Read the latest applied chemistry highlights for July 2023 by Nigel P Freestone | University of Northampton, UK.
A recent report has revealed a 650% increase in the number of clinical trials involving cannabis-based medicines since 2010, signalling a significant shift in the medical landscape.
The resilience of plastics is being challenged by groundbreaking research on chemical recycling and biodegradability, offering the promise of infinite recycling and a greener future. Jasmin Fox-Skelly reports.
The promise of targeted cellular medicine using bacteria as a one-stop shop to not only detect and diagnose, but also treat disease, is a step closer after a landmark study looking at colorectal cancer.
Lampshades coated with metal catalysts could transform harmful indoor air pollutants into carbon dioxide and water. Read more...
As the electric vehicle industry looks to improve charging times, one obstacle is lithium plating, where lithium ions convert to metallic lithium, which accumulates on the surface of the battery’s negative electrode. Depending how the lithium grows, this can damage the battery, shortening its lifespan.
A new generation of soft robots is on the way, able to walk, climb and swim – but the real test is whether they could survive unaided in the wild. Jon Evans reports
It used to be simple – or at least relatively straightforward. Big Pharma relied on ‘blockbuster’ drugs to provide profits and financial support for R&D. Then biotech became the ‘next big thing’ with small start-up companies, often spin-outs from university research and funded by venture capitalists. Read the full article.
Researchers in Denmark have cooked up a solution for recycling mixed polyester fabric by heating the textile with hartshorn salt, ammonium bicarbonate NH4HCO3 – a traditional leavening agent, also known as bakers ammonia. The team at the University of Copenhagen opted to tackle blended cotton and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – a complex material that is difficult to recycle (ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c03114).
Fashion is one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution, but calls for eco-friendly fabrics have led to a surge in textile innovation, Katrina Megget reports.