Researchers at Oxford University have developed a new method to extract fluorine from fluorspar (CaF₂) using oxalic acid and a fluorophilic Lewis acid in water under mild reaction conditions.

This technology enables direct access to fluorochemicals, including commonly used fluorinating agents, from both fluorspar and lower-grade metspar, eliminating reliance on the supply chain of hazardous hydrogen fluoride (HF).

The findings are published today in the journal Nature.

Mass General Brigham, in partnership with Emory Healthcare; the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health; the University of Washington School of Medicine; and the American College of Radiology, are launching a first-of-its kind interactive Healthcare AI Challenge. This virtual series of events enables healthcare professionals to explore and assess the latest AI healthcare technologies in real-world healthcare scenarios in a data-rich environment. Health care profesional users then rank the foundation models’ responses, which contributes to a publicly available rankings leaderboard.

North Carolina A&T and Lehigh University researchers, supported by a $1 million NSF grant, are partnering to improve flood damage assessments. Their AI-driven approach aims to enhance disaster response with faster, more accurate mapping.