Chemistry and Materials Science

It is well known that a lump of sodium or potassium metal thrown in water causes an explosion. The science behind this is that alkali metals release hydrogen gas from the water, which gets ignited. However, Pavel Jungwirth and his collaborators at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague believe that there is another reason behind the phenomenon. Read on to find out more. 

Graphene is the world’s thinnest and strongest material, made of a single sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern. But a team of researchers has discovered graphene’s ability to withstand the onslaught of high-speed projectiles. Read on to find out more.

There is a growing interest paired with attempts in creating a synthesis machine or a ‘robo-chemist’ that would take over the traditional organic chemistry. Such a device would offer a diversity of compounds for investigation by researchers developing drugs, agrochemicals, or materials. Read on to find out more. 

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy have discovered that sodium bismuthate can exist as a form of quantum matter called a 3D topological Dirac semimetal (3DTDS). Read on to know more. 

In a study that challenges the fundamental rules of classical chemistry, W. Zhang et al. report compounds that violate textbook rules—NaCl₃, NaCl₇, Na₃Cl₂, Na₂Cl, and Na₃Cl. Read on to know more. 

In a recent study, researchers were able to determine the chirality of a gaseous sample by imaging its molecular structure. Read on to know more.