Just like we recycle waste, repurposing excess CO₂ from the atmosphere could be one way to abate the worsening climate crisis. In electrochemical reduction, CO₂ is converted into industrial products like carbon monoxide, methane, or ethanol. However, scientists have difficulty tailoring the reaction to produce specific products. Now, an international research team has harnessed the versatility of copper to find a solution to this conundrum.

To commercialize a completely new way of creating colors, a coalition between Kobe University and the venture capital firm ANRI received startup development funding of ¥300 million from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). With their lightweight, unfading and environmentally friendly way of producing color, they want to first enter the security ink and cosmetics markets before moving on to paints for cars, airplanes and other mobility applications.

Using a new calculation method, Kyushu University researchers found in an international comparative study that investors value corporate environmental performance more than mere information disclosure. In some developed countries, beyond sustainability efforts, companies can improve environmental efficiency to enhance economic performance.

A research group from Nagoya University in Japan has developed a new design for the electrolytes used in fuel cells. The material complies with environmental regulations and demonstrates moderate conductivity in harsh conditions, reaching four times the conductivity of cross-linked sulfonated polystyrene, a conventional material. Their findings contribute to developing next-generation fuel cells, paving the way toward achieving net-zero carbon goals.

The rapidly increasing aging population will lead to a shortage of care providers in the future. While robotic technologies are a potential alternative, their widespread use is limited by poor acceptance. In a new study, researchers from Chiba University have examined a user-centric approach to understand the factors influencing user willingness among caregivers and recipients in Japan, Ireland, and Finland. Users’ perspectives can aid the development of home-care robots with better acceptance.

Nanostructured two-dimensional gold monolayers offer possibilities in catalysis, electronics, and nanotechnology.

Hydrogen sulfide binds strongly to heme-containing enzymes in the cell and blocks the process of respiration, causing rapid death at higher concentrations. Now, researchers at Kyoto’s Doshisha University have developed an artificial heme-model compound that has a high affinity for hydrogen sulfide and binds to it at a much faster rate than human met-hemoglobin. This compound, met-hemoCD-I, was used to successfully treat hydrogen sulfide-induced toxicity in mice, indicating its potential as an antidote.

When a quantum computer processes data, it must translate it into understandable quantum data. Algorithms that carry out this ‘quantum compilation’ typically optimize one target at a time. However, a team led by Tohoku University’s Dr. Le Bin Ho has created an algorithm capable of optimizing multiple targets at once, effectively enabling a quantum machine to multitask.

A newly developed approach can precisely produce four-stranded β-sheets through metal–peptide coordination, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. Their innovative methodology overcomes long-standing challenges in controlled β-sheet formation, including fibril aggregation and uncontrolled isomeric variation in the final product. This breakthrough could advance the study and application of β-sheets in biotechnology and nanotechnology.