Metal-organic networks have gained much attention due to their high surface areas and tunable structures, which underpin their potential for gas adsorption and separation. However, the stability issue remains a significant bottleneck that severely restricts their broader practical deployment. Here, researchers highlight recent advances in combining metal-organic networks with polymers through surface polymerization, an approach that effectively enhances stability without sacrificing porosity. Beyond stability, polymer incorporation imparts additional functions, including improved gas separation and photoresponsiveness that are inaccessible to the individual components.

A growing body of research suggests that biochar, a charcoal-like material made from plant and agricultural waste, could play a major role in improving soil health and supporting more resilient forests. A new review study brings together over two decades of research to evaluate how biochar affects soil quality and tree-based crops, while also highlighting important risks and knowledge gaps.

A growing body of research highlights a global agricultural challenge that often goes unnoticed beneath our feet: soil acidification. Affecting billions of hectares worldwide, acidic soils reduce crop productivity, disrupt soil ecosystems, and threaten long-term food security. Now, a new review study sheds light on how biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from biomass, could provide an effective and sustainable solution.

A new study reveals how a simple, low-cost material could significantly boost the production of clean hydrogen fuel from waste. Researchers have demonstrated that biochar, a carbon-rich material made from biomass, can overcome one of the biggest challenges in biological hydrogen production: product inhibition.

A new study reveals how tailoring biochar with minerals and heat can influence soil bacteria and dramatically improve carbon storage in agricultural soils, offering new strategies to combat climate change.

A new study reveals how pairing biochar with beneficial soil bacteria could significantly improve phosphorus availability in soils, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional fertilizers and helping support global food production.

A new study shows that carefully designed biochar can effectively remove harmful “forever chemicals” from recycled water used in agriculture, offering a promising and sustainable solution to protect food systems and public health.

A new study has shown that biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from biomass, can significantly reduce phosphorus losses from agricultural soils, offering a promising solution to one of the leading causes of water pollution worldwide. By combining environmental science with machine learning, researchers have developed a powerful predictive tool to optimize how biochar is used in real-world farming systems.

Heavy metal contamination from industrial activities remains a major environmental challenge worldwide, especially at sites affected by lead and zinc smelting. Now, a new study offers a promising, low-cost strategy to stabilize multiple toxic metals in soil using a novel combination of biochar and beneficial bacteria.