New process could turn cheap sponge into smart sponge to clean up oil spills
Sponge can absorb more than 30 times its weight in oil and be reused up to several dozen times
Secret lies in its oleophilic, hydrophobic,...
Scientists create replaceable, more efficient filter for N95 face masks
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there’s been a worldwide shortage of face masks — particularly, the N95 ones worn by health care workers.
Although these...
Graphene-reinforced carbon fiber could help produce affordable, stronger car materials
A new way of creating carbon fibers — which are typically expensive to make — could one day lead to using these lightweight, high-strength...
Scientists solve half-century-old magnesium dimer mystery
Magnesium dimer (Mg2) is a fragile molecule consisting of two weakly interacting atoms held together by the laws of quantum mechanics.
It has recently emerged...
Why toothpaste and cement harden over time
Take a look inside the cap of your favorite toothpaste, and you might see hard, white residue, a firm version of the smooth paste...
Scientists finally crack nature’s most common chemical bond
The most common chemical bond in the living world -- that between carbon and hydrogen -- has long resisted attempts by chemists to crack...
New nanotech could clear haze from white wine
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, or Chardonnay – when you reach for your favorite white, it’s the clean, clear sparkle that first catches your eye.
Or does...
The best material for homemade face masks may be a combination of two fabrics
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear masks in public.
Because N95 and...
Scientists use ‘hot Jupiter’ data to mine exoplanet chemistry
Atmospheric gases recede from a “hot Jupiter,” which is a Jupiter-size, egg-shaped planet that orbits close to its own sun, in this artistic rendering....
New plate-nanolattices are stronger than diamonds
Researchers have architecturally designed plate-nanolattices, and the nanometer-sized carbon structures are stronger than diamonds as a ratio of strength to density.
In a recent study...