This invited publication highlights the contributions of Distinguished Professor Hao Li to AI and materials science – focusing on their original concept for a digital materials ecosystem.

Researchers found that Y-doping (adding yttrium) to an inexpensive nickel catalyst was the key to speeding up an otherwise sluggish reaction that results in hydrogen – which can be used as a sustainable fuel.

Researchers at the Cancer Research Institute and the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have uncovered a critical mechanism that enables gastric cancer to spread to distant organs. Their study shows that cancer cells stimulate Wnt signaling in surrounding stromal fibroblasts to produce hyaluronan, creating a supportive microenvironment that promotes metastasis.

These findings provide new insight into how metastatic tumors establish themselves and suggest promising strategies to prevent gastric cancer progression.

A study from the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) has uncovered a theoretical mechanism showing how the electronic band structures of strongly correlated insulators can be reshaped by spin and charge perturbations, opening up new possibilities for electronics with tunable band structures.

A single atom can make all the difference. Researchers at Tohoku University have shown that subtle changes in the nitrogen coordination around cobalt dramatically reshape oxygen reduction reaction performance, a cornerstone process for fuel cells and clean chemical production. These insights provide a powerful blueprint for designing next-generation single-atom catalysts to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.

We all want cheap, long-lasting, green, and efficient energy. Researchers are helping to make this dream a reality with a new distortion-resistant material that greatly improves these aspects of a battery’s cathode.

Researchers at AIMR achieved breakthrough 95.8% purity synthesis of (6,5) carbon nanotubes using a novel NiSnFe trimetallic catalyst. The discovery of Ni₃Sn crystal formation within catalyst nanoparticles enabled selective chirality control. This advancement opens pathways for semiconductor device applications and establishes multi-element catalysts as a promising approach for single-chirality nanotube synthesis.

Storing hydrogen efficiently is still challenging. Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a new catalyst that coordinates the two key steps of hydrogen formation in alkaline water electrolysis, helping the reaction run more smoothly. A promising step toward practical green hydrogen.