VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

May 08 2025SCIENCE

Catalysts: The Unsung Heroes in Cleaning Up Air Pollution

Catalysts are vital in tackling air pollution, specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds are everywhere, from paints to cleaning supplies, and they're harmful when inhaled. To make catalysts more effective at breaking down VOCs, scientists have been working on improving their performance at lower temperatures and increasing their lifespan. On...

reading time about 1 minute
May 04 2025SCIENCE

A Breath of Fresh Evidence

Forensic science is always on the lookout for new ways to solve crimes. One exciting development comes from the world of Volabolomics. This field focuses on Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, which are gases released by various materials and processes. In a recent study, researchers explored how these VOCs could be used as evidence in murder investigations. The...

reading time about 1 minute
Mar 27 2025SCIENCE

Beans, Bugs, and Bacteria: The Hidden World Below

The world beneath our feet is a bustling ecosystem, full of interactions that shape the world above. One such interaction involves beans, bacteria, and bugs. Specifically, the relationship between beans and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, known as rhizobia, has long been seen as a win-win. But what about the bugs? How do they fit into this picture? Beans and rhizobia have...

reading time about 2 minutes
Dec 24 2024SCIENCE

How Water Helps Ru/MoOx Catalysts Clean Up Toxic Air

Breathing in chlorinated and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs and OVOCs) can be dangerous. One way to get rid of these pollutants is by using catalysts that oxidize them. The challenge is keeping these catalysts working well over time. A team of researchers looked into this issue using a catalyst made of Ru/MoOx/HZSM-5 (where M can be W or Mo) to break do...

reading time about 1 minute