The goal of tackling global warming by turning carbon dioxide into fuel could be one step closer with researchers using a supercomputer to identify a group of 'single-atom' catalysts that could play a key role.

Scientists and engineers have created a hydrogel tablet that can rapidly purify contaminated water. One tablet can disinfect a liter of river water and make it suitable for drinking in an hour or less.

At the heart of planets, extreme states are to be found: temperatures of thousands of degrees, pressures a million times greater than atmospheric pressure. They can therefore only be explored directly to a limited extent -- which is why the expert community is trying to use sophisticated experiments to recreate equivalent extreme conditions. Researchers have adapted an established measurement method to these extreme conditions and tested it successfully: Using the light flashes of the world's strongest X-ray laser the team managed to take a closer look at the important element, carbon, along with its chemical properties.

Chemists find manganese far superior to silver and cerium as a way to make building blocks for drug design and manufacture.

Researchers describe how large cyclic molecules can be used for the synthesis of big metallic complexes with two or more metal atoms.

Using advanced microscopy techniques, researchers have recorded the breaking of a single chemical bond between a carbon atom and an iron atom on different molecules.

Flash Joule heating recovers valuable and toxic metals from electronic waste. The process allows for "urban mining" of resources that could be a win for the environment as well as for manufacturers.

Scientists have boosted the sensitivity of their decade-old frequency comb breathalyzer a thousandfold and can detect additional biomarkers of disease -- four now, with the potential for six more. When validated and engineered into a portable design, the comb system could offer real-time, noninvasive analysis of human breath to detect and monitor diseases.

Researchers have uncovered a key step in the ionization of liquid water using the lab's high-speed 'electron camera,' MeV-UED. This reaction is of fundamental significance to a wide range of fields, including nuclear engineering, space travel, cancer treatment and environmental remediation.

A research team has been using high-intensity X-rays to observe a single catalyst nanoparticle at work. The experiment has revealed for the first time how the chemical composition of the surface of an individual nanoparticle changes under reaction conditions, making it more active. This study marks an important step towards a better understanding of real, industrial catalytic materials.

A discovery of a new family of enzymes enriches the toolbox needed to engineer sulfur-containing compounds in the laboratory.

Chemists have been searching for efficient catalysts to convert methane into methanol. Adding water to the reaction can address certain challenges, but it also complicates the process. Now a team has identified a new approach using a common industrial catalyst that can complete the conversion effectively both with and without water. The findings suggest strategies for improving catalysts for the water-free conversion.