3/29
Chemistry
At Penn Energy Week, a time to reflect on energy science, technology, and policy
At Penn Energy Week, a time to reflect on energy science, technology, and policy
Hosted by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, the third annual Energy Week, which runs March 20-24, offers events on decarbonization, careers in the energy sector, global energy security, and more.
Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.
Minimally invasive method tracks how the brain spends energy
Penn researchers have developed a new technique for monitoring the brain’s metabolic rate of oxygen consumption, a measure of the brain’s consumption of energy.
New analysis shows how sulfur clouds can form in Venus’ atmosphere
New analysis shows how sulfur clouds can form in Venus’ atmosphere
An international research team, including atmospheric chemists from the School of Arts & Sciences, used computational chemistry methods to identify a novel pathway for how sulfur particles can arise high in the atmosphere of the second planet from the sun.
Marrying models with experiments to build more efficient solar cells
Marrying models with experiments to build more efficient solar cells
Penn chemist Andrew M. Rappe, in collaboration with former postdoc Arvin Kakekhani and researchers at Princeton University, has gained insight into how the molecular make up of solar cells can affect their properties and make them more efficient.
Dirk Trauner appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor
Dirk Trauner appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor
Trauner, one of the world’s most innovative interdisciplinary chemists, will have joint appointments in the School of Arts & Sciences and in the Perelman School of Medicine.
Before geoengineering, some fundamental chemistry
Before geoengineering, some fundamental chemistry
Research led by Joseph S. Francisco of the School of Arts & Sciences examines the chemistry of a proposal to curb climate change’s effects—creating a sunshade in the upper atmosphere made of sulfuric acid—and finds that there’s more work to do to successfully pull off such a feat.
Improved fluorescent amino acids for cellular imaging
Improved fluorescent amino acids for cellular imaging
New research describes how to insert synthetic fluorescent amino acids into proteins in living cells, with implications for the study of neurological diseases.
Versatile ‘chemoproteomic probes’ for activity-based protein profiling
A new study uses organohydrazine probes to map chemical reactivty across the proteome, allowing for a diverse classes of proteins and biological pathways to be studied.
Identifying an elusive molecule key to combustion chemistry
Identifying an elusive molecule key to combustion chemistry
Researchers made the most direct observation of a key intermediate formed during the breakdown of hydrocarbons during combustion and in the atmosphere, results that could help in the future design of fuels that burn more efficiently.
In the News
The New York Times
U.S. companies vie for funds in race to build rare earths industry
Eric J. Schelter of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about rare earth metal mining and the process of separating the metals from ores. “In some sense, the first steps [of rare earth production] are relatively easy and well-understood, but the real challenge to make money is to do the separation,” he said.
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Forbes
Rare earth minerals could be sourced through outdated smartphones, batteries, wind turbines
Eric Schelter and colleagues from the School of Arts and Sciences developed a method to extract rare earth minerals used in high-tech gadgets using common lab equipment.
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Chemistry World
American Civil War Era Tea Yields Modern Day Medicine
Madeleine Jouillé of the School of Arts and Sciences led a team in developing a way to synthesize ceanothine D, a complex cyclopeptide alkaloid found in red root, also known as the New Jersey tea plant, a “staple of American folk medicine.”
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