The rapid increase in global industrialization in the past centuries has resulted in the disposal of excessive toxic pollutants into the environment, seriously threatening the aquatic ecosystem and human health. Peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs) are appealing techniques to treat these toxic pollutants. Leveraging diverse reactive oxygen species (ROS), AOPs are sought to oxidize or … Read more
The selective oxidation of aromatic C-H bonds has drawn significant attention in both industrial and fine chemistry due to its crucial role in converting readily- and cheaply-available aromatic hydrocarbons into high-value-added oxygenated products for diverse fields such as biology, medicine, fragrance, and agriculture. The traditional methods of acetophenone (ACP) production suffer from numerous limitations, such … Read more
Brandt Eichman and Walter Chazin, professors of biochemistry, have worked together to provide a better understanding of how exactly DNA replication is initiated in eukaryotes. Using Vanderbilt’s state-of-the-art instrumentation in the Center for Structural Biology’s Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, Eichman, Chazin, and their colleagues provided detailed visualizations of a multi-functional protein in action, which sheds light … Read more
Although COVID-19 has faded from the headlines, SARS-CoV-2—the coronavirus behind the pandemic—is still rampantly infecting people around the world. Public health officials fear as the virus continues to evolve, it will eventually hit upon a diabolical mutation that renders current treatments ineffective, triggering a new wave of severe infection and social disruption. In pursuit of … Read more
A new, greener, and cheaper method to accelerate chemical reactions has been developed by scientists at King’s College London in collaboration with the University of Barcelona and ETH Zurich. Instead of using polluting and expensive metal-based catalysts, the team proved that electric fields can catalyze reactions to produce chemical compounds. Building on previous research published … Read more
Single-atom catalysts (SACs), due to their excellent catalytic activity, have been a hot topic in the field of energy catalysis. In SACs, the metal atoms are able to directly interact with the supports, thus maximizing the metal-support interface. The metal-support interactions (MSIs) largely affect the electronic properties of single-atom catalysts and catalytic performance. Currently, the … Read more
Intense research efforts have been directed toward studying the electrochemical conversion of CO2, a major greenhouse gas, into platform chemicals and fuels. The success of this technology can enable the decarbonization of some of the largest CO2 emitters, including steel, cement, and chemical manufacturing industries. Copper is unique in its ability to convert CO2 at … Read more