A study has demonstrated that discarded Jamun tree leaves can be transformed into a highly effective material for cleaning dye-contaminated water, offering a low-cost and environmentally friendly solution to a growing pollution challenge.

In the increasingly digital world, the demand for faster, more efficient and miniaturised optical devices is ever-growing. From high-speed internet and secure quantum communications to advanced medical imaging and precision manufacturing, the backbone of these technologies is light, specifically how we can control and manipulate it at the nanoscale. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as a game-changer in this arena, offering unique properties that can be harnessed for ultrafast photonics and nonlinear optical applications. 

A Dresden-based research team from the Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat has discovered a novel transport phenomenon. They found that luminescent quasiparticles can be carried along by magnetic excitations known as spin waves in quantum materials and even accelerated to ultrahigh speeds. To investigate this phenomenon, the researchers studied atomically thin layers of the antiferromagnetic semiconductor chromium sulfide bromide. The newly identified quantum phenomenon holds promise for future magneto-optical applications. The findings have been published in Nature Nanotechnology.

Ammonia is a critical chemical for fertilizers that support global food production, and it is increasingly seen as a carbon-free energy carrier. However, the traditional Haber-Bosch process relies on fossil fuels and produces significant carbon emissions. A new review outlines emerging renewable-powered alternatives that can synthesize ammonia under milder conditions using electricity or sunlight. Researchers are also exploring the conversion of nitrogen pollutants such as nitrate and nitrite into ammonia, linking environmental cleanup with sustainable manufacturing. Advances in catalyst design and real-time monitoring are accelerating progress toward scalable, low-carbon ammonia production for a more sustainable future.

The team led by Prof. Gengtao Fu from Nanjing Normal University has successfully enhanced the electrocatalytic oxidation performance of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by employing a rare-earth Cerium (Ce) doping strategy to tune the geometric and electronic structure of a CuO catalyst. This catalyst achieves efficient conversion of HMF to FDCA with near-theoretical-limit Faradaic efficiency (98.4%) and high production rate. By enabling optimal configuration matching, it effectively reduces steric hindrance, offering a novel approach for biomass electrocatalytic conversion.

A universal potential for all-purpose atomic simulations has been pursued for decades, but remains challenging due to limitations in model expressiveness and dataset construction. Now, writing in the journal Science China Chemistry, the research team led by Professor Zhi-Pan Liu at Fudan University has developed a generalized global neural network potential (GG-NN) based on a newly proposed low-cost, high-accuracy High-order Pair-reduced Neural Network (HPNN) model and a comprehensive global potential energy surface dataset of 5.84 million configurations covering 83 elements. GG-NN achieves high-precision predictions for both energies and forces, offering the potential to significantly accelerate the prediction and design of molecular and materials systems.

Thermo-mechanical energy storage (TMES) technologies have attracted significant attention due to their potential for grid-scale, long-duration electricity storage, offering advantages such as minimal geographical constraints, low environmental impact, and long operational lifespans. A key benefit of TMES systems is their ability to perform energy conversion steps that enable interaction with both thermal energy consumers and prosumers, effectively functioning as combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems. This paper reviews recent progress in various TMES technologies, focusing on compressed-air energy storage (CAES), liquid-air energy storage (LAES), pumped-thermal electricity storage (PTES, also known as Carnot battery), and carbon dioxide energy storage (CES), while exploring their potential applications as extended CCHP systems for trigeneration. Techno-economic analysis indicate that TMES-based CCHP systems can achieve roundtrip (power-to-power) efficiencies ranging from 40% to 130%, overall (trigeneration) energy efficiencies from 70% to 190%, and a levelized cost of energy (with cooling and heating outputs converted into equivalent electricity) between 70 and 200 $/MWh. In general, the evolution of TMES-based CCHP systems into smart multi-energy management systems for cities or districts in the future is a highly promising avenue. However, current economic analyses remain incomplete, and further exploration is needed, especially in the area “AI for energy storage,” which is crucial for the widespread adoption of TMES-based CCHP systems.

Biochar has been widely promoted as a sustainable solution for improving soil health, cleaning polluted water, and capturing carbon. However, a comprehensive review warns that its environmental safety may be more complex than previously thought.

Phosphorus is essential for plant growth, yet much of the phosphorus in soils worldwide remains locked in forms that crops cannot use. A new review study highlights how biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from biomass, could play a key role in improving phosphorus availability and boosting agricultural sustainability.