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Thermochromic ZnO coating brings radiative cooling to wood

Researchers developed a thermochromic ZnO coating that improves water repellency, self-cleaning behavior, and UV protection on wood surfaces. The coating reduces solar heat absorption while maintaining thermal radiation, resulting in a 10.4°C surface temperature reduction and 3.3°C average reduction in a model wooden house.

SourceJournal of Bioresources and Bioproducts·JournalJournal of Bioresources and Bioproducts·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 7, 2026

Plasma spray turns lignin waste into functional coatings in one step

Researchers developed a novel approach to convert technical lignin into functional coatings using low-energy suspension plasma spraying (LE-SPS). The new technique eliminates the need for solvents, crosslinkers, or catalysts, and produces continuous and dense coatings with improved UV attenuation and anti-fogging behavior.

SourceJournal of Bioresources and Bioproducts·JournalJournal of Bioresources and Bioproducts·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 23, 2026

Finding order in disorder: A new mechanism that amplifies transverse electron transport

A study by researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology discovered that engineered disorder can amplify transverse electron transport in magnetic materials. The findings suggest that deliberately using disorder in materials design could lead to new opportunities in spintronics and thermoelectric energy-conversion technologies.

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 24, 2026

Uncovering patterns amid chaos

A recent NSF grant will support the development of new diagnostics and predictive models for understanding self-competition and weak asymmetry in turbulent flows. The project aims to uncover hidden patterns that current models miss, leading to improved simulations in weather forecasting, climate modeling, and engineering design.

The saltwater formula

Scientists have developed computer models to predict the spreading of saltwater in soils, like in southern Australia's Murray–Darling River. This helps manage river water quality while increasing ground salinity.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalJournal of Fluid Mechanics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 4, 2025

Researchers achieve ethylene electrosynthesis from acetylene at ampere-level current density

A research team has achieved high-efficiency ethylene electrosynthesis from acetylene by optimizing the interparticle distance of Cu cubes in gas diffusion electrodes. The study demonstrates the key role of mesoscopic mass transport in electrocatalysis, enabling efficient production under industrially relevant conditions.

SourceDalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy Sciences·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateOct 13, 2025

Supercritical fluids once thought uniform found to contain liquid clusters

Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology experimentally demonstrated the existence of nanometer-sized liquid clusters in supercritical fluids, overturning the prevailing notion of a single phase. These clusters persisted for up to an hour and have significant implications for industrial processes and natural environments.

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalCommunications Physics·DateSep 30, 2025

Graphene reaches ultimate electronic quality — two breakthrough methods push graphene beyond semiconductor limits

Researchers from NUS and The University of Manchester develop two breakthrough methods to overcome electronic disorder in graphene, setting new records for electron mobility. Twist-angle engineering and proximity screening enable the observation of quantum effects in unprecedented conditions.

"High notes from one side, deep tones from the other" – Janus-like wave transmission

A research team has experimentally demonstrated a nonlinear wave phenomenon that changes its frequency depending on the direction of incoming waves. The system exhibits different responses to waves entering from one side versus the other, with potential applications in medical ultrasound imaging and noise control.

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJul 24, 2025

Designing better brain shunts

Bioengineers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a computational model called BrainFlow that simulates cerebrospinal fluid flow in the presence of shunt implants, providing insight into optimal shunt design and placement for hydrocephalus patients.

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 21, 2025

Coupled electrons and phonons predicted to flow like water in 2D semiconductors

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have found that in 2D semiconductors, the interactions between electrons and phonons can conserve momentum and energy, leading to efficient hydrodynamic flow behavior. This discovery has significant implications for designing highly efficient electrical conductivity materials, even at room temperature.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJun 23, 2025

New model predicts how bacteria navigate obstacles to spread

A new model predicts how bacteria navigate obstacles to spread, informing strategies for curbing infections or designing better drug delivery. The model focuses on three surface states: uninterrupted movement, sliding along surfaces, and getting stuck in corners.

SourceSimons Foundation·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 21, 2025

Kagome breaks the rules at record breaking temperatures

Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute have found a quantum phenomenon known as time-reversal symmetry breaking occurring at the surface of the Kagome superconductor RbV₃Sb₅ at temperatures up to 175 K. This discovery sets a new record for the temperature at which this phenomenon is observed among Kagome systems.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 5, 2024

Researchers create the first comprehensive characterization of the extraordinary thermoelectric properties of cadmium arsenide thin films

Scientists have discovered a material that can harness waste heat, increasing energy efficiency and sustainability. The researchers found that thinner cadmium arsenide films exhibit higher thermoelectric sensitivity, allowing for more efficient cooling in cryogenic environments.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateJun 27, 2024

Researchers engineer AI path to prevent power outages

University of Texas at Dallas researchers develop AI model that can automatically reroute electricity in milliseconds to prevent power outages. The system uses machine learning to map complex relationships between entities in a power distribution network, enabling faster response times than human-controlled processes.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Dallas·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 24, 2024

Breakthrough research uncovers hidden phenomena in ultra-clean quantum materials

Researchers have discovered unusual transport phenomena in ultra-clean SrVO3 samples, contradicting long-standing scientific consensus. The study's findings challenge theoretical models of electron correlation effects and offer insights into the behavior of transparent metals.

Charge fractionalisation observed spectroscopically

Researchers discovered charge fractionalisation in an iron-based metallic ferromagnet using laser ARPES spectroscopy, revealing collective excitations and quasiparticles. The study challenges fundamental quantum mechanics by showing electrons can behave as independent entities with fractionally charged pockets.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 6, 2024

New polymer membranes, AI predictions could dramatically reduce energy, water use in oil refining

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed new polymer membranes that can improve distillation processes, reducing the global energy and water use. The DUCKY polymers use a novel combination of characteristics to selectively bind desirable molecules, making them a promising solution for industries.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 16, 2023

Faster thin film devices for energy storage and electronics

Researchers have successfully grown high-quality single-crystalline T-Nb2O5 thin films with two-dimensional vertical ionic transport channels, enabling fast and dramatic changes in electrical properties. The material undergoes a significant electrical change upon Li insertion, allowing it to switch from an insulator to a metal.

SourceMax-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 2, 2023

Way cool: UVA professor developing ‘freeze ray’ technology for the Air Force

UVA professor Patrick Hopkins is developing a 'freeze ray' technology to cool electronics in spacecraft and high-altitude jets, which can't be cooled by nature due to the vacuum of space. The technology uses heat-generating plasma to create localized cooling, and has been granted $750,000 by the Air Force.

SourceUniversity of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalACS Nano·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 31, 2023

Forging a dream material with semiconductor quantum dots

Scientists have successfully created a superlattice of lead sulfide semiconducting colloidal quantum dots that exhibits the electrical conducting properties of a metal. This breakthrough could lead to improved capabilities in devices such as solar cells, biological imaging, and quantum computing.

SourceRIKEN·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 26, 2023

Can a solid be a superfluid? Engineering a novel supersolid state from layered 2D materials

Researchers predict that layered electronic 2D semiconductors can host a quantum phase of matter called the supersolid. A solid becomes 'super' when its quantum properties match those of superconductors, simultaneously having two orders: solid and super. The study reports the complete phase diagram of this system at low temperatures.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 29, 2023

Feeling out of equilibrium in a dual geometric world

Scientists at The University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science have developed a novel theory for describing nonlinear dissipative phenomena in a dual geometric space. This work enables the extension of thermodynamics to complex chemical reaction networks, including those involved in living organisms' metabolism and growth.

Following the wind

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) have developed a more robust and realistic general method for dealing with wind-driven phenomena in geostatistical modeling, which promises to greatly improve the accuracy of pollutant dispersion prediction.

SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalJournal of the American Statistical Association·DateSep 6, 2022

Getting warmer: Improving heat flux modeling

Scientists at Osaka University developed a new numerical technique to visualize heat flux at the atomic scale for the first time. The team found that sub-atomic stresses in solid and liquid structures determine the direction of heat flux, enabling more efficient nanoscale manufacturing.

SourceOsaka University·JournalPhysical Review E·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 24, 2022

Mobile excitons as neutral information carriers

Researchers have created and detected dispersing excitons in a metal using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, a breakthrough that could enable efficient data transmission. The discovery of mobile excitons in TaSe3 reveals their mobility and potential to revolutionize electronics.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 21, 2022

Heat conduction important for droplet dynamics

A team of engineers found that thermal conduction is the most prominent form of heat transfer during droplet impact on smooth surfaces, influencing cooling efficiency and droplet behavior. Heat conduction also affects droplet dynamics on rough surfaces, leading to lower heat transfer rates.

SourceWashington University in St. Louis·JournalExperimental Thermal and Fluid Science·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 6, 2022

These tiny liquid robots never run out of juice as long as they have food

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed water-walking liquid robots that can retrieve and deliver precious chemicals autonomously. The robots use chemistry to control buoyancy and do not require electrical energy, making them ideal for applications such as chemical synthesis and drug delivery.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalNature Chemistry·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 8, 2021