Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions

American Chemical Society
  • 4.0 (3)
  • NATURAL SCIENCES

Taking inspiration from trees, scientists have developed a battery made from a sliver of wood coated with tin that shows promise for becoming a tiny, long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly energy source. Their report on the device — 1,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper — appears in the journal Nano Letters.

  1. 05/21/2015

    Confronting Climate Change: Stop-Gap Measures to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Sediment trapped behind dams makes them ‘hot spots’ for greenhouse gas emissions

    With the “green” reputation of large hydroelectric dams already in question, scientists are reporting that millions of smaller dams on rivers around the world make an important contribution to the greenhouse gases linked to global climate change. Their study, showing that more methane than previously believed bubbles out of the water behind small dams, appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology.

  2. 01/23/2014

    Combating Disease: Paper-based device could bring medical testing to remote locales

    In remote regions of the world where electricity is hard to come by and scientific instruments are even scarcer, conducting medical tests at a doctor’s office or medical lab is rarely an option. Scientists are now reporting progress toward an inexpensive point-of-care, paper-based device to fill that void with no electronics required. Their study on the extremely sensitive test, which simply relies on the user keeping track of time, appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.

  3. 12/05/2013

    Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: Improving detection of radioactive material in nuclear waste water

    As the Fukushima crisis continues to remind the world of the potential dangers of nuclear disposal and unforeseen accidents, scientists are reporting progress toward a new way to detect the radioactive materials uranium and plutonium in waste water. Their report on the design of a highly sensitive nanosensor appears in ACS’ The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

  4. 11/21/2013

    Combating Disease: Improved smartphone microscope brings single-virus detection to remote locations

    Scientists are reporting an advance in smartphone-based imaging that could help physicians in far-flung and resource-limited locations monitor how well treatments for infections are working by detecting, for the first time, individual viruses. Their study on the light-weight device, which converts the phone into a powerful mini-microscope, appears in the journal ACS Nano.

  5. 11/07/2013

    Confronting Climate Change - Stop-Gap Measures to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Big environmental footprints: 21 percent of homes account for 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions

    Energy conservation in a small number of households could go a long way to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, scientists are reporting. Their study, which measured differences in energy demands at the household level, appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology.

  6. 11/07/2013

    Our sustainable future: A greener, more sustainable source of ingredients for widely used plastics

    A new process can convert a wide variety of vegetable and animal fats and oils — ranging from lard to waste cooking oil — into a key ingredient for making plastics that currently comes from petroleum, scientists say. Their report on the first-of-its-kind process appears in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.

  7. 10/14/2013

    Our Sustainable Future: An environmentally friendly battery made from wood

    Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body, according to their report in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.

  8. 10/01/2013

    Combating Disease: First dual-action compound kills cancer cells, stops them from spreading

    Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body, according to their report in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.

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About

Taking inspiration from trees, scientists have developed a battery made from a sliver of wood coated with tin that shows promise for becoming a tiny, long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly energy source. Their report on the device — 1,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper — appears in the journal Nano Letters.

Information

  • Creator
    American Chemical Society
  • Years Active
    2008 - 2015
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Clean