New horizons for organoboron and organosilicon chemistry with triple elementalization In recent years, organic chemicals containing boron (B) and silicon (Si) have found applications in various fields, including optoelectronics and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, they can also serve as building blocks for complex organic chemicals. As a result, scientists are actively looking for new ways to leverage these versatile chemical tools as well as produce more kinds of organosilicon and organoboron compounds.

PGRs reduce vigor in WA 38 trials at WSU Washington State University graduate student Juan Munguía discusses plant growth regulator trials on the WA 38 apple during a field day on Oct. 6 at the Roza research orchard near Prosser, Washington. (Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower) Green spot in WA 38 apples is a result of a nutrient imbalance caused in part by excess vigor. Manage the vigor and you manage green spot. Washington State University researchers have established that.

Novel synergistic single-atom catalyst approach breaks activity limitation of predecessors The key to chemical reactions is in the name — there needs to be something that causes the chemicals to react to one another. Called a catalyst, this component induces or speeds up reactions in a controlled manner to produce a desired outcome. The catalysts used in several industries are often composed of noble metals, which are not efficient enough to compensate for their high cost. To address this issue for the chemical reaction of adding hydrogen, called hydrogenation, to quinoline, a molecule important in pharmaceutical production, researchers based in China have developed a highly effective catalyst comprising synergistic nanoparticles and single atoms of iridium. They published their approach on March 22 in Nano Research.

PET vs PETG: The Main Differences PET and PETG are anything but new in the world of plastic. This family of polymers is practically everywhere in our lives. While it may not be surprising that water bottles, food containers, and soap dispensers are printed with this material, automobile parts, electrical devices, and textiles also depend on PETs. This cheap, lightweight plastic took the world by storm and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Molecular light switch speeds up tricky cyclodextrin synthesis Because it is so difficult to make, γ-cyclodextrin is about 10 times more expensive than the six-glucose α-cyclodextrin A light-activated molecular switch could drive down the cost of a useful, but difficult to make γ-cyclodextrin.

What to know about horse chestnut Horse chestnut is a tree that produces spiny-shelled fruits containing seeds, known as conkers. These may have some health benefits, for instance in treating varicose veins and hemorrhoids. However, they may also have adverse effects.