The article begins by highlighting the pressing issue of petroleum-derived plastic pollution and the detrimental effects of microplastics on our food and water supplies. In response to this problem, researchers have been developing biodegradable versions of traditional plastics, or “bioplastics.” However, current bioplastics face challenges as they are not as strong as petrochemical-based plastics and only degrade through a high-temperature composting system.

Enter researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, who have solved both problems with inspiration from the humble leaf. The team decided to introduce cellulose nanofibers to the design of bioplastics, creating a multilayer structure where cellulose is in the middle and the bioplastics are on two sides. This unique biomimicking design allows for broader bioplastic utilization, addressing the limitations of current versions.

The researchers emerged from working with two high-production bioplastics today: polyhydroxybutrate (PHB) and polylactic acid (PLA). They used a variation of their leaf-inspired cellulose nanofiber structure to improve the strength and biodegradability of these plastics. The optimized bioplastic, called Layered, Ecological, Advanced and multi-Functional Film (LEAFF), turned PLA into a packaging material that is biodegradable at room temperature.

The researchers’ innovation was in adding the cellulosic structure that replicates cellulose fibrils embedded within the bioplastics. This unique design allows for critical properties such as low air or water permeability, helping keep food stable, and a surface that is printable. Additionally, the LEAFF’s underlying cellulose structure gives it a higher tensile strength than even petrochemical plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene.

The researchers hope this technology can scale up soon and seek commercial and philanthropic partners to help bring these improved processes to industry. They believe the United States is uniquely positioned to dominate the bioplastics market and establish a “circular economy” wherein waste products are reused, fed back into systems instead of left to pollute the air and water or sit in landfills.

The article concludes by highlighting the potential for the U.S. to create jobs and new markets through the development and implementation of this sustainable technology. The researchers also emphasize the importance of circular reuse in turning waste into useful materials.

The universe’s history is divided into distinct periods. The Big Bang marked the beginning of the universe around 13.8 billion years ago. Initially, temperatures were incredibly high and densities were unimaginable. However, just a few seconds later, the universe had cooled down enough for the first elements to form, primarily hydrogen and helium. These elements remained completely ionized at this point, as it took nearly 380,000 years for temperatures in the universe to drop enough for neutral atoms to form through recombination with free electrons.

The oldest molecule in existence is the helium hydride ion (HeH+), formed from a neutral helium atom and an ionized hydrogen nucleus. This marks the beginning of a chain reaction that leads to the formation of molecular hydrogen (H2), which is by far the most common molecule in the universe.

Recombination was followed by the ‘dark age’ of cosmology, where the universe became transparent due to bound electrons but lacked light-emitting objects like stars. Several hundred million years passed before the first stars formed. However, simple molecules such as HeH⁺ and H2 were crucial for star formation during this early phase.

In order for a gas cloud in a protostar to collapse to the point where nuclear fusion can begin, heat must be dissipated. This occurs through collisions that excite atoms and molecules, which then emit energy in the form of photons. At temperatures below around 10,000 degrees Celsius, however, this process becomes ineffective for dominant hydrogen atoms.

Further cooling can only take place via molecules that can emit additional energy through rotation and vibration. Due to its pronounced dipole moment, the HeH⁺ ion is particularly effective at these low temperatures and has long been considered a potentially important candidate for cooling in the early universe.

During this period, collisions with free hydrogen atoms were a major degradation pathway for HeH⁺, forming a neutral helium atom and an H2⁺ ion. These subsequently reacted with another H atom to form a neutral H2 molecule and a proton, leading to the formation of molecular hydrogen.

Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) in Heidelberg have now successfully recreated this reaction under conditions similar to those in the early universe for the first time. They investigated the reaction of HeH⁺ with deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen containing an additional neutron in the atomic nucleus alongside a proton.

The experiment was carried out at the Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) at the MPIK in Heidelberg—a globally unique instrument for investigating molecular and atomic reactions under space-like conditions. For this purpose, HeH⁺ ions were stored in the 35-metre-diameter ion storage ring for up to 60 seconds at a few kelvins (-267 °C), and were superimposed with a beam of neutral deuterium atoms.

By adjusting the relative speeds of the two particle beams, the scientists were able to study how the collision rate varies with collision energy, which is directly related to temperature. They found that the rate at which this reaction proceeds does not slow down with decreasing temperature but remains almost constant.

“This result brings us closer to solving the mystery of star formation,” explains Dr Holger Kreckel from the MPIK. “The reactions of HeH⁺ with neutral hydrogen and deuterium therefore appear to have been far more important for chemistry in the early universe than previously assumed.”

This observation is consistent with the findings of a group of theoretical physicists led by Yohann Scribano, who identified an error in the calculation of the potential surface used in all previous calculations for this reaction. The new calculations using the improved potential surface now align closely with the CSR experiment.

Since the concentrations of molecules such as HeH⁺ and molecular hydrogen (H2 or HD) played an important role in the formation of the first stars, this result brings us closer to solving the mystery of their formation.

The mysteries hidden within your battery are finally being unraveled by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Led by Professor Yingjie Zhang, a team has completed an investigation into the nonuniformity of liquid electrolytes at solid-liquid interfaces in electrochemical cells – a long-overlooked aspect that holds significant technological implications.

The researchers used 3D atomic force microscopy to study the molecular structure of electrical double layers (EDLs), which self-organize into nanometer-thick layers at the interface between the liquid electrolyte and solid conductor. Their findings revealed three primary responses in EDLs: bending, breaking, and reconnecting – patterns that are quite universal and mainly driven by the finite size of liquid molecules.

The study provides a groundbreaking understanding of electrochemical cells and has significant implications for battery technology. By shedding light on the nonuniformity of liquid electrolytes at solid-liquid interfaces, researchers can now develop new chapters in electrochemistry textbooks and inform technological applications.

“We have resolved the EDLs in realistic, heterogeneous electrochemical systems, which is a holy grain in electrochemistry,” said Professor Zhang. “Besides the practical implications in technology, we are starting to develop new chapters in electrochemistry textbooks.”

The research team also includes graduate student Qian Ai as the lead author and other contributors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Support was provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

This study marks a significant step forward in understanding the atomic-scale secrets within batteries, paving the way for improved battery technology and innovative applications.