Highly complex MOF materials made for sustainability applications such as carbon capture can be rationally devised using a new "merged nets" design framework

Metal-organic frameworks with designer windows show exceptional gas storage capability.

High-pressure experiments show the way to selectively recycle the greenhouse gas into a particular product.

Calcium outshines chromium in the catalytic production of ammonia.

Less hazardous and more sensitive and eco-friendly scintillating compounds could greatly improve X-ray imaging technologies.

Pulses of light tune MXene's structure to improve energy storage and battery stability.

A proton-driven approach that enables multiple ferroelectric phase transitions sets the stage for ultralow power, high-capacity computer chips.

High-strength but low-density mesh-like polymers with applications in adsorption are synthesized using a simple new method.

Treating seawater with selected chemicals before desalination could reduce biofouling and lengthen the lifespan of filtration membranes.

MOF-based soil moisture monitoring device a step toward precision irrigation.

Clean hydrogen fuel is easier to produce from seawater with stable hierarchical electrocatalysts.

Ultrathin carbon membranes made from ordered polymer materials yield salt-free water quickly.

Nanomaterials offer a way to get many electrical charges from each photon absorbed by a solar cell.

A transition metal catalyst discovery could help to establish renewably generated electricity at the heart of a clean chemicals industry. 

Porous MOFs enable simple molecular separations based on mismatches in physical profiles.

Porous nanosheets combined with polymers can remove contaminants from methane.

Built-in heterojunctions enhance the ability of nanoparticle photocatalysts to produce hydrogen fuel from water.

Hybrid material helps ferry genetic cargo to target cells.

An electrode made from inexpensive earth-abundant metals bubbles with potential for green fuel production.

Sensitive and flexible scintillation screens bring better X-ray imaging.

A catalyst turns three monomer mixtures into diblock dialternating terpolymers in a single step.

Layered nanomaterials shine for lossless light-energy conversion.

Metal-organic framework membranes that selectively separate hydrocarbons set the stage for more sustainable petrochemical processes.

Extending the lifetime of hot electrons could help make solar cells more efficient.

Conquering a chemical challenge to control the structure of a polymer opens a path to better biosensors.

The chemical concept of aromaticity is inspiring new developments in the area of catalysis.

Rational molecular design produces air-stable polymer-based semiconductors to better exploit waste heat for electricity. 

A diverse category of porous materials can separate and purify key industrial chemicals at low temperatures.

Metal organic framework helps silver catalyst to turn greenhouse gas into useful chemical feedstock.

Sophisticated geometry design gives rise to a new form of crystalline material.

An antibody loaded onto a porous metal organic framework is released by the acidic environment that surrounds tumors, avoiding the adverse effects of administering the antibody alone.

A reverse form of host-guest chemistry could upend the way the chemical industry approaches challenging, energy-intensive molecular separations.

Carefully designed covalent organic frameworks could make supercapacitor electrodes that have a greater ability to store electric charge.

Chemical treatments enable low-cost light sources to emit specific colors on demand.

Unique star-shaped polymers have highly tunable properties that will open up a range of new applications.

An energy transfer process that mimics photosynthesis could help to extract more power from sunlight.

A facile and mild bromine treatment eliminates surface and bulk defects from perovskites to boost the materials’ optoelectronic properties.

A molecule with a hollow center proves ideal for separating a common industrial chemical mixture.

More efficient photocatalysts could unlock the potential of solar energy.

Materials that can slow the cooling of highly energetic hot carriers could capture extra energy from the Sun.

Mapping the three-dimensional structure of catalytic centers helps to design new and improved catalysts.

Large cylindrical ligands increase stability and enhance light emission of silver nanoclusters.

Catalyst switch strategy is the key step in the production of a four-component crystalline tetrablock quarterpolymer.

When a thin layer of water is squeezed between two hydrophobic surfaces, the laws of classical physics break down.

Imaging defects in MOF crystals, and monitoring how they develop, will allow control of defect formation to design better MOFs for many applications.

Fluorinated metal-organic frameworks make excellent materials for selective sensing and removal of toxic gases.

Hydrogen-powered cars and recycling CO₂ are just two of the myriad of applications that could spring from catalysts based on a new ligand platform.

A metal-organic framework that selectively removes impurities from natural gas could allow greater use of this cleaner fossil fuel.

Rethinking industry-scale catalytic processes could slash global energy consumption and even turn carbon dioxide into a valuable commodity.

Triple-layered nanoarray electrode promises to boost battery performance and enhance other electrochemical processes.

A metal catalyst that gives distinct carbon-based molecular skeletons upon ligand change may unlock cost-effective, green synthetic routes.

Custom-made gas-sensing material could lead to inexpensive devices for real-time air-quality analysis.

A porous cerium-based coating boosts the durability of oxygen-forming catalysts while maintaining their inherent water-splitting activity.

A risk-based optimization scheme boosts confidence and profitability for future mixed-technology power plants.

Nanomaterial coating enables efficient delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 machinery into the cell. 

2017 recipient of the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award Niveen Khashab builds nanoscale ‘miniature machines’ with diverse applications.

Introducing asymmetry across the two sides of atomically thin materials brings new opportunities in semiconductors.

Photosensitive perovskites change shape when exposed to light.

Dual-functioning MOF material autonomously ensures indoor humidity is just right.

Spiky-shaped additives help antimicrobial coatings sense and inhibit bacteria growth on dental devices. 

Tungsten and titanium compounds join forces to turn a common alkane into other hydrocarbons. 

A breakthrough in generating water-stable metal-organic frameworks allows efficient removal of water from gases.

Using a plasma to alter the atomic composition of two-dimensional materials could make them better catalysts.

Understanding how small organic ions stabilize gold nanoparticles may allow for better control.

Tunable porous MOF materials interface with electrodes to sound the alarm at the first sniff of hydrogen sulfide. 

Highly sensitive electron cameras allow researchers to see the atomic structure of metal-organic frameworks.

A simple model is shown to accurately predict the electronic properties of a combination of 2D semiconductors.

Pairing two catalysts in a single, illuminated reaction flask proves to be a light-bulb moment for organic synthesis.

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials can self-assemble into tiny doughnut-like structures.

Standardized reporting of energy conversion efficiency could help to develop photocatalysts to produce renewable fuels.

New heights reached for solids that capture carbon dioxide at low concentrations in gas mixtures.

A clean, green, metal-free approach to making high-performance polycarbonates.

A biocompatible nanomaterial that can be controlled with light finds a use in gene delivery.

Tweaking the structure of metal-organic frameworks could transform the capacity to use methane as a fuel.

Nonsurfactant polymers template produces a highly porous, three-dimensional inorganic crystal to enhance catalysis and separation.

The efficient purification of propylene using a fine-tuned porous material delivers advances in petrochemical production.

Metal-organic frameworks are effective in separating linear from branched paraffins.

Thin flakes of silver make robust and flexible electrodes for pressure sensors.

Insight into the role of sulfur-bearing ligands provides a better handle on ways to synthesize asymmetric metal nanoparticles.

Combining quantum dots and organic molecules can enable solar cells to capture more of the sun’s light.

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Learning how an aluminum compound binds to silica may pave the way to a reliable petrochemical catalyst.

Novel solid-state materials may hold the key to cleaner fuels and cheap, efficient gas storage.

An electron microscope fitted with a femtosecond laser visualizes the dynamics of excited carriers on the surface of a material in real space and time.

A solvent-free technique for creating adsorbent materials could reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Making the pores of metal-organic frameworks smaller could open up new opportunities in gas separation techniques.

Tiny carriers assembled from oppositely charged nanoparticles open to release their cargo under light exposure.

Thin film membranes could efficiently separate carbon dioxide and other gases from mixed gas flow streams.

Producing hydrogen from water is improved by creating an orderly catalyst.

Researchers reveal a low-impact synthetic strategy for producing supported small nickel nanoparticles – a powerful catalytic form of the metal.

Chemically fine-tuning the structure of a class of light porous materials allows efficient and selective removal of CO₂ from air.

A single photon can free two electrons within a nanocrystal of silver sulfide, revealing its promise as a solar cell material.

The ability to more precisely design an industrial material will support broad applications such as the storage of gas, including CO2.