Category archives: Technology

Reducing the energy requirements and carbon footprint of ammonia production

Reducing the energy requirements and carbon footprint of ammonia production

CatalysisChemical engineeringChemistry

By César Tomé

Ammonia (NH3), a ubiquitous compound, was generated in excess of 187 million tons globally in 2020. Roughly 85% is employed in the creation of nitrogenous fertilizers, while the remainder is used for refining petroleum, producing various other chemicals, and manufacturing synthetic fibers like nylon. However, these processes come with a substantial energy expenditure. Presently, the […]

A recyclable aqueous organic high-capacity battery

A recyclable aqueous organic high-capacity battery

ChemistryMaterials

By César Tomé

Our modern rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, are anything but sustainable. One alternative is organic batteries with redox-organic electrode materials (OEMs), which can be synthesized from natural “green” materials. A Chinese team has now introduced a new OEM for aqueous organic high-capacity batteries that can be easily and cheaply recycled. Traditional inorganic electrode materials […]

Geopolymer, an eco-friendly concrete?

Geopolymer, an eco-friendly concrete?

Materials

By Invited Researcher

geopolymer Author: Ada Martinelli holds a PhD in organic chemistry and is a researcher in an Italian ceramics company The construction industry is one of the major exploiters of natural resources, and it has a great contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions and non-sustainable development of the global economy. Nowadays, it still mostly relies on […]

Marine organic waste has a promising future via biorefinery valorisation

Marine organic waste has a promising future via biorefinery valorisation

ChemistryEconomicsFood processingMaterials

By Invited Researcher

Food waste represents a serious problem associated with today’s society to which a solution should be found. A notable share of the impacts originates from the fishing sector. It hardly results acceptable that, in a world with shrinking food resources, 25% of the total fishing catches end up being discarded as waste. It should be […]

Chemically tailoring layered 2D MXenes

Chemically tailoring layered 2D MXenes

ChemistryMaterials

By César Tomé

A new process that lets scientists chemically cut apart and stitch together nanoscopic layers of two-dimensional materials — like a tailor altering a suit — could be just the tool for designing the technology of a sustainable energy future. Researchers have developed a method for structurally splitting, editing and reconstituting layered materials, called MAX phases […]

A virtual Earth-sized telescope shows how science is changing in the 21st century

A virtual Earth-sized telescope shows how science is changing in the 21st century

AstronomyAstrophysicsPhilosophy of science

By Invited Researcher

In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration produced the first-ever image of a black hole, stunning the world. Now, scientists are taking it further. The next generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) collaboration aims to create high-quality videos of black holes. But this next-generation collaboration is groundbreaking in other ways, too. It’s the first large […]

Emotional dampening of antidepressants

Emotional dampening of antidepressants

MedicineNeurobiologyNeurosciencePharmacy

By José Ramón Alonso

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter involved in various cognitive and affective functions. Drugs targeting serotonin transmission, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are the first-line pharmacological treatments for many neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. These antidepressants increase the concentration in the synaptic space of this neurotransmitter […]

Extracting the stone of madness: the art of brain surgery in the Renaissance

Extracting the stone of madness: the art of brain surgery in the Renaissance

HistoryMedicine

By Invited Researcher

madness Authors: Chiara Bressan, student of the European Master’s in Clinical Linguistics & Adrià Rofes, assistant professor of neurolinguistics at the University of Groningen Imagine yourself tied to a chair. You cannot move, you are fully conscious, and a strange individual behind you is about to carve into your skull. No, you are not an […]