Modern technologies face overlapping challenges from electromagnetic interference, fire risk, heat buildup, and noise. Researchers developed a lightweight, bio-based aerogel to address these issues simultaneously. Using cellulose combined with metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and controlled carbonization, they created a porous material that absorbs microwaves, reduces flammability, insulates heat, and dampens sound. The multifunctional performance is achieved with low filler content, demonstrating a sustainable strategy for advanced protective materials across multiple demanding applications.

A global analysis suggests that biochar, a charcoal-like material made from biomass, could play a larger role in climate-smart agriculture when it is applied according to local soil and climate conditions. The study, published in Biochar, combines global meta-analysis, machine learning, and density functional theory calculations to identify how different biochar types and application rates can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from croplands while improving crop yields.

As the world searches for practical ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, scientists are developing catalysts that can transform CO2 from a climate concern into a useful industrial resource. A study published in Biochar reports a coconut shell-derived biochar catalyst that efficiently converts CO2 into carbon monoxide, an important building block for producing fuels, chemicals, methanol, olefins, and polymers.

Researchers have developed a light-driven catalyst made from two common waste materials, discarded PET plastic bottles and orange peels, that can efficiently break down acetaminophen in water. The study, published in Biochar, presents a sustainable strategy that links plastic upcycling with advanced water treatment.

A new series of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), donated as USC-CP-5-R, have been constructed using 14-connected metal-organic polyhedra as super-molecular building blocks (SBBs), exhibiting ultrahigh water stability. Functionalized with variable hydrophilic groups enables systematic tuning of the water adsorption performances, including uptake capacity and inflection point (a). These frameworks can efficiently capture atmospheric moisture, even in arid environments and can release collected water using low-grade solar thermal energy, highlighting their potential as a sustainable solution for freshwater production in water-scarce regions.

The team of Yanjun Jiang from Hebei University of Technology has constructed an efficient asymmetric reduction system for the synthesis of chiral alcohols by coupling electrochemical coenzyme regeneration with immobilized enzymes.

In this study, a novel facile and versatile solid phase seed-mediated confined strategy is reported for the synthesis of atomically ordered non-precious Ni₃Ga₁ intermetallic nanocubes encapsulated in N-doped carbon layer. The resulting confined nanocubes demonstrate exceptional activity and exclusive selectivity in the 1,4-hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds while maintaining high stability over multiple reaction cycles without performance degradation.

Inspired by dragonfly eyes, researchers at Fudan University have developed a self-driven polarization-sensitive ferroelectric photomemristor that dramatically improves the recognition of low-contrast images. The developed devices combine anisotropic rhenium diselenide with ferroelectric single-crystalline DIPAB, enabling real-time, in-sensor image enhancement and achieving up to 85.9% recognition accuracy—nearly double that of traditional photomemristors.

Researchers have reviewed recent advances in electrocaloric (EC) cooling devices, highlighting their potential as compact, energy-efficient alternatives to conventional refrigeration technologies. The study, published in the open-access journal Thermo-X, summarizes the latest developments in device architectures, thermodynamic cycles, and performance evaluation methods for electrocaloric cooling systems.