Chemistry

Wildfires destroy landscapes and disrupt how organic carbon (OC) moves through soil and ash, impacting water quality and ecosystems. A study including the Cook group and collaborators found wildfire sites in CA & NV had up to a 574% increase in mobile OC. Though ashes held more OC, soils released more, threatening watershed health and nature’s ability to filter water, prevent floods, and support life.

numan et al.

The Cook research group and collaborators published a study on the environmental impact of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, OH. The team investigated the hazardous byproducts formed from the combustion of chemicals in the presence of transition-metal oxides found in train and track materials, posing long-term environmental health risks. 

Lard et al. 

Aluminum-based adjuvants enhance vaccines with their immunostimulatory properties and safety, yet their mechanisms remain unclear. The Xu group used SAXS and SANS to study their porous structures, revealing how nanoparticle morphology affects antigen retention and release. Their findings offer new insights for optimizing vaccine formulations through tailored adjuvant design.

Rinee et al. 

Additive manufacturing enables on-demand production but poses supply chain security risks, like counterfeiting. In a new paper, Prof. Les Butler and collaborators present innovative methods to embed digital codes in components, enhancing authenticity. 

Nemati et al.

The García-López group developed a new molecular switch based on rotaxanes that uses light to control the structure and dynamics of lipid membranes. Their recent paper presents a rotaxane with azobenzene photoswitches used to control the release of small molecules from lipid vesicles and to contract and expand giant vesicles of 30 µm.

Conthagamage et al.

Featured on the cover of Inorganic Chemistry, the Baranets group reveals two new quaternary oxyarsenides with potential for thermoelectric applications. The study discusses synthetic challenges, complex structures, transport and magnetic properties.

Ishtiyak et al.

The Pojman research team explores a trithiol-triacrylate gel system for frontal polymerization with a relatively long shelf life, and support for complex geometries. The system potentially enables the study of mechanical forces on front kinetics.

Adrewie et al.

The Baranets research group examines the crystal structure and electronic properties of β-Yb₂CdSb₂, revealing how the structural disorder affects charge balance and semiconducting behavior. The publication sheds light on polymorphism in intermetallics and its potential in thermoelectric materials.

Watts et al.

The García-López group investigates thiourea-based rotaxanes, their ability to transport Cl− anions across synthetic lipid bilayers, and their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The study highlights the potential of rotaxanes as molecular transporters to disrupt ion homeostasis, offering a potential new approach to combating antibiotic-resistant strains of S. aureus. 

Akhtar et al.