Catalyst News and Research

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New method yields carbon nanotube forests of record length

Today, a multitude of industries, including optics, electronics, water purification, and drug delivery, innovate at an unprecedented scale with nanometer-wide rolls of honeycomb-shaped graphite sheets called carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

5 Nov 2020

Cyanobacteria As "Green" Catalysts In Biotechnology

Cyanobacteria are known as "blue-green algae", and convert light energy into chemical energy effectively thanks to their active photosynthetic cells.

7 Oct 2020

Spinach-derived carbon nanosheets have potential to help power fuel cells

"Eat your spinach," is a common refrain from many people's childhoods. Spinach, the hearty, green vegetable chock full of nutrients, doesn't just provide energy in humans.

7 Oct 2020

Researchers demonstrate new method to increase catalytic activity of cyanobacteria

Although cyanobacteria are known to stain water green through their unique pigments, they are colloquially referred to as “blue-green algae.”

6 Oct 2020

New project to advance technologies for carbon capture through catalysis

Climate-conscious consumers often take steps to curb their emissions of greenhouse gases. For example, you might drive a hybrid car to reduce your use of fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during combustion.

1 Oct 2020

Study shows ecological consequences of extreme air pollution in the Arctic

An international team of scientists that includes a USDA Forest Service scientist based in New Hampshire used tree rings to document how "Arctic dimming," the interference with sunlight caused by extreme pollution such as that at an industrial complex in northern Siberia, is killing trees and possibly affecting how trees respond to climate change.

30 Sep 2020

New multi-phase process upgrades the use of lignin as a next-generation fuel

A new low-temperature multi-phase process for upgrading lignin bio-oil to hydrocarbons could help expand use of the lignin, which is now largely a waste product left over from the productions of cellulose and bioethanol from trees and other woody plants.

10 Sep 2020

New product can detect chemical weapons at low concentration levels

Chemical weapons pose a serious threat to civilian and warfighter lives, but technology from the U.S. Army Small Business Technology Transfer program reduces those risks. Researchers developed a product to detect chemical weapons accurately at low concentration levels.

9 Sep 2020

Researchers aim to convert greenhouse gas emissions into fuels

Shaama Sharada calls carbon dioxide -- the worst offender of global warming -- a very stable, "very happy molecule."

2 Sep 2020

New technique could accelerate drug research for various diseases

Alicyclic compounds are groups of organic chemical compounds that have led to the development of a number of medications.

19 Aug 2020

A magnetic-sensitive artificial catalyst can remotely control bioreactions in living cells

The enzymes responsible for catalytic reactions in our body's biological reactions are difficult to use for diagnosis or treatment as they react only to certain molecules or have low stability.

11 Aug 2020

Finned nanoporous materials can speed up molecular transport

Thousands of chemical processes used by the energy industry and for other applications rely on the high speed of catalytic reactions, but molecules frequently are hindered by molecular traffic jams that slow them down.

11 Aug 2020

Scientists develop a novel approach to synthesize three-dimensional nanocarbons

A team of scientists led by Kenichiro Itami, Professor and Director of the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), has developed a new method for the synthesis of three-dimensional nanocarbons with the potential to advance materials science.

3 Aug 2020