MAROKO133 Hot ai: Catalyst breakthrough lets chemists build bioactive materials directly f

📌 MAROKO133 Update ai: Catalyst breakthrough lets chemists build bioactive materia

Natural gas powers much of the world, but its core components, methane, ethane, and propane, have resisted direct conversion into useful chemicals.

Their molecular stability makes them resistant to transformation under extreme conditions.

That limitation has prevented the chemical industry from utilizing these inexpensive hydrocarbons as sustainable feedstocks. A research team in Spain now claims a breakthrough that could shift that landscape.

Turning gas into value

A team led by Martín Fañanás at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) has developed a method to convert methane and other natural gas components into adaptable chemical “building blocks.”

The method enables direct synthesis of high-value products, including pharmaceutical ingredients.

The team validated its approach by making a real drug ingredient. They created dimestrol, a non-steroidal estrogen used in hormone therapy, starting from methane.

This marks the first time researchers have built a bioactive compound directly from this abundant gas.

The result suggests that natural gas could support broader chemical manufacturing without relying on complex refinery steps.

Scientists have chased this idea for decades. They sought to use natural gas as a low-carbon feedstock, but reactivity barriers stalled progress.

Methane’s strong bonds make it difficult to functionalize without generating waste or unwanted byproducts.

Many attempts produced chlorinated residues or required harsh operating conditions. The CiQUS method aims to bypass those pitfalls.

Radical control challenge

The team built its strategy around a reaction called allylation. This process attaches an allyl group to the hydrocarbon, giving chemists a handle for later transformations.

That flexibility matters. With the handle in place, researchers can build diverse molecules, including drug scaffolds and everyday industrial chemicals.

Earlier attempts failed because catalysts created excessive chlorination byproducts.

These side reactions killed yields and limited practical use. Fañanás and colleagues tackled the issue by designing a supramolecular catalyst that tunes radical behavior inside the reaction.

“The core of this breakthrough lies in designing a catalyst based on a tetrachloroferrate anion stabilized by collidinium cations,” Fañanás says. He adds that the system “effectively modulates the reactivity of the radical species generated in the reaction medium.”

The tailored catalyst acts like a control mechanism, guiding reactive intermediates toward the allylation step.

Their system also avoids extreme temperatures or pressures. It works under comparatively mild conditions, which could make scaling easier. The approach supports different gas substrates, not only methane.

That versatility raises the prospect of converting larger fractions of natural gas streams into valuable intermediates.

Researchers say the work points toward a future where natural gas feeds higher-value manufacturing rather than combustion.

Methane remains abundant and cheap, but its climate impact is severe. Transforming it into stable chemicals could reduce emissions and support a circular chemical economy.

The CiQUS team continues to test new molecules and refine catalyst designs. They argue that the method offers a blueprint for cleaner industrial chemistry. Industry groups are also watching.

A direct pathway from natural gas to drug ingredients could reshape supply chains and cut processing steps.

The study is published in the journal Science Advances.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com

📌 MAROKO133 Eksklusif ai: OpenAI’s new group chats invite ChatGPT into multi-user

ChatGPT is stepping into group conversations, and it might change how people collaborate online.

OpenAI has begun piloting a new feature that lets multiple users and ChatGPT work together inside the same shared chat, transforming everything from trip planning to workplace brainstorming into a collective experience.

The experiment marks one of the biggest shifts in how people will interact with AI assistants. Instead of siloed one-on-one chats, users can now coordinate, debate, and co-create with each other and ChatGPT in real time.

The company says this experience is designed for moments when planning, decision-making, and ideation need multiple voices.

“With group chats, you can bring friends, family, or coworkers into a shared space to plan, make decisions, or work through ideas together,” OpenAI wrote in the announcement.

The pilot is now rolling out on mobile and web for logged-in users across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, starting in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. More regions will follow based on feedback.

Collaborating with AI

Group chats allow people—and ChatGPT—to interact within a single, evolving thread. OpenAI says it’s ideal for anything from planning a weekend getaway to co-designing a garden layout with roommates.

Whether the task is settling a restaurant debate or organizing research notes for a school project, ChatGPT becomes a shared assistant that everyone in the group can see and steer.

“ChatGPT can help compare destinations, build an itinerary, and create a packing list with everyone participating and following along,” the company noted.

The tool also supports teamwork at school and work. Users can drop in articles, questions, and notes, and let ChatGPT summarize or structure them on the fly.

New social behaviors

OpenAI has taught ChatGPT to behave more naturally in group settings. The model now chooses when to reply and when to stay silent, depending on the flow of conversation.

 “You can always mention ‘ChatGPT’ in a message when you want it to respond,” the company said.

It can react with emojis, reference participants’ profile photos, and even use those images when generating personalized group content.

 Features like search, file upload, dictation, and image generation are enabled, powered by GPT-5.1 Auto, which selects the best model available based on each participant’s plan.

Starting a group chat is simple: tap the people icon in any chat to create or invite others. When someone is added, ChatGPT creates a copy of the original conversation to preserve privacy.

Users can share invite links with up to twenty people, manage member lists, rename the group, mute notifications, or set custom behavior instructions for ChatGPT.

Privacy comes first

Group chats do not use or access personal ChatGPT memory. “Your personal ChatGPT memory is never shared with anyone in the chat,” OpenAI emphasized.

The system also includes extra safeguards for minors, including reduced exposure to sensitive content and optional parental disabling.

OpenAI says this pilot is only the beginning.

As group chats evolve, ChatGPT aims to become a more collaborative partner—helping people “spark ideas, make decisions, and express your creativity with the people who matter most in your life.”

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com