How Spheres Become Worms: Breakthrough with NMR spectroscopy

A previously unknown form of hydrogel formation has been elucidated: chemists found unusual interactions between polymers

02-May-2023 - Hydrogels? Many people use these substances without knowing it. As superabsorbents in nappies, for example, hydrogels absorb a lot of liquid. In the process, the initially dry material becomes Jelly-like, but it does not wet. Some people place the swellable material on their eyeballs – soft ...

Exposing what’s in tattoo ink

Ingredient lists often aren’t accurate

29-Aug-2022 - From life-like faces to elaborate nature scenes, tattoos are a true art form. Although people have decorated their bodies for millennia for ceremonial and religious reasons, many people today adorn themselves with these images as a form of self-expression. But the inks used for tattoos are ...

New spectroscopic insights into hydrogen bonds

Surprising results

21-Jun-2022 - Hydrogen bonds are of fundamental interest in materials science, physics and chemistry. An international team including scientists from the University of Bayreuth has now achieved surprising insights into the formation of hydrogen bonds using a novel method that enables the application of NMR ...

Nanoplastic particles love company

Polyethylene degradation in the environment

02-May-2022 - Polyethylene, a plastic that is both cheap and easy to process, accounts for nearly one-third of the world’s plastic waste. An interdisciplinary team from the University of Bayreuth has investigated the progressive degradation of polyethylene in the environment for the first time. Although the ...

New batteries for more climate protection

The Körber European Science Prize 2021 awarded to chemist Clare Grey

23-Jun-2021 - The Körber European Science Prize 2021, endowed with one million euros, goes to Clare Grey. The British chemist pioneered the optimisation of batteries using NMR spectroscopy. Grey pioneered the optimisation of batteries with the help of NMR spectroscopy. This method allows non-invasive insights ...

Highly Accurate Results at Low Computational Cost

Researchers Succeed in Predicting NMR Parameters with DLPNO Approximation

20-May-2021 - Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most important analytical techniques used in chemical, pharmaceutical, and biomedical research as well as in materials sciences. It provides detailed information about the structures of molecules in solution, which is, however, indirect. Hence, ...

Analysing molecular structures in more detail

New NMR methods for investigating paramagnetic complexes and supramolecular cages developed

21-Sep-2020 - Chemistry and structural biology use the standard methods of NMR spectroscopy (NMR = nuclear magnetic resonance) to examine the structure of molecules including large molecules like proteins in solution. The NMR active nuclei, such as hydrogen atoms, are excited using radiofrequency pulses in ...

New NMR method enables monitoring of chemical reactions in metal containers

Analysis of heterogeneous samples in metal containers using zero- to ultralow-field NMR spectroscopy

20-Jul-2020 - Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is employed in a wide range of applications. In chemistry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is in standard use for the purposes of analysis, while in the medical field, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to see structures and metabolism in the body. ...

Nature Unveiling Herself Before Science

Cutting-edge technology allows for real-time monitoring of biomineralisation

22-May-2020 - 21st century societal challenges such as demographic developments and an ageing population demand for new functional materials, such as for bone prostheses. Nature often serves as inspiration when designing these materials. In a recent study published in Analytical Chemistry, a team led by ERC ...

Determining the atomic structure of natural products more rapidly and accurately

23-Jan-2020 - Many drugs are derived from natural products. But before natural products can be exploited, chemists must first determine their structure and stereochemistry. This can be a major challenge, particularly when the molecules cannot be crystallized and contain only few hydrogen atoms. A new NMR-based ...