Scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Prague, the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and Palacký University Olomouc, have once again successfully uncovered the mysteries of the world of molecules and atoms.

The SHERLOC instrument onboard NASA's Perseverance rover has detected several species of aromatic organic molecules in the Máaz and Séítah formations of Jezero crater, Mars.

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have demonstrated a new way to produce a critical component of aviation fuel from lignin, a plant material that's generally discarded as waste during biomass processing. If samples of the new product pass a final test for jet-fuel certification, the result could be aviation fuel that's made entirely from sustainable sources.

The smell and taste of food come from its molecular structure. Aromatic molecules are responsible for the unique scents that we associate with different foods. These volatile compounds evaporate quickly and stimulate our sense of smell, accounting for over 80% of taste. For example: Terpenes are a class of aromatic molecules found in plants, mainly fruits, and herbs. They are responsible for the unique flavors and…

The term aromaticity was initially introduced to describe the properties of molecules with special aromatic odor, such as benzene, and now is considered as one of the most important concepts in chemistry. It is widely used to account for the unusual stability of aromatic compounds arising from delocalization of electrons. Aromaticity can be assessed by various aromatic criteria, such as the Hückel 4n+2 rule,…

A distant interstellar cloud was found to contain an abundance of pyrene, a type of large carbon-containing molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This suggests pyrene may have been the source of much of the carbon in our solar system.

A new aromatic powerhouse is emerging: volatile thiols. Offering tantalizing hints of grapefruit, passion fruit, and guava, these compounds have recently caught the attention of brewers globally. But unlocking their full potential requires scientific understanding, a hint of innovation, and technological prowess. Enter Estimand's AI cannot only understand aromatic molecules but also guide brewers in their quest to…

A new type of aromatic nanobelt, methylene-bridged [n]cycloparaphenylene ([n]MCPP), has been synthesized and its properties elucidated by researchers at the Institute of Transformative Bio-molecules (WPI-ITbM) at Nagoya University in Japan, in collaboration with researchers at the Università degli Studi di Salerno in Italy and the University of Nevada in the U.S.

Astronomers have detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in SPT-S J041839-4751.9 (SPT0418-47 for short), a galaxy observed less than 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.

Asteroid Samples Suggest , Origin of Life on Earth , May Have Come Via Impact. Scientists have now confirmed that samples taken from the asteroid Ryugu contain organic molecules. . Gizmodo reports that the revelation adds credence to the theory that the origin of life on Earth could have been delivered via meteorite and asteroid impacts. Ryugu is a rocky remnant leftover from the formation of our solar system over…

A group of scientists from Durham University and University of York have twisted molecules to their breaking point in order to challenge the understanding of chemical bonds.

Two catalysts working in tandem enable inexpensive formate salts to perform difficult dearomative reactions, resulting in products potentially useful for drug development.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a type of organic molecule that carry fused rings made of the chemical benzene. Scientists believe that PAHs are responsible for chemical processes that eventually lead to soot and other carbonaceous nanoparticles on Earth and around and between the stars in deep space. On Earth, PAHs form in part because of the incomplete combustion of coal, oil, and other substances and…

Astronomers have analyzed data from the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope for three Seyfert galaxies: NGC 6552, NGC 7469, and NGC 7319.

Carbon nanostructures that formed in circumstellar envelopes around carbon-rich stars may have a shared chemical origin with soot particles produced by fuel combustion. The same reaction mechanism may underpin each process, KAUST researchers have shown. The proposed mechanism could also lead to improved methods for carbon nanomaterial manufacture.

Why Your Roses Smell Nice Hint—it's mostly coincidence. By Maxine Singer Sign up for our monthly newsletter! The appeal of many floral scents to humans is a fortunate byproduct: We were not even around when they appeared. And, for all the effort, commercial perfumes rarely smell like flowers. Expensive, fancy bottles labeled jasmine or gardenia...

It's beautiful. It's blue. It's a really big deal.

Sophisticated spectroscopic method shows that previously reported values were out by several milliangstroms

A research team affiliated with UNIST has developed a novel catalyst that mimics the ability of a natural enzyme to break down harmful hydrocarbons, paving the way for a more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient approach to reducing pollution.

Scientists have performed laboratory isotopic analysis of PAHs in samples of the asteroid Ryugu that were collected by JAXA's Hayabusa-2 spacecraft as well as in samples of the meteorite Murchison.