In a paper published in National Science Review, an international team of scientists presents the first global inventory of methane emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells. The study estimates that approximately 4.5 million abandoned wells across 127 countries collectively emitted around 400,000 tonnes of methane in 2022, with over 90% of these emissions originating from unplugged wells. By identifying high-priority wells and accelerating the implementation of targeted well-plugging strategies, global methane emissions from these wells could be reduced by up to 61% by 2050.

A comprehensive review highlights cutting-edge advancements in inspection, environmental monitoring, and safety assessment technologies for oil and gas pipelines. These innovations address growing challenges posed by aging infrastructure, geohazards, and complex operational demands, paving the way for smarter, safer energy networks.

A research team led by Prof. LIU Zhongmin and Prof. YE Mao from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and their collaborators proposed a theoretical model describing the migration-aggregation behavior of confined metal clusters within individual zeolite.

Optimizing the charge transfer pathway of dopant ions through heterojunction design is a powerful strategy for enhancing semiconductor luminescence. In this context, Dengfeng Peng's group at Shenzhen University developed a high-performance CaF₂/CaZnOS heterojunction mechanoluminescent (ML) material. By precisely controlling the CaF₂-to-CaZnOS ratio, they constructed an efficient heterojunction structure that significantly boosted ML performance. By doping these heterojunctions with lanthanide ions such as Tb³⁺, Pr³⁺, and Yb³⁺, the team has demonstrated highly efficient down-conversion, transforming single energy photons into multiple low-energy photons. This innovation takes advantage of the unique interfacial properties of heterojunction to produce strong luminescence under mechanical stress, offering a promising path toward passive, energy-saving light sources. Moreover, the system achieves quantum cutting, a process that converts one high-energy photon into several lower-energy photons, greatly enhancing luminous efficiency. These advanced heterojunction materials, with their down-conversion-enhanced ML, open new possibilities for a wide range of luminescence-based applications.

The SDG accelerator leverages circular economy solutions to drive efficient and sustainable consumption, emphasizing long-lasting, reusable, and recyclable products to reduce resource strain and waste. By shifting from a linear to a circular model, it aims to eliminate waste, circulate materials, and regenerate nature, fostering economic growth, job creation, and environmental benefits. The approach is central to achieving SDGs-especially responsible consumption and production-by optimizing resource use, supporting innovation, and enabling inclusive, resilient economies through collaboration among businesses, governments, and communities.

Zhengzhou University researchers unveil advanced strategies to overcome the commercialization barriers of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). the study highlights six key approaches—electrolyte optimization, artificial solid-electrolyte interfaces (SEI), separator innovation, solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), 3D electrode frameworks, and anode-free designs—to address challenges like dendrite growth, low Coulombic efficiency, and safety risks. By integrating cutting-edge materials science and multi-dimensional protection systems, this work paves the way for next-generation batteries with ultra-high energy density, extended lifespan, and enhanced safety, offering critical insights for advancing sustainable energy storage technologies.

High-temperature shock (HTS) successfully converts copper foil into a single-atom copper catalyst within just 0.5 seconds, reaching a reaction temperature of 1700 K and achieving a copper content of 0.54 wt%. This provides a novel and effective method to prevent the aggregation of single atoms and maintain their dispersion.

In the design of SACs, multiple variables (such as metal type, coordination configuration, substrate combination, etc.) poses significant challenges for traditional trial-and-error approach. The combination of DFT and ML brings new strategy of rapidly and effectively screening potential SACs. The catalytic mechanism is deeply understood from distinctive insights, which paves the way for more sustainable ammonia production.