In the aftermath of suspected chemical attacks, investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) step in to collect chemical, environmental, and biomedical samples. Thorough forensic laboratory analysis of these samples is essential for proving what—if any—chemical agents were used and verifying their identities.

Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute have developed a new hybrid methodology that combines quantum mechanics and thermodynamic calculations to predict the phase diagram of nickel-cobalt alloys.