When element 61, also known as promethium, was first isolated by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1945, it completed the series of chemical elements known as lanthanides. However, aspects of the element’s exact chemical nature have remained a mystery until last year, when a team of scientists from ORNL … Read more
The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of chemical elements, organized by their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. It provides a systematic way to categorize and understand the behavior of elements based on their shared characteristics. Dmitri Mendeleev is credited with developing the first periodic table in 1869, arranging elements by their … Read more
Chemistry, often referred to as the central science, is a branch of natural science that explores the properties, composition, structure, reactions, and changes of matter. It is a discipline that delves into the microscopic realm of atoms and molecules, seeking to understand the fundamental principles that govern the behavior of substances and their transformations. Chemistry … Read more
In the intricate dance of chemical reactions, molecules undergo a subtle transformation until they reach a critical juncture known as the transition state—a fleeting moment that marks a point of no return for the reaction. Ironically, this elusive state is challenging to observe experimentally due to its ephemeral nature. Traditionally, the structures of these transition … Read more
Many drugs currently available in the market are composed of cyclic (ring-shaped) molecules, often containing multiple rings. Chemists face the ongoing challenge of developing efficient methods for constructing important and novel ring systems, with the aim of producing drugs more effectively and enabling the discovery of new drug structures. One increasingly popular approach is to … Read more
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a sustainable method for forming carbon-carbon bonds without the need for expensive and rare metal catalysts. The interdisciplinary team of plasma engineers, chemists, and bioengineers used electricity and a plasma-liquid process to generate solvated electrons, which were then used to facilitate carbon-carbon bond formation in a pinacol … Read more
A breakthrough has been made in the field of theoretical chemistry by Sandra Luber and her research team at the University of Zurich. They have developed an algorithm that significantly accelerates the computational simulations required to study the dynamics of excited molecules. Previously, these simulations could only be carried out on supercomputers due to their … Read more