[Image above] Credit: ACerS
ENERGY
Scientists uncover new ‘in-between’ materials for solar fuels and batteries(opens in new tab)
University of Warwick researchers identified previously unknown materials by carefully controlling and tracking how molecular precursors break down during heating. Specifically, they revealed a kinetically stabilized form of bismuth vanadate named β-BiVO₄, which is a valuable catalyst for hydrogen synthesis.
Engineers develop wearable solar device to power soldiers’ gear in the field(opens in new tab)
Florida International University researchers developed a dual-use, razor-thin solar device that can harvest sunlight to generate electricity and then also produce light. This innovation could be stitched onto a soldier’s uniform or gear, giving troops working in remote locations a way to generate power without the noise, heat, or bulk of a generator.
ENVIRONMENT
Researchers found that alfalfa-derived nanomaterials can accelerate polyethylene breakdown while supporting plant growth, suggesting plastic remediation may combine catalytic performance with better biological compatibility in controlled soil systems.
Imprinted magnetic nanoparticles hunt down dye pollution in water(opens in new tab)
Hacettepe University chemists engineered magnetic nanoparticles that can pluck a stubborn textile dye out of water with remarkable precision, then be recovered with a simple magnet and reused. The silica-coated nanoparticles are wrapped in an ultrathin polymer layer imprinted with cavities shaped like the target molecule.
OTHER STORIES
Chemists overturn 40-year assumption about a key class of superconductor(opens in new tab)
Researchers at the University of Warwick and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility showed that cuprates, a material treated for 40 years as a uniform, textbook superconductor, is in fact a patchwork of different crystal structures throughout its bulk.
Three world records in quantum physics(opens in new tab)
Researchers in the 5th Institute of Physics at the University of Stuttgart achieved record values for the lifetime, size, and storage time of circular Rydberg atoms, a special form of Rydberg atom in which electrons move in a stable circular orbit around the nucleus.
Pottery styles reveal contrasting paths to social complexity in Neolithic Europe(opens in new tab)
Two researchers from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie in Germany developed a mathematical model to describe how the organization and intensity of pottery production can influence the number of decoration styles.
Archaeologists have debated for decades over how Mississippian-style pottery ended up in Tampa Bay. Florida Museum of Natural History researchers argue that migrants from the Florida Panhandle likely used their specialized knowledge and access to resources to produce the distinctive pottery in Tampa Bay.