Bounce, splash, or splat? Water droplets hitting a curved surface behave differently depending on the wettability of that surface, its diameter and the speed of impact. This study may help pave the way toward frost-free and self-cleaning surfaces for future high-performance materials. Reporting in Langmuir, “Droplet Impact Behavior on Convex Surfaces with a Circumferential Wettability Difference.” Read the paper: https://brnw.ch/21wSP8l (fb)

Ever bite into a chili pepper expecting a fiery sensation and didn’t get one? Researchers have identified three compounds that could be behind reducing that heat perception, acting as spiciness suppressors. Their findings, published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, challenge the Scoville scale, which rates peppers’ heat intensity based on their capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content. And these spiciness suppressors could be valuable in drug and food product development. 🌶️🔥 Read more here: (fb)