A research team at Japan’s National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) has demonstrated that electron beam (EB) irradiation can decompose polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) — a highly durable plastic known as Teflon — into gaseous components. This method drastically improves the energy efficiency compared to conventional recycling processes, offering a promising path toward reducing the environmental impact from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Recent key advances in chemistry could tackle emissions from the world’s most polluting industries, according to a new study.

A research team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has developed a systematic framework that combines semantic-segmentation AI models with experimental validation to analyze catalyst layers (CLs). Using silver nanoparticles as catalysts and Nafion ionomer as a binder, the team fabricated CLs with varying ionomer-to-catalyst (I/C) ratios (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) to dissect how composition affects performance.

How do we power machines in the ocean's most extreme depths? A review in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing explores the cutting-edge world of deep-sea battery technology, where crushing pressure, icy temperatures, and corrosive seawater demand extraordinary solutions. Lithium batteries have emerged as the frontrunners, but technical hurdles remain. From advanced materials to smart management systems, the authors chart the latest breakthroughs and outline what's needed next to fuel deeper, longer, and more ambitious underwater missions.

Addressing the global plastic waste crisis, particularly hard-to-recycle blended PET fibers, demands environmentally friendlier recycling methods. Researchers engineered a novel PET hydrolase PET2-21M and established large-scale production in yeast. This enzyme dramatically boosted PET bottle-grade PET breakdown. In parallel, its direct precursor PET2-14M-6Hot successfully degraded challenging blended fibers (PET/cotton, PET/PU) at moderate temperatures. This breakthrough offers a promising, energy-efficient path for a circular plastics economy, accelerating industrial-scale recycling of diverse polymer wastes.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin analyzed the calcium isotopes in the teeth enamel of four different dinosaur species to discover what they ate. They found that some dinosaurs were discerning eaters, with different species preferring different plant parts. This helps explain how these dinosaurs, which all roamed the western U.S. during the Late Jurassic, were all able to coexist in the same ecosystem.

Speeding up chemical reactions is key to improving industrial processes or mitigating unwanted or harmful waste. Realizing these improvements requires that chemists design around documented reaction pathways. Now, a team of Penn State researchers has found that a fundamental reaction called oxidative addition can follow a different path to achieve the same ends, raising the question of whether this new order of events has been occurring all along and potentially opening up new space for chemical design.