chemistry

One theory regarding the origin of life on Earth suggests that comets brought the molecular building blocks necessary for life to develop. Now, a team led by the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) is questioning this possibility. Using computer simulations focusing on hydrogen cyanide — an important prebiotic compound — they estimate that, whilst the possibility of such molecules arriving and surviving intact cannot be completely ruled out, the event would be extremely unlikely. “It’s quite a romantic idea, but our results suggest it is highly improbable,” the authors note in a press release. The study is published in Scientific Reports.

Plastics are generally considered to be chemically inert, which is why they are so frequently used for food packaging, bottling water or manufacturing toys. However, when a large piece breaks down into microplastics — less than 5 mm in size — its surface area increases dramatically in relation to its volume. As a result, the amount of material exposed to the environment is much greater. A study published in Nature concludes that this new surface area is not necessarily safe when submerged in water, but may generate high-energy reactive radicals — reactive oxygen species — which can cause harm to health and the environment.

Some molecules, such as amino acids, exist in two forms that are mirror images of each other. However, living organisms contain only one of these mirror images. For a long time, the origin of this chemical asymmetry was a mystery to chemists. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai “for the discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis,” which provided the solution to this enigma. 

NASA’s Curiosity rover has found more than 20 organic molecules in clay-rich rocks on Mars, according to a chemical analysis published in Nature Communications. Among them is a nitrogen-containing molecule with a structure similar to that of DNA precursors, according to a press release from the University of Florida. This organic matter may have been preserved for more than 3.5 billion years in Gale Crater, the article states.

Thermal paper, designed for use with heat-sensitive inks and widely used for printing receipts, contains potentially toxic substances such as bisphenol A and S. Both are considered endocrine disruptors, as they have the ability to interfere with hormones. A new study published in Science Advances reveals a more sustainable and less toxic alternative based on wood derivatives. Specifically, they have surpassed bisphenol thermal coatings thanks to the plant derivatives lignin and D-xylose sugar derived from xylan (DFX).

Recycling household PET waste—such as plastic bottles—using a new chemical process could generate a compound useful for synthesizing drugs, according to a study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. The team discovered that, thanks to semi-hydrogenation, the waste could be broken down into a compound called EHMB, which is key to producing the cancer drug imatinib, a chemotherapy drug called procarbazine, and the insecticide fenpyroximate.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of molecular structures with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow. These structures, called metal-organic frameworks, can be used to extract water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases, or catalyze chemical reactions.

A US research team has designed an ‘environmentally friendly and economically viable’ method for recovering rare earth elements from electronic waste. It is cheaper than traditional methods, uses less water, acid and energy, and emits fewer greenhouse gases, according to the authors in PNAS. Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of chemical elements needed to manufacture batteries, magnets and electronic components. Both the European Union and Spain are committed to these critical materials in order to reduce their dependence on foreign sources. 

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. These are known as the building blocks of life, but they cannot replicate themselves. To do so, they need the instructions provided by RNA. How this relationship began is still a mystery. Now, a British team has shown how it could have started from relatively simple conditions. According to the researchers, who published their findings in the journal Nature, ‘understanding the origin of protein synthesis is fundamental to understanding where life comes from.’

Research analysing 53 samples of human breast milk found that silica and metal nanoparticles were present in 42 of them. The study, published in PNAS, identified the mechanisms of nanoparticle infiltration from oral or respiratory exposure into blood vessels and subsequent accumulation in breast milk.