Discover Top Posts Tagged with #mechanochemistry

A surprising new method finally makes teflon recyclable

New research has identified a straightforward and environmentally friendly way to decompose Teflon, one of the most resilient plastics in use today, and convert it into valuable chemical ingredients. Scientists at Newcastle University and the University of Birmingham have created a clean, energy-saving process for recycling Teflon (PTFE), which is widely recognized for its role in non-stick cookware and in products that must withstand high temperatures and harsh chemicals. The team found that discarded Teflon can be broken apart and reused with only sodium metal and mechanical movement by shaking -- all at room temperature and without toxic solvents.

Mechanically activated liquid metal powder lets users draw circuits on paper

What if electronic circuits could be created simply by drawing lines with a pencil on paper or leaves—and then immediately applied to soft robots or skin-attached health monitoring devices? Korean researchers have developed an electronic materials technology that forms electrically conductive liquid metal in a fine powder form, allowing circuits to be drawn directly on a wide variety of surfaces. This technology presents new possibilities for next-generation flexible electronics, including applications on paper and plastic as well as in soft robotic systems and wearable devices. The research was published in Advanced Functional Materials.

Ball mill technique produces nanoscale scaffolds that filter PFAS

PFAS are fluorinated compounds found in many everyday products, such as outdoor clothing and cookware like Teflon pans. This is because PFAS are durable, heat-resistant and dirt-repellent. Their stability is precisely what leads to problems: although potentially harmful to our health, these substances are scarcely broken down at all in the environment and are regarded as "forever chemicals." PFAS are also found in wastewater. Although they can be removed by filtration, this is a laborious process. A team led by the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) has now developed a new filter material based on an unusual production technique. Crucial experiments were carried out at DESY's X-ray source PETRA III to optimize the process. The working group is presenting its results in the journal Small.

Mechanochemical technique achieves 99.98% nitrous oxide removal at just 42°C

A research team affiliated with UNIST has developed a novel technology capable of nearly 100% decomposition of nitrous oxide (N₂O) at ambient temperatures. This innovative solution uses mechanical impacts and friction to create a highly energy-efficient way to manage nitrous oxide emissions from engine exhaust and chemical processes, making a significant contribution to greenhouse gas reduction and carbon neutrality efforts. Professor Jong-Beom Baek and his research team in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST have published their research in Advanced Materials. N₂O, a gas commonly emitted from chemical manufacturing and engine exhaust, possesses a Global Warming Potential (GWP) approximately 310 times that of carbon dioxide and accelerates ozone layer depletion. Due to its chemical stability, conventional thermal catalytic methods require high temperatures exceeding 445°C to achieve meaningful decomposition, which entails substantial energy consumption.

Mechanical method uses collisions to break down plastic for sustainable recycling

While plastics help enable modern standards of living, their accumulation in landfills and the overall environment continues to grow as a global concern. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the world's most widely used plastics, with tens of millions of tons produced annually in the production of bottles, food packaging, and clothing fibers. The durability that makes PET so useful also means that it is more difficult to recycle efficiently. Now, researchers have developed a method to break down PET using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals. Published in the journal Chem, their findings demonstrate how a "mechanochemical" method—chemical reactions driven by mechanical forces such as collisions—can rapidly convert PET back into its basic building blocks, opening a path toward faster, cleaner recycling.

Hidden catalysis: Abrasion transforms common chemistry equipment into reagents

The chemical industry is one of the largest on Earth, essential for supplying us with pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, materials and more. Great care is taken to optimize reagents and conditions for each reaction, striving for efficiency and, increasingly, sustainability. A growing field of synthesis is mechanochemistry, in which reagents are mixed using mechanical force, making for greener reactions with less solvent usage and enabling access to a wide array of essential chemicals. In a typical mechanochemistry setup, the reagents are placed in a jar filled with balls, which are shaken at high frequency to enable mixing and grinding. Often, solid, insoluble additives such as metal oxides or piezoelectric materials (materials which become electrically polarized under mechanical stress) are included in the reaction mixture, as mechanochemists have commonly believed these additives help activate catalysts or reagents.

Hydrogen storage in perovskite crystals maximized using mechanochemistry

Researchers led by Genki Kobayashi at the RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI) in Japan have discovered a way to max out the amount of hydrogen that can be stored in perovskite crystalline powder. The trick is to introduce the hydrogen into the perovskite lattice structure using mechanochemistry—chemical reactions that occur by physically grinding and mixing compounds together. This process also affects the crystalline structure of the powder, making it an even better catalyst for producing ammonia. Because this process requires less energy than traditional non-mechanical methods, the discovery is eco-friendly and good for future sustainability. The findings were reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Scientists are currently striving to store hydrogen more efficiently for a variety of reasons, and one of the best mediums is a type of crystal called perovskite.

How sustainability is driving innovation in functionalized graphene materials

Graphene is often described as a wonder material. It is strong, electrically conductive, thermally efficient, and remarkably versatile. Yet despite more than a decade of excitement, many graphene-based technologies still struggle to move beyond the laboratory. One of the key challenges is that graphene does not readily dissolve in common solvents, forcing researchers to rely on harsh, multi-step functionalization/modification processes to make it usable. As a researcher working at the intersection of green chemistry and nanomaterials, I have often found myself asking a simple question: Can we design advanced materials without relying on environmentally costly processes?

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