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Tuesday, September 29, 2026

 

Two-color glowing molecule could make wind tunnel tests more accurate




University of Manchester

A two colour glowing molecule which can sense both pressure and temperature

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A two colour glowing molecule which can sense both pressure and temperature

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Credit: The University of Manchester




Key findings

  • Researchers have developed a single molecule capable of measuring both air pressure and temperature at the same time, overcoming a longstanding challenge in sensor technology.
  • By emitting two different light signals, one affected by both pressure and temperature and another affected only by temperature, the molecule can automatically correct for temperature effects and provide more accurate pressure readings.
  • Designed for use in specialist sensor paints, the breakthrough could help engineers capture more reliable pressure measurements from aircraft models in wind tunnels, even when temperatures fluctuate.

 

Most sensors can only measure one thing at a time: like a thermometer for temperature, or a pressure gauge for pressure. Measuring two properties accurately from the same surface, at the same moment, usually means using two separate instruments – adding cost and complexity to the process.

Now, chemists and aerospace engineers at The University of Manchester, working with colleagues at the University of Eastern Finland, have designed a molecule that can help us to do both simultaneously. It emits two distinct colours of light at once: one that responds to both air pressure and temperature, and one that only responds to temperature. By comparing these two signals it’s possible to take a corrected pressure reading from the molecule itself, rather than having to use a separate temperature sensor alongside a pressure sensor.

The molecule has been designed to be an active ingredient in the specialist paints that measure pressure on aircraft models in wind tunnels, solving a major challenge in the aerospace industry. When engineers test a new aircraft design in a wind tunnel, they need to know exactly how air pressure is distributed across every surface. One of the best ways of doing this is by using a pressure-sensitive paint that glows in proportion to the air pressure pushing against it. The problem is that the light these paints currently emit is sensitive not only to pressure, but also to temperature. As a scale model heats and cools during a wind tunnel test, the glowing shifts in ways that have nothing to do with pressure, introducing errors that engineers then have to correct.

Dr Alexander Romanov, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, said: “Our new Manchester material emits red light, what we call phosphorescence, which is sensitive to changes in both pressure and temperature. At the very same time, this material emits blue light as a fluorescence – responding only to temperature. By measuring blue and red light at once, we’ve got everything we need to separate the pressure signal from the temperature interference. That kind of built-in self-correction is simply not possible with a standard light-emitting molecule.”

The team’s work, published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials, explains how the molecule is built around a gold atom bonded to a ring-shaped compound called acridine. The position of that bond within the structure determines which type of light the molecule produces. Gold was chosen because even subtle changes to where it sits within the molecule produce reliably different light-emitting behaviours, giving chemists precise control over the sensing properties. When the gold atom bonds to one position on the molecule, it triggers the pressure-sensitive red emission, whereas a bond at a different position triggers the temperature-only blue emission.

Calculations carried out by their colleagues in Finland, helped the team to understand and predict these differences before the molecule was built in the laboratory. Then in use, the molecule is embedded in a paint applied to test models in the standard way. A camera captures both emission colours simultaneously, and the ratio between the two signals automatically corrects for temperature, without any separate temperature sensor.

Dr Mark Quinn, Reader in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The University of Manchester, said: “In wind tunnel testing, temperature correction is currently one of the main challenges to making pressure-sensitive paints reliable. Having both pressure and temperature measurements come from the same molecule simultaneously is a more elegant solution, and potentially a more practical one for real test conditions, where adding extra instruments creates its own complications.”

The team’s work sits within a broader programme of research at Manchester into improving pressure-sensitive paint for aerospace applications. A related study, recently published in ACS Applied Engineering Materials, addresses the temperature problem from a different direction, by designing a platinum-based paint with inherently low temperature sensitivity. Together, the two studies represent complementary approaches to one of the industry’s most persistent challenges.
 

This research has been published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials.

Full title: Temperature Correction in a Single Luminophore Pressure-Sensitive Paint Using a Dual-Emitting Gold Acridine Complex

DOI: 10.1002/adom.71493

URL: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adom.71493?af=R

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Wearable nanotech could combat nerve agents



Water-activated nanoparticles absorb deadly toxins faced by soldiers and farmers


Northwestern University






EVANSTON, Ill. — Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the frontline.

In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when mixed into clothing dyes, could limit the impact of chemicals commonly found in pesticides, insecticides and nerve agents.

Manufacturers potentially could add the nanoparticles to clothing used by those most at risk, such as farmers’ masks and gloves or soldiers’ uniforms and tactical gear. Or, if someone is exposed to a potentially deadly chemical, they could spray their clothing with water mixed with the compound to deactivate the chemical before its damaging effects take hold.

The study was published recently (Aug. 25) in the journal ACS Nano.

“Our bioinspired melanins are non-toxic and can be used as an additive in clothing or facemasks and beyond. We previously have shown the ability to use them in dyeing synthetic fabrics,” said Northwestern’s Nathan Gianneschi, a corresponding author on the study. “You could imagine using this approach to make protective clothing, or breathing equipment for workers who make or use these materials to provide everyday protection.”

Gianneschi is a co-corresponding author with Omar Farha. Farha is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry in Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of Chemistry. Gianneschi is the Jacob & Rosaline Cohn Professor of Chemistry at Weinberg and a professor of materials science and engineering and biomedical engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering.

In the new study, Gianneschi, Farha and their teams sought to mimic how nature can counteract substances like organophosphorus compounds, the toxic chemicals found in nerve agents and pesticides. Specifically, they explored allomelanin, a renewable, biodegradable pigment that deepens the color of plants and fungi.

To develop the new nanoparticles, the researchers started with synthetic allomelanin. Naturally porous, allomelanin contains a network of tiny pores that can grab and capture harmful chemicals. Then, they added a zirconium cluster, a metal cluster with an ability to catalyze chemical reactions. Working together, the allomelanin absorbed the toxic chemicals and the zirconium destroyed them.

“This intrinsic microporosity is required,” said Sofia Aman, a graduate student in Gianneschi’s lab and the study’s co-first author. “When we tested other melanin-like materials, they didn’t work as well. So, we do need this porosity, and that just makes this allomelanin much more unique and a better substrate.”

For the chemical reaction to work, the environment needs to be entirely basic — reaching a pH of 10 or higher. Instead of adding an external basic compound, the researchers incorporated basic chemical groups onto the nanoparticles’ surface. Then, water activates the particles, enabling them to break down the harmful chemicals. When the organophosphorus compound breaks down, it releases two chemicals — and this is where the danger lies.

While one of the chemicals (dimethyl phosphate) is nontoxic, the second chemical (methyl nitrophenyl) stops enzymes in the blood from breaking down a critical neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. If the enzymes cannot break down acetylcholine, it builds up in the nervous system and prevents the brain from communicating with the rest of the body.

But the new study found researchers can limit exposure, both by decreasing the amount of toxic chemicals and their potency. The allomelanin grabbed hold of the toxic chemical and broke it down and left the nontoxic chemical alone. Within 10 minutes, the toxic byproduct decreased by 50% and continued to decrease with more melanin and with sunlight exposure.

“Previously, our group developed catalytic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are exceptionally powerful materials in the absorption and processing of chemical warfare agents,” Farha said. “This work takes those learnings and advances them towards melanin-inspired materials which are inherently adhesive, acting as dyes for various fibers and fabrics. In fact, melanin is nature’s pigment, as well as being an efficient absorbent of small molecules and heavy metal ions in biological organisms. We couple those natural functions with catalysis using a combination of synthetic inorganic chemistry, from my group and biomimetic polymer science from Gianneschi’s team.” 

Researchers also found that melanin had additional natural benefits. Melanin reacts with sunlight and absorbs heat. So, when allomelanin is exposed to sunlight, the detoxification process accelerates.

“We have worked on melanin for over 12 years, trying to learn about its myriad functions in nature and learning how to optimize, develop and engineer mimetic materials for scalable, translational applications,” Gianneschi said. “This provides us with a treasure trove of approaches and materials to optimize and develop for applications like this. In many ways, it’s a proof of concept for a new direction in how we think about protective materials and coatings design."

The study is title, “Catalytic Porous Metallized Melanin for the Remediation of Organophosphorus Agents.” It was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA 9550-18-1-0142 and FA 9550-18-1-0477), the Army Synthetic Biology Centre for Predictive Materials Design (W911NF2220246 P00002) and the Catalyst Design for Decarbonization Center (DE-SC0023383). 

Friday, September 18, 2026

New handheld device maps chemical composition using infrared light



Handheld scanner provides information comparable to much larger laboratory systems, could one day help surgeons assess tumors during surgery





Optica

Schematic of miniaturized system

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Researchers developed a handheld photothermal mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging (MIRSI) system that measures just 8 square inches. Probe light from a visible (red) diode laser and pump light from a modulated quantum cascade laser (QCL) are coupled into optical fibers and delivered to a flexible, handheld imager (blue dashed box). The beams are combined at a short-pass dichroic mirror and focused onto the sample using an off-axis parabolic mirror (OAP).

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Credit: Rohith Reddy, University of Houston

 





WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a compact, handheld mid-infrared imaging spectrometer that can produce high-resolution chemical maps of a sample without using any stains or labels. With more development, the handheld device might provide a portable and easy-to-use way to map the molecular makeup of tissues and other samples.

“Ultimately, this technology could make it possible to assess tissue during cancer surgery,” said research team leader Rohith Reddy from the University of Houston. “After removing a suspected tumor, a surgeon could scan the freshly excised tissue to help determine whether it is malignant or whether cancer cells remain at the surgical margin. This complementary information would be available while the patient is still in the operating room instead of having to wait for results from laboratory testing.”

In Optica, Optica Publishing Group’s journal for high-impact research, the researchers describe how they transformed a photothermal mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging (MIRSI) system, normally a benchtop instrument occupying more than 9 square feet, into a handheld probe measuring 8 by 8 inches. The probe holds the full optical head and connects by a flexible fiber tether to a compact base unit housing the lasers and control electronics. In side-by-side tests, it delivered image quality and chemical detail comparable to a state-of-the-art benchtop MIRSI system.

“Although the current platform is still a research prototype, it establishes a technical foundation for field-deployable, label-free chemical imaging,” said Reddy. “A handheld MIRSI device could be useful for clinical diagnosis, polymer manufacturing, pharmaceutical quality control, forensic analysis or any applications where chemical composition must be measured outside a specialized laboratory.”

Shrinking a bulky lab instrument

Photothermal mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging systems map the molecular composition of tissue or other samples, showing where different biochemical components are located. Because molecules absorb mid-infrared light at wavelengths determined by their molecular bonds, they produce characteristic spectra that can be used to distinguish proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and other components.

Unlike conventional infrared imaging, which typically uses infrared light itself to form an image, photothermal imaging detects tiny heat-induced changes caused by infrared absorption. Although this approach produces high-resolution chemical images, it typically requires a large laboratory-based instrument.

 

“Our initial goal was to determine whether a compact design could preserve the laboratory system's essential capabilities,” said Reddy. “The resulting platform was even closer in size and form to a clinically deployable device than we initially expected, providing a strong foundation for future clinical translation.”

Miniaturizing a photothermal MIRSI instrument is especially challenging because it requires visible and mid-infrared light to be focused onto the same point. These two wavelength ranges generally require different optical materials because materials that work well for visible light often absorb mid-infrared light, while those that work for mid-infrared light can introduce dispersion and other wavelength-dependent distortions that degrade the signal.

To create a compact and flexible MIRSI system, the researchers used chalcogenide optical fibers to deliver mid-infrared light directly from the laser, eliminating bulky free-space optics. They also replaced traditional lenses with mirrors. Because mirrors can reflect both visible and mid-infrared light, this allowed the two beams to share the same optical path without requiring a lens material that transmits both wavelengths. A final off-axis parabolic mirror was used to focus both beams onto the sample, and raster scanning was also introduced into the optical system.”

“Careful optical design and alignment helped to minimize the image distortions that mirrors can cause,” said Reddy. “We also designed the handheld scanner to connect to the light source through a fiber-optic cable, allowing it to be maneuvered easily around a sample.”

Validating the handheld system

The researchers evaluated their handheld system using biological samples, including human cervical and ovarian cancer tissues, human bone marrow biopsy tissue and mouse kidney tissue. To provide controlled tests of the system’s chemical specificity, they also characterized PMMA and polystyrene, polymers with distinct mid-infrared signatures. They then analyzed the same samples using a state-of-the-art benchtop chemical imaging system.

The researchers found that the spectra and images acquired with the handheld system exhibited comparable chemical contrast and imaging performance to the benchtop chemical imaging system, demonstrating that miniaturization successfully preserved the technology’s core capabilities.

The system resolves features as small as 2 µm, five times finer than direct infrared detection allows, and matches or exceeds current benchtop instruments on both spectral and spatial performance. Spectra of biological tissue agreed with reference FTIR measurements at a cosine similarity of 0.935, and chemical images correlated with the benchtop system at r = 0.90.

The researchers are now working to broaden the system’s mid-infrared spectral bandwidth – currently 1150 to 1400 cm−1 – to provide more complete molecular signatures and improve the system’s ability to distinguish different biochemical constituents. They also plan to increase the imaging speed, which would help reduce motion artifacts and make true freehand operation more practical for clinicians and technicians. They note that before clinical use, the system’s repeatability, safety and diagnostic performance must also be thoroughly evaluated under realistic clinical conditions.


MIRSI images comparison

Photothermal MIRSI images of cervical cancer (rows A and B) and ovarian cancer (rows C and D) acquired the handheld instrument (Column III) closely match the corresponding data from a benchtop system (Column IV). Column I shows H&E-stained histology images and Column II confocal scanning images of adjacent tissue sections that provide morphological contrast but lack biochemical specificity. Scale bars are 200 𝜇m.

Credit

Rohith Reddy, University of Houston

KRICT strengthens biodegradable plastics with waste hemp hurds


Moisture conditioning and surface treatment turn hemp hurd waste into a reinforcing material, boosting biodegradable film strength by 26%




National Research Council of Science & Technology


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[1] Research Team

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▲ KRICT research team. From left: Senior Researcher June-Ho Choi, Postdoctoral Researcher Hae-Min Jo, Postdoctoral Researcher Jonghwa Kim, and Principal Researcher Hoyong Kim.

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Credit: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology(KRICT)




Korean researchers have developed to strengthen biodegradable plastics using hemp hurd, an agricultural by-product. The approach is expected to be applicable to other large-volume agricultural residues, including soybean stalks and rice straw.

A research team led by Dr. Hoyong Kim of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), headed by President Suk-Min Shin, extracted cellulose from discarded stalks of industrial hemp, which is used to produce traditional hemp textiles. The team then applied a drying process that preserves the microfibrillar structure of the cellulose, enabling it to serve as a reinforcing biofiller for biodegradable plastics.

Biodegradable films made from thermoplastic starch (TPS) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) have attracted attention for use in eco-friendly packaging and agricultural mulch films because they can biodegrade in soil. However, these films tend to tear easily and have limited resistance to moisture. Cellulose obtained from cotton or wood pulp can be processed into microfibrils and used as a reinforcing material, but the additional microfibrillation and processing steps can make such materials costly.

Industrial hemp is currently cultivated in designated Regulation-Free Special Zones, including Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. While the outer part of the stalk is used to obtain fibers, the remaining woody core, known as hemp hurd, accounts for roughly 70% of the stalk by weight and has had relatively limited applications. Using discarded hemp hurd as a feedstock for microfibrillated cellulose instead of commercial pulp could reduce both agricultural waste and raw-material costs.

A major challenge, however, is that cellulose microfibrils tend to aggregate tightly when dried using conventional methods. This phenomenon, known as hornification, causes the fine fibrillar structure to collapse as the fibers form strong hydrogen bonds with one another. For a biodegradable film to become stronger, the reinforcing fibers must be uniformly dispersed throughout the polymer matrix so that mechanical stress can be distributed effectively. When the fibers form large aggregates, however, they cannot effectively bear or transfer stress, making the film prone to tearing.

Freeze-drying and spray-drying can help suppress such aggregation, but their high energy consumption and equipment costs make them less suitable for large-scale production. Developing a simple and economical drying process that preserves the fine fibrillar structure while minimizing aggregation has therefore remained a longstanding challenge.

The KRICT team addressed this issue through a two-step physicochemical strategy that retains conventional oven drying while controlling the moisture content of the hemp-derived cellulose and treating its surface with a low-cost chemical agent, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD).

Plant fibers have an intrinsic critical moisture level known as the fiber saturation point (FSP). At this point, free water in the pores of the fibers has been removed, while bound water remains within the cell walls. For plant fibers, the FSP generally corresponds to a moisture content of approximately 30%. Once the moisture content falls below this threshold, bound water begins to desorb, bringing adjacent cellulose microfibrils closer together and promoting strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding and irreversible aggregation.

The research team prepared microfibrillated cellulose from hemp hurd and precisely identified its FSP. The fibers were then milled while maintaining an appropriate moisture level above this critical threshold, allowing processing to take place before severe hornification occurred.

The team further treated the cellulose surface with AKD. The hydrophobic alkyl chains introduced by AKD create steric hindrance between adjacent microfibrils, further suppressing interfibrillar hydrogen bonding during drying. By combining moisture control with AKD surface modification, the researchers were able to preserve the fine fibrillar structure using conventional oven drying, without relying on expensive freeze-drying.

The resulting hemp-hurd-derived cellulose was incorporated at 10 wt% into a TPS/PBAT biodegradable film, and the film's tensile strength was evaluated. Cellulose microfibrils prepared using the conventional drying method improved tensile strength by only 1.5%, whereas the biofiller produced using the newly developed process increased tensile strength by 26.2%. The amounts of water vapor and oxygen passing through the film were also reduced by approximately 17% and 9%, respectively, demonstrating improved moisture and oxygen barrier performance.

The technology could potentially be extended to various other cellulose-rich agricultural residues, including soybean stalks and rice straw, and the research team plans to conduct further studies to broaden its applications.

The research was published in July 2026 in the Chemical Engineering Journal (Impact Factor: 12.5), an international journal in the field of chemical engineering.

 

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KRICT is a non-profit research institute funded by the Korean government. Since its foundation in 1976, KRICT has played a leading role in advancing national chemical technologies in the fields of chemistry, material science, environmental science, and chemical engineering. Now, KRICT is moving forward to become a globally leading research institute tackling the most challenging issues in the field of Chemistry and Engineering and will continue to fulfill its role in developing chemical technologies that benefit the entire world and contribute to maintaining a healthy planet. More detailed information on KRICT can be found at https://www.krict.re.kr/eng/

The research was supported by KRICT's institutional research program, the Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development of the Rural Development Administration (RS-2025-02263976).