A food solution

Israeli scientists have developed microemulsions capable of solubilising guest molecules normally poorly soluble in the aqueous or oil phase, such as nutraceuticals. By blending hydrophilic surfactants with cosolvents that self-assemble into reverse micelles, Nissim Garti's team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem obtain structures that can be diluted with an aqueous phase without phase separation. 

The micelles invert into oil-in-water nanodroplets with 10-20 times more solubility capacity than current food-grade oils or aqueous phases meaning microemulsions are increasingly promising for incorporating nutraceuticals into food products. 

Better mercury analysis

Measuring mercury might be easier, less costly and portable in the future. US researchers, led by Chuji Wang from Mississippi State University, have developed a laser-based technique which marries the advanced cavity ringdown spectral technique (based on the rate of light absorption confined in an optical cavity) with a novel compact plasma source. Advances in laser and optical coating technologies will make the method even cheaper.

Catching the DRIFT of wood dust

Roy Rando and his team from Tulane University, New Orleans, US, have developed a new selective and specific method for the occupational exposure assessment of industrial wood dust, which can contain potentially carcinogenic compounds. The researchers employ diffuse reflective infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) to determine the contents of wood dust collected from commercially available exposure filters.     

Precise electrochemical polymerisation

Bruno Fabre and colleagues at the University of Rennes, France, have found a better way of fabricating junctions for miniaturised electronic devices. These can be made to very high precision by electrochemically polymerising pyrrole deposited onto a silicon surface. The most accurate method was found to be using a conducting microscope tip covered in an ink. Future work to optimise the composition of this ink is needed, according to Fabre, to ensure the best conductivity and performance of devices.