The process of catalysis—in which a material speeds up a chemical reaction—is crucial to the production of many of the chemicals used in our everyday lives. But even though these catalytic processes ...

An illustration of a person in a lab coat looking at a picket fence. The field is various elements, metals specifically. Credit: Chris Gash On a summer day about 20 years ago, Paul Chirik returned to ...

Plastics are valued for their durability, but that quality also makes them difficult to break down. Tiny pieces of debris known as microplastics persist in soil, water and air and threaten ecosystems ...