Chemistry

Researchers have found that hydrogen radicals generated by intense ultraviolet light can degrade PFAS forever chemicals. The discovery, led by a team at Aarhus University, points to a potential path for destroying these persistent pollutants rather than merely removing them from water.

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Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have used a plasma flow reactor to recreate conditions inside a nuclear fireball. Their experiments show that cooling rates and thermal history significantly influence how radioactive particles form, particularly for volatile elements like cesium.

A new analysis indicates that two key quantum computing algorithms for chemistry problems have limited practical use, even with advancing hardware. Researchers suggest that calculating molecular energy levels may not justify the technology's investment as hoped. This challenges the view of quantum chemistry as a major application for quantum computers.

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Scientists have developed a test based on the reactivity of amino acids that could identify alien life differing from Earth-based organisms. The approach analyzes molecular energy differences to distinguish living from non-living samples with high accuracy. This tool may aid future missions to Mars or Saturn's moons.

Chemists at Saarland University have created pentasilacyclopentadienide, a silicon analogue of a stable aromatic compound, ending decades of failed attempts. The breakthrough, published in Science, replaces carbon atoms with silicon in a five-atom ring structure. This achievement opens potential for new materials and catalysts in industry.

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Scientists at Yale University and the University of Missouri have created a new catalyst using abundant manganese to efficiently transform carbon dioxide into formate, a potential hydrogen carrier for fuel cells. This low-cost alternative outperforms many expensive precious-metal catalysts in longevity and effectiveness. The breakthrough, published in the journal Chem, aims to support cleaner energy production by utilizing greenhouse gases.