Researchers have developed a cellulose-based hydrogel sensor that maintains stable sensing performance in extreme cold using a zinc chloride and lithium bromide molten salt hydrate system, offering a sustainable and biodegradable platform for next-generation flexible wearable devices and human-machine interfaces. Published in Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, the study introduces a binary molten salt hydrate approach to dissolve natural cellulose efficiently within ten minutes. The resulting ionically conductive hydrogel achieves an impressive conductivity of 4.48 S/m and compressive strength of 2.48 MPa. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed no water crystallization exothermic peaks from -80°C to 20°C, indicating exceptional anti-freezing capability. The material's shear-thinning properties further enable 3D printing of customized sensor geometries for human-machine interfaces.

A new review from Hasanuddin University highlights how chitosan and alginate-based composite beads could be the next-generation solution for sustainable wastewater remediation. By combining naturally derived biopolymers with functional additives, these composite beads demonstrate improved adsorption capacity, mechanical stability, reusability, and stronger pollutant binding. The review outlines a roadmap for advancing such composites into stimuli-responsive smart materials and extending their applications beyond water treatment to circular bioeconomy, smart agriculture, and even precision medicine.

What is heat, and what is useful work if a machine consists only of an atom and light particles? In modern quantum technologies, this kind of question connects thermodynamics with quantum physics. Researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland, have developed a theoretical approach that can reconcile both theories.  

Designing Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES) systems requires time-consuming and computationally expensive computational fluid dynamics simulations. To overcome this bottleneck, a new study presents a hybrid physics-informed neural network (PINN) framework trained on a sparse ground-truth dataset. Together with a genetic algorithm-based multi-objective design optimization, this PINN framework enables rapid, autonomous exploration of the continuous LHTES design space and thermohydraulic trade-offs. This approach serves as a crucial tool for developing next-generation LHTES systems.

The effects of proposed reforms to Phase IV of the Korean Emissions Trading Scheme on Korea’s electricity market remain poorly understood. In a new study, researchers developed and applied an integrated modeling framework to simulate the effects. They found that changing benchmarking mechanisms alone is insufficient to drive decarbonization. It should also be combined with expanded auctioning, higher carbon pricing, and complementary support systems to make a large-scale economic and environmental impact.

Researchers from Beihang University, Truth Memory Corporation, Aix-Marseille University and Université Paris-Saclay has successfully transitioned the emerging physics concept of "orbitronics" from theoretical study to practical application in next-generation magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). By designing a highly efficient ruthenium-tungsten write electrode, the researchers demonstrated ultrafast writing of MRAM devices with a pulse of 28.7 ps, and solved critical industrial bottlenecks in MRAM yield and area penalty, paving the way for ultra-low-power memories.

A flash of light lasting a fraction of a millisecond could help create better materials for solar energy. Researchers used ultra-fast heating at rates of up to 10 million degrees Celsius per second to rearrange the atoms inside a semiconductor, producing a version that generated up to 50 times more electrical current from light than the same material in its ordinary form. Because the flash heats only the semiconductor coating and not the surface it sits on, the method works on transparent conducting glass, the see-through conducting surface used in touchscreens and solar cells, which conventional furnaces would ruin. The method could eventually help improve solar technologies and other advanced electronic devices.

Landau quantization is a cornerstone of quantum Hall effects. However, controlling Landau-level spacing and the spatial profiles of Landau modes through complex-valued gauge fields has remained largely unexplored. Now, a collaborative team from Beijing Institute of Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Exeter, and The University of Hong Kong, writing in Science Bulletin, demonstrates a mechanism for tuning Landau quantization. By constructing a real pseudo-magnetic field and an imaginary pseudo-electric field, the researchers enlarge the Landau-level spacing and enhance mode localization. These findings establish a versatile framework for tailoring non-Hermitian Landau levels and may advance applications in mode-selective filtering, field concentration, and wave-based sensing.

While soaring demand for lithium-ion batteries pushes prices higher, Flinders University experts are making headway in the development of a safe and more sustainable aqueous zinc-iodine rechargeable battery.

In their latest study, published in high-profile international journal Angewandte Chemie, the Flinders research team has designed an aqueous zinc-ion battery (AZIB) that can be charged and discharged over 60,000 cycles.