Latest news with #AngewandteChemieInternationalEdition
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers pioneer breakthrough that could change how medicine is made: 'These ... drive desired reactions forward'
Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a chemical tool that uses "soapy" water and electricity that can reduce the cost of medicine manufacturing and enhance clean energy technology, according to Traditionally, medicine is made through electrochemistry. However, this process uses toxic solvents such as chloroform. University of Missouri associate professor Sachin Handa and graduate student Karanjeet Kaur collaborated with Novartis Pharmaceuticals to develop sustainable substances known as micelles, which are derived from naturally occurring amino acids and coconut oil. These micelles, with an appearance of soapy water, have a unique structure that can be used efficiently in electrochemical reactions without the need for toxic solvents or electrolytes. "These micelles drive desired reactions forward," explained Mizzou's Sachin Handa. "But they don't react with anything and remain stable, making them unique from ionic micelles." Because the chemical reactions are highly efficient, it could lower the cost of manufacturing certain medicines, "such as the NS5A of the Hepatitis C virus." According to Handa, it can also "be used to treat hyperproliferative, inflammatory and immunoregulatory diseases." In addition to medicine manufacturing, the micelles could also help develop clean energy technologies like hydrogen fuel. "This process, known as electrocatalysis, also plays a key role in clean energy production," Handa said. "With the same approach, hydrogen—in situ generated from water—can potentially be used as a clean fuel. Plus, we can use hydrogen to break down harmful PFAS chemicals, transforming them into useful hydrocarbons while simultaneously releasing oxygen into the air." The study was published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. Medicine prices have risen by 15.2% year over year between 2022 and 2023, according to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The advancement of this technology could lower the costs of manufacturing drugs, which could lower the costs of drugs for consumers. Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. However, as senior faculty editor, Harvard Health Publishing's Robert H. Shmerling pointed out, there is no evidence of a connection between development costs for drugs and the drug price. Still, the micelles could lower toxic chemicals and the "environmental impact of traditional chemical processes" used in the production of medicine, according to the University of Missouri. And the micelles can contribute to clean energy tech. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, hydrogen fuel could have many uses, from fueling vehicles and power plants to energy storage and heating. Hydrogen fuel can be produced through different means, including thermal, solar, biological, and electrolytic processes, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. This new process, using the micelles from the University of Missouri and a type of electrolytic process, could help increase the production of hydrogen fuel, reducing the need for dirty energy, such as coal and gas, which contribute to planet-warming pollution and extreme weather events. Many companies are producing and testing systems of hydrogen fuel, including Honda and Hypermotive, which are collaborating on a fuel cell for vehicles. Other companies are working to test hydrogen fuel in ships and planes. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Chinese Research Group Unveils New Lithium-Hydrogen Battery System
A research team at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has published a study that supports use of a new type of chemical battery system for energy storage and electric vehicles. The USTC team, in their report published in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition, said the system utilizes hydrogen gas as the anode instead of conventional lithium derivatives. The group noted that hydrogen (H2) in recent years has been shown to be a stable and cost-effective renewable energy carrier due to its favorable electrochemical properties. Current hydrogen-based batteries primarily utilize H2 as a cathode. This system the battery's voltage range to 0.8-1.4 V and limits energy storage capacity, as the batteries can only operate within a limited voltage window, and that caps how much energy they can store and deliver. The USTC team said its findings show the Li-H battery would allow EVs to charge more quickly, and the charge would last longer. The team said they suggest using hydrogen as the anode to improve energy density and the battery's working voltage. (Editor's note: More information from the authors of the report is available here. A video explaining the technology is available here.) The team in its report said a prototype battery system was engineered with a configuration that allows efficient lithium-ion transport while minimizing undesired chemical interactions. The Li-H prototype includes a lithium metal anode, a platinum-coated gas diffusion layer that serves as the hydrogen cathode, and a solid electrolyte. The group said its testing showed the new battery model has a theoretical energy density of 2,825 watt-hours per kilogram, with steady operational voltage of about three volts. The researchers wrote that the battery showed round-trip efficiency, or RTE—a measure of energy delivered versus energy used to charge the battery—at 99.7%, signifying minimal energy dissipation during charge and discharge cycles. The group said the battery also would have long-term operational stability. The team also developed an anode-free Li-H battery variant that it said eliminates the need for pre-installed lithium metal. The battery variant facilitates the deposition of lithium sourced from lithium salts, specifically LiH2PO4 and LiOH, during the charging cycle. The variant provides additional benefits while keeping the advantages of the Li-H battery, according to the group. —Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
