempts no one has been able to develop an iron-based dye molecule that can emit light until now. Researchers around the world have therefore instead largely had to resort to various rare and precious metals, such as ruthenium, which have more easily provided the desired properties.

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Modern Alchemy: Researchers reveal Magnetic ‘Rust’ performs as Gold at the Nanoscale

Simona Murph's newest research has resulted in the creation of a new hybrid nanoparticle that combines gold and rust nanoparticles. The new substance may prove to be useful in a variety of applications including hyperthermia treatment, environmental cleaning and medical imaging. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Georgia

Simona Murph’s newest research has resulted in the creation of a new hybrid nanoparticle that combines gold and rust nanoparticles. The new substance may prove to be useful in a variety of applications including hyperthermia treatment, environmental cleaning and medical imaging. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Georgia

Researchers from the University of Georgia are giving new meaning to the phrase “turning rust into gold”—and making the use of gold in research settings and industrial applications far more affordable. They combine small amounts of gold nanoparticles with magnetic rust nanoparticles to create a hybrid nanostructure that retains both the properties of gold and rust. “Medieval alchemists tried to create gold from other metals,” she said...

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