— Artificial leaf could debut new era of 'fast-food energy' — Technology for making an 'artificial leaf' holds the potential for opening an era of 'fast-food energy,' in which people generate their own electricity at home with low-cost equipment…
— Graphene lights up with new possibilities — The future brightened for organic chemistry when researchers at Rice University found a highly controllable way to attach organic molecules to pristine graphene, making the miracle…
— Scientists develop brand new class of small molecules through innovative chemistry — Inspired by natural products, scientists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have created a new class of small molecules with the potential to serve as a rich foundation…
— New 'smart' material could help tap medical potential of tissue-penetrating light — Scientists are reporting development and successful initial testing of the first practical 'smart' material that may supply the missing link in efforts to use in medicine a form of…
— Formaldehyde: Poison could have set the stage for the origins of life — Formaldehyde, a poison and a common molecule throughout the universe, is likely the source of the solar system's organic carbon solids - abundant in both comets and asteroids. Scientists…
— Exploring the possibilities for zeolites — Some people collect stamps and coins, but when it comes to sheer utility, few collections rival the usefulness of Rice University researcher Michael Deem's collection of 2.6 million…
— Microreactors: Small scale chemistry could lead to big improvements for biodegradable polymers — Using a small block of aluminium with a tiny groove carved in it, a team of researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Polytechnic Institute…
— Small code change, big effect — Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have developed a new method which enables researchers to label any protein of their choice with…
— New imaging technique provides rapid, high-definition chemistry — With intensity a million times brighter than sunlight, a new synchrotron-based imaging technique offers high-resolution pictures of the molecular composition of tissues with unprecedented…
China's monopoly on 17 key elements sets stage for supply crisis
China's monopoly on the global supply of elements critical for production of computer hard disc drives, hybrid-electric cars, military weapons, and other key products - and its increasingly strict limits on exports - is setting the stage for a crisis in the United States. That's the topic of the cover story of Chemical and Engineering News (C and EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.
C and EN Senior Editor Mitch Jacoby and Contributing Editor Jessie Jiang explain that the situation involves a family of chemical elements that may soon start to live up to their name, the 'rare earths.' China has virtually cornered the global market on them, and produces most of the world's supply. Since 2005, China has been raising prices and restricting exports, most recently in 2010, fostering a potential supply crisis in the U.S.
The article describes how the U.S. is now responding to this emerging crisis. To boost supplies, for instance, plans are being developed to resume production at the largest U.S. rare-earth mine - Mountain Pass in southern California - which has been dormant since 2002. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Defense are among the government agencies grappling with the problem.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Coats of cellulose from bacteria yield greener, stronger natural composites
Plastics that are ten times more stretchable
Scientist reveals the secret ingredient of the perfect sandwich
Full spectrum of chemistry to be served by state-of-the-art building