Breakthroughs in Materials Science: From Silicon-Carbon Bonds to Sustainable Plastics
Scientists engineer enzyme to break silicon-carbon bonds, while research advances in sustainable plastics and hydrogen production.
- Scientists have engineered an enzyme that can break stubborn man-made bonds between silicon and carbon that exist in widely-used chemicals known as siloxanes, or silicones.
- A trio of chemists has tied the smallest knot ever, using just 54 atoms.
- Ph.D. candidate Sophie van Lange is working on producing plastic that is both hard and sustainable.
- Researchers are exploring the possibilities for zeolites, a type of mineral with a porous structure that can be used for a variety of applications.
- A team led by EPFL Professor Xile Hu has discovered a molybdenum based catalyst that can produce hydrogen at room temperature, which is inexpensive and sustainable.
