News by Subject Chemistry & Physics

How an electron behaves in an atom, or how it moves in a solid, can be predicted precisely with the equations of quantum mechanics. These theoretical calculations agree with the results from experiments. But complex quantum systems, which contain many electrons or elementary particles can currently not be described exactly. A team from Kiel University has now developed a simulation method, which enables quantum mechanical calculations up to around 10,000 times faster than previously possible.

In a first for quantum physics, University of Otago researchers have 'held' individual atoms in place and observed previously unseen complex atomic interactions.

Research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by University of Utah chemists Pavithra Naullage and Valeria Molinero provides the foundation to design efficient polymers that can prevent the growth of ice that damages cells.

The discovery shows that when electrons can be made to attract one another, they can form bunches of two, three, four and five electrons that behave like new types of particles.

Employing a computer simulation, physicists Maximilian Liebetreu and Christos Likos have shown a unique dynamic behavior of cyclic polymers. Their motion can be distinguished into phases, and the scientists were able to observe the so-called "inflation phase" for the first time. During this new phase, they observed swelling and self-stabilization of the polymers. The results have been published in the first volume of new journal Nature Communications Materials.

Water is a familiar substance that is present virtually everywhere. The properties of the first few layers of water molecules in contact with the surface of materials (called 'surface water') are especially important in materials science. In a recent study led by Prof Takahiro Yamamoto of Tokyo University of Science, scientists employed statistical data analysis tools to reveal what happens to water molecules on top of graphene.