Lifeboat Foundation

Chemical reactions are complex mechanisms. Many different dynamic processes are involved, affecting both the electrons and the nucleus of the present atoms. Very often, the strongly coupled electron and nuclear dynamics induce radiation-less relaxation processes known as conical intersections. Such dynamics, which are at the basis of many biological and chemical relevant functions, are extremely difficult to detect experimentally.

Bursts of brain rhythms with “beta” frequencies control where and when neurons in the cortex process sensory information and plan responses. Studying these bursts would improve understanding of cognition and clinical disorders, researchers argue in a new review.

The brain processes information on many scales. Individual cells electrochemically transmit signals in circuits but at the large scale required to produce cognition, millions of cells act in concert, driven by rhythmic signals at varying frequencies. Studying one frequency range in particular, beta rhythms between about 14–30 Hz, holds the key to understanding how the brain controls cognitive processes — or loses control in some disorders — a team of neuroscientists argues in a new review article.

Drawing on experimental data, mathematical modeling and theory, the scientists make the case that bursts of beta rhythms control cognition in the brain by regulating where and when higher gamma frequency waves can coordinate neurons to incorporate new information from the senses or formulate plans of action. Beta bursts, they argue, quickly establish flexible but controlled patterns of neural activity for implementing intentional thought.

For the first time, scientists have managed to create sheets of gold only a single atom layer thick. The material has been termed goldene. According to researchers from Linköping University, Sweden, this has given the gold new properties that can make it suitable for use in applications such as carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen production, and production of value-added chemicals. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Synthesis.

Scientists have long tried to make single-atom-thick sheets of gold but failed because the metal’s tendency to lump together. But researchers from Linköping University have now succeeded thanks to a hundred-year-old method used by Japanese smiths.

“If you make a material extremely thin, something extraordinary happens — as with graphene. The same thing happens with gold. As you know, gold is usually a metal, but if single-atom-layer thick, the gold can become a semiconductor instead,” says Shun Kashiwaya, researcher at the Materials Design Division at Linköping University.

The chemical industry has been using a reaction with explosive chemicals for over 100 years — now Mülheim scientists have discovered a safer alternative.

Explosions and poisoning. Serious injuries and even deaths. In the history of the chemical industry, there have been repeated accidents, sometimes fatal, often caused by dangerous and explosive chemicals that are required for certain reactions.

Aryldiazonium salts, which have been used for 140 years, are such chemicals. They are very reactive and therefore extremely useful for producing other compounds – dyes, for example. However, the high reactivity means that isolated aryldiazonium salts are not very stable and can therefore react unintentionally and sometimes explosively. On December 23, 1969, there was a particularly serious explosion involving these chemicals at Ciba AG in Basel. A building was destroyed and heavy pieces of the reactor flew through the air. Three workers lost their lives and 31 were seriously injured. Despite such horrific reports, work continues with aryldiazonium salts.

The research team plans to scale up production of the flow batteries.first appeared on The Cool Down.

Researchers at Tohoku University have made a groundbreaking advancement in battery technology, developing a novel cathode material for rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) that enables efficient charging and discharging even at low temperatures. This innovative material, leveraging an enhanced rock-salt structure, promises to usher in a new era of energy storage solutions that are more affordable, safer, and higher in capacity.

Details of the findings were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A on March 15, 2024.

The study showcases a considerable improvement in magnesium (Mg) diffusion within a rock-salt structure, a critical advancement since the denseness of atoms in this configuration had previously impeded Mg migration.

Liu et al.

Engineered enzymes employed in neurons enable synthesis of electroactive polymers for behavior remodeling in living animals.

Traditional lithium-ion batteries, while offering high energy density, have compromised safety because they use flammable organic electrolytes.

Aqueous batteries use water as the solvent for electrolytes, significantly enhancing the safety of the batteries. However, due to the limited solubility of the electrolyte and low battery voltage, aqueous batteries typically have a lower energy density. This means that the amount of electricity stored per unit volume of aqueous battery is relatively low.

In a new study published in Nature Energy, a research group led by Prof. Li Xianfeng from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Prof. Fu Qiang’s group also from DICP, developed a multi-electron transfer cathode based on bromine and iodine, realizing a specific capacity of more than 840 Ah/L, and achieving an energy density of up to 1,200 Wh/L based on catholyte in full battery testing.

Their findings “may expand aqueous battery applications in the power battery field”, said corresponding author Li Xianfeng, a professor at the CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, who was quoted in a statement from the academy.

Lithium batteries are the standard used across the world because of their high energy density. Traditional lithium batteries contained a non-aqueous electrolyte – a component that allowed the battery to charge and discharge – which was flammable, the paper said.

Aqueous batteries are made up of a water-based electrolyte which does not present the same safety risks.