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The molecular building blocks that make up the cells of humans, animals and plants so sophisticated appear to be older than scientists previously assumed. They were already present in our single-celled ancestor that lived 2.5 billion years ago. That is the conclusion of Wageningen and American researchers in two studies published in Nature and Nature Microbiology.

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have developed a new type of plastic that, according to materials theory, should not be able to exist. Its properties sit somewhere between those of glass and plastic: it is easy to (re)shape, yet resistant to impact. This unusual combination is possible because the building blocks of the material are not held together by chemical bonds, but by physical forces.

From today, scientists in the Netherlands can use the most accurate time and frequency signal ever available in our country. Thanks to a new network service from SURF, developed in collaboration with the National Metrology Institute VSL and the international White Rabbit Collaboration, this extremely precise signal is now accessible via the SURF network.

Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a method to recycle polyurethane foam from mattresses and furniture and also household sponges. They did this safely, without using toxic chemicals. The discovery offers a circular solution for millions of tons of hard-to-recycle waste. Polyurethane (PUR), the foam found in mattresses, furniture, and countless other products, typically ends up in landfills or is incinerated after use because it is rarely reusable.

Researchers from the Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM) at Radboud University have found a new way to study what happens when ammonia and hydrogen molecules collide at very low temperatures, around 1 kelvin, which is similar to the temperature in space. The experiment shows how ammonia and hydrogen molecules behave in extreme cold environments.

Analytical chemist Paolo D'Imporzano and geochemist Gareth R. Davies studied samples from eight works by Johannes Vermeer.

TU/e researchers have developed a way to make a cytoskeleton for artificial cells. The new research has been published in Nature Chemistry. Just like your body has a skeleton, every cell in your body has a skeleton - a cytoskeleton to be precise. This provides cells with mechanical resilience, as well as assisting with cell division.

Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a new method that allows them to precisely control chemical reactions using metal ions. This marks an important step towards computers that function like the human brain. They recently published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Researchers from the Department of Chemical Engineering, led by Georgios Katsoukis, have discovered how the chemical environment around copper electrodes can dramatically influence the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into formate. This discovery can help improve the selectivity in CO2 reduction reactions, offering new insights into how to control these processes more effectively.

Researchers from the Faculty of S&T at the University of Twente have shown a novel approach for the design of efficient solar fuel devices. Research performed by graduated PhD candidate Kaijian Zhu shows that reducing the light-induced twisting of molecules can turn hydrogen generation on. Photoelectrochemical cells are promising for the production of solar fuels, for example, the conversion of water into hydrogen or CO2 into organic molecules.

Using neutrons, TU/e scientists visualize the internal processes of a redox flow battery. At the beginning of the 20th century, the invention of X-ray imaging provided a leap of knowledge in medical science. Since then, we can see how our body's bones work, bringing numerous new treatments to light. Now, a similar approach using neutron imaging makes it possible to visualize the internal functioning of redox flow batteries - a type of battery mainly used for large-scale storage in solar and wind energy systems.

In a step towards sustainable energy, a team of researchers at the University of Twente led by Dr Marco Altomare have demonstrated a new method to reduce the use of precious metals such as platinum in green hydrogen production without sacrificing performance. The researchers published their findings in the Wiley VCH scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials .

A second study by analytical chemists and immunologists of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam University Medical Center (VUmc) on the presence of micro and nanoplastics in human blood confirms the team's previous findings (Leslie et al. The first study received overwhelming attention, including a lot of resistance and disbelief especially from the polymer industry.

When two solutions of oppositely charged polymers (polyelectrolytes) are mixed, phase separation occurs leading to the formation of a polymer-rich phase and a supernatant phase. The precise distribution of all components, that is polyelectrolytes and counterions, had not yet been determined. Researchers at the University of Twente can now measure quantitatively exactly where these components are distributed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Recently, a team of chemists, mathematicians, physicists and nano-engineers at the University of Twente in the Netherlands developed the ultimate device to control the emission of photons with unprecedented precision. This technology could lead to more efficient miniature light sources, sensitive sensors, and stable quantum bits for quantum computing.

In a novel study , researchers of the University of Twente have made significant strides in understanding the behaviour of microand nanobubbles on electrodes during water electrolysis. This process is crucial for (green) hydrogen production. These tiny bubbles form on the electrodes, blocking the flow of electricity and reducing the efficiency of the reaction.

What determines the cycle life of batteries? And, more importantly, how can we extend it? An international research team led by TU Delft has discovered that local disorder in the oxide cathode material increases the number of times Li-ion batteries can be charged and discharged. Their results have been published in Nature .

Researchers at the University of Twente have shown how to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production in an experimental setup. They showed that the magnetic order of the molecules plays a critical role. In the search for green hydrogen, the design of efficient catalyst materials that increase the efficiency and speed of the chemical reaction that produces (green) hydrogen is essential.

Bringing together chemists and physicists to thoroughly investigate how electrochemical processes work on the smallest scale. That is the goal of the new Advanced Nano-electrochemistry Institute of the Netherlands, or ANION for short. The consortium receives a Gravitation funding of 23.6 million euros for this purpose.

Research team measures individual giant molecules with record-breaking precision By modifying and boosting lab equipment, a team of chemists are able to measure individual molecules with unprecedented precision. This precision relates to being able to tell that one single sugar grain is missing from a full 1 kilogram bag of sugar.