Chemistry World Blog

28 March 2011: Have something to say about an article you’ve read on Chemistry World this week? Leave your comments below…

This week’s stories:

‘Green’ products don’t live up to label claims
Products claiming to be ‘plant-based’ or ‘naturally sourced’ hide surprising amounts of petrochemical ingredients

Nanoparticles help reveal hidden fingerprints
A new forensic technique that uses gold nanoparticles looks promising for old prints

Slip-slop-slap…scent?
New sunscreen that slowly releases a fragrance or even drugs into the skin

From coffee shop to biodiesel source in one step
Researchers aim to put 20 million tons of spent coffee grounds in Portugal to good use

DNA detection for rapid HIV diagnosis
A device that automates sample preparation and detection for HIV can give a result within an hour

Electrifying polymers
Using electricity instead of reducing agents to control ATRP eliminates impurities

Water result for Li battery technology
Using an aqueous cathode increases capacity and avoids wear during charging cycles, researchers say

Cheap and efficient artificial leaf debuted
MIT researchers say they can make artificial leaves for less than $50 each

Amino acid synthesis hints at how the genetic code expanded
The biosynthetic pathway for pyrrolysine suggests how new amino acids were added to the pool of protein building blocks

Nanotubes spot damage
Conducting composites heat themselves up to reveal structural damage

A single scale tells more than a whole wing
Photonic crystal structures based on butterfly wing scales

Precursor boost for uranium chemistry
A straightforward new way to make uranium halides opens the door to a lot more uranium chemistry say US researchers