Supramolecular chemistry involves the study of self-assembly of discrete molecules that are used to build functional large structures. Often, these molecules are allowed to self-assemble into ...

Severe deep dermal burns present a significant challenge for the clinician, often resulting in complications including infection, scarring, and potentially multisystem organ failure. The current ...

Plastic products, like polyethylene terephthalate (used in bottles), are popular because they are flexible, strong, durable, and recyclable. Their convenience is hard to beat. Biodegradable plastics, ...

Plastics are durable and strong, which is great while they’re being used but frustrating when they end up in the environment. Scientists at RIKEN in Japan have developed a new type of plastic that’s ...

Fast-scanning atomic force microscopy imaging of the molecule at two different time points shows positional shifts along the polymer chain on the left. On the right, the molecular structure of PEG ...

While this scanning electron microscope image may look like a harbinger of doom—perhaps a symptom of a haunted instrument or a cursed lab—Gustavo Porrata Caraballo says there’s a perfectly rational ...

Ever since the first polymers were discovered, scientists have debated their structures. Before Hermann Staudinger published the brilliant concept of macromolecules, it was generally assumed that the ...

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science have created new sturdy and biodegradable plastics. Plastic is an essential part of life, but when it breaks down, it becomes microplastics, ...

Helical structures are fundamental to biology, evident in the iconic double-stranded helix of DNA and the spiral arrangement of heart muscle cells. Drawing inspiration from these remarkable designs, ...