Cancer treatments are always looking for new tricks. One promising method is photothermal therapy (PTT). It uses light to heat up and kill cancer cells. But there are some problems. Light doesn't go deep into the body. Also, cancer cells can get used to the heat. Scientists have found a clever solution. They made a new tool using ferrocene, a special iron compound. T...
Scientists are always looking for ways to make drug delivery more effective. One big challenge is getting drugs to release quickly and efficiently once they reach their target. A recent study tackled this problem by designing smart molecular structures that speed up drug release. The key idea is to use a two-part system. The first part, called core-1, is designed to...
The world of silkworms is more complex than it seems. These tiny creatures have a unique way of handling cold weather. Scientists have been studying how silkworm eggs react to chilly temperatures. They have found that when it gets cold, the eggs go into a kind of sleep called diapause. This is a clever trick to survive harsh conditions. During this sleep, the eg...
The American Chemical Society has a big job. It has to pick the best of the best in medicinal chemistry. This year, the 2024 ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Awards are shining a spotlight on some truly outstanding individuals. These are the people who are making a real difference in how we understand and treat diseases. The awards are a big deal. They recognize ...
Chemistry labs are getting a high-tech upgrade. Robots are stepping in to help with experiments. These aren't your typical robots. They're smart machines. They can talk to scientists and even learn from them. This is all thanks to something called artificial intelligence, or AI for short. The goal is to make chemistry experiments easier and faster. Traditionally, ex...
The early Earth was a wild place. The planet was full of chemicals that don't exist today. One big mystery is how life started from these chemicals. Scientists have been puzzling over this for a long time. One key question is how phosphorus, an important element for life, got involved in the early chemistry. Phosphorus is crucial for life as we know it. It'...
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are like superheroes in the chemistry world. They have amazing abilities to dissolve stuff, but they also have a dark side. Their toxicity is a big question mark. Why? Because different tests give different answers. It's like asking five people to describe a color. You might get five different answers. The problem is that these tests use...
Scientists have come up with a clever way to detect tiny amounts of carbamate pesticides. They used a mix of natural ingredients to create special beads. These beads can soak up and concentrate the pesticides. This makes it easier to spot them in food and the environment. The process is called micro-solid phase extraction. It is paired with a tool called ultra-perfor...
Microwaves are not just for heating up leftovers. They have a hidden talent. They can speed up chemical reactions. This is big news for chemists. It means they can create new substances faster and more efficiently. But how does this magic happen? To understand this, think about how microwaves work in your kitchen. They heat food by making water molecules vibrate. Th...
Sodium-ion batteries are gaining attention for their potential in large-scale energy storage. They are cost-effective and use abundant resources, making them a strong contender for the future. One of the biggest challenges is their performance in cold environments. Traditional batteries often struggle in low temperatures, but sodium-ion batteries could change the gam...