Utilization of biomass as a chemical resource is a promising strategy for establishing a circular economy. Cellulose, a polymer composed of glucose units, is the most abundant form of biomass, and glucose is a versatile feedstock for chemicals. However, cellulose is a highly recalcitrant material due to its extensive hydrogen-bond (H-bond) network. Kobayashi, Nishimura, and their colleagues discovered that simply dipping cellulose in an aqueous NaOH solution below −28 ℃ makes it more reactive. Thereby, the efficiency of saccharification (the process of breaking down cellulose into sugars) increased 2.2 times.

Seoul National University College of Engineering has announced that a research team led by Prof. Jeonghun Kwak of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with co-first authors Dr. Juhyung Park and Dr. Sun Hong Kim, has developed a flexible and thin “pseudo-transverse thermoelectric generator” capable of producing electricity from body heat.

 

The research findings were published on March 18 (ET) in Science Advances, a leading international journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Two microscopic grains collide and produce a tiny spark. This phenomenon may have provided the energy to kick off life on Earth. But if these solid particles have the same composition, what factor causes the charge to flow in a given direction? In a new study published in Nature, physicists from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) identify the key factor as environmental carbon-based molecules that adhere to the materials’ surface.

For centuries, the process by which the cinchona tree produces its valuable alkaloids, including the life-saving quinine used to treat malaria, was shrouded in mystery. Now, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, together with colleagues from the University of Georgia, has uncovered the secret. In a new study, the scientists demonstrate how the plant sequentially builds up the complex molecular framework characteristic of quinine. The researchers identified the enzymes responsible for catalyzing the chemical reactions that take place inside the plant. The study opens up new avenues for the sustainable and efficient laboratory production of natural substances such as quinine and related active ingredients.

At the interface between light and magnetism: Physicists from Konstanz show how spin waves (magnons) can be converted into signals that can be used by computers.