Halogen bonding for selective electrochemical separation

Path to sustainable chemical processing demonstrated

20-Aug-2024 - With a new polymer that only attracts certain substances from solutions when electrically activated, researchers have taken a major step towards sustainable chemical separation. A team based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has reported the first demonstration of selective ...

Increasing solid-state electrolyte conductivity and stability using helical structure

12-Aug-2024 - Solid-state electrolytes have been explored for decades for use in energy storage systems and in the pursuit of solid-state batteries. These materials are safer alternatives to the traditional liquid electrolyte—a solution that allows ions to move within the cell—used in batteries today. However, ...

Major breakthrough: New additive process can make better — and greener — high-value chemicals

“Our research opens up fascinating possibilities for the future of pharmaceutical and agrochemical development”

30-Jul-2024 - Researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) have achieved a significant breakthrough that could lead to better — and greener — agricultural chemicals and everyday products. Using a process that combines natural enzymes and light, the team from the ...

Pushing the boundaries of eco-friendly chemical production

Researchers use light-powered enzymes to modify azaarenes laying the groundwork for a sustainable future

20-Nov-2023 - A team of pioneering researchers from the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) has made a significant leap forward in the complex world of molecular chemistry. Their focus? Azaarenes, unique molecular puzzle pieces crucial to many everyday products, from eco-friendly ...

Tiny porous crystals change the shape of water to speed up chemical reactions

The new approach is poised to play a role in helping chemical manufacturers move away from harmful solvent catalysts in favor of water

22-Sep-2021 - Chemical engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign now understand how water molecules assemble and change shape in some settings, revealing a new strategy to speed up chemical reactions critical to industry and environmental sustainability. The new approach is poised to play a role ...

Team develops bioprocess for converting plant materials into valuable chemicals

19-Aug-2021 - A team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a bioprocess using engineered yeast that completely and efficiently converted plant matter consisting of acetate and xylose into high-value bioproducts. Lignocellulose, the woody material that gives plant cells their ...

Mysterious organic scum boosts chemical reaction efficiency, may reduce chemical waste

09-Feb-2021 - Chemical manufacturers frequently use toxic solvents such as alcohols and benzene to make products like pharmaceuticals and plastics. Researchers are examining a previously overlooked and misunderstood phenomenon in the chemical reactions used to make these products. This discovery brings a new ...

Researchers can now predict properties of disordered polymers

04-Jun-2019 - Thanks to a team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, scientists are able to read patterns on long chains of molecules to understand and predict behavior of disordered strands of proteins and polymers. The results could, ...

Gaining control over soft-molecule synthesis

16-Jan-2019 - By gaining control over shape, size and composition during synthetic molecule assembly, researchers can begin to probe how these factors influence the function of soft materials. Finding these answers could help advance virology, drug delivery development and the creation of new materials. "We ...

A new spin to engineer better absorptive materials

15-Nov-2017 - A team of University of Illinois bioengineers has taken a new look at an old tool to help characterize a class of materials called metal organic frameworks - MOFs for short. MOFs are used to detect, purify and store gases, and could help solve some of the world's most challenging energy, ...