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News from WPI Research Centers

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2025 22:11 ET (31-Oct-2025 02:11 GMT/UTC)

Two chemical reactions are better than one

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When you think about it, baran, those little plastic grass dividers found in bentos, save space by allowing bento makers to combine foods without mixing their flavors into a single bento box. Much like baran, researchers from Tohoku University have come up with a way to combine two chemical reactions inside a single electrolytic cell, thereby reducing waste and energy consumption associated with traditional chemical reactions.

Journal: Advanced Energy Materials

Pyridinic-N incorporated phthalocyanine for efficient and durable CO₂ electroreduction

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The Yabu Laboratory at the Tohoku University Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) has recently demonstrated a novel strategy that yields a highly efficient electrocatalyst.

Journal: Small

Quantum metric: Flexible control of electronic-state geometry in real materials

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University

Researchers at AIMR demonstrated that the quantum metric, a hidden property of electronic states, can be measured and controlled under ambient conditions. Using a Mn₃Sn/Pt heterostructure with engineered interfacial spin textures, they revealed a robust second-order Hall effect, opening new pathways for topological electronics and quantum-geometry–based devices.

Journal: Nature Physics

Hibernation-like hypothermia suppresses neuroinflammation and promotes functional recovery after brain injury

International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine, University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have demonstrated that hibernation-like hypothermia induced by activation of hypothalamic Q neurons effectively suppresses neuroinflammation and promotes neuronal survival and motor function recovery in a murine model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Unlike conventional therapeutic hypothermia, this physiological approach does not depend on external cooling, and thus may offer a novel and more controllable strategy for TBI treatment.

Journal: JNeurosci

Modeling atomistic biomolecular dynamics from HS-AFM imaging

Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A collaboration team of researchers from the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Graduate School of Science at Nagoya University, and the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) reports in ACS Nano an integrative modeling workflow to understand with atomistic precision biomolecular dynamics from high-speed atomic force microscopy experiments.

Journal: ACS Nano

A ‘dead’ 1800s idea rises again... with clues to the mystery of the universe’s missing antimatter

International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (SKCM2)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Resurrected by a team of Japanese physicists, a long-dismissed knot idea from the 1800s now offers clues to one of physics’ biggest unsolved mysteries, with help from ghostly particles, writhing relics of the primordial universe, and phantomlike barrier crossings.

Journal: Physical Review Letters
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Decoding how pH controls the chemistry of clean energy

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists at Tohoku University have uncovered how electric fields, surface properties, and charge dynamics work together to shape catalytic reactions. The findings reveal why pH so strongly influences reaction efficiency, and how understanding this interplay can guide the design of smarter, more sustainable catalysts.

Journal: Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Unmasking the culprits of battery failure with a graphene mesosponge

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Tohoku University synthesized a graphene mesosponge to pinpoint the cause of battery failure, so that we can fix the root cause of their instability.

Journal: Applied Catalysis B Environment and Energy
Funder: JST-ASPIRE, JST A-STEP, JSPS KAKENHI, EPSRC, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship

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