Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new structure determination method using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy which shows how different parts of complex molecular machinery like enzymes move while they help catalyze reactions. Focusing on an enzyme in yeast, they demonstrated how contrasts in atomic scale motions impact their function. The method promises unprecedented access to the mechanisms by which biomolecules work, and how they relate to illnesses.

Prof. Shigui Chen's team at the Institute of Advanced Studies at Wuhan University recently achieved, through a step-by-step construction strategy, the stabilization of the [N⋯Cl⋯N]⁺ halogen bond at the framework level, thus breaking through the bottleneck of the inability of chlorine (I) halogen bonds to form bonds under conventional conditions and successfully constructed a class of stable chlorine (I) bridged two-dimensional halogen bond organic frameworks (XOF(Cl)-TPy-BF₄/OTf). This framework not only has excellent crystallinity, chemical stability and thermal stability, but also provides an ideal platform for subsequent functionalization (such as the introduction of catalytic sites). As a cationic framework, XOF(Cl) is anion-exchanged with PdCl₄²⁻ and then reduced to generate stable Pd(0) clusters within the framework. The Pd(0) cluster-loaded XOF(Cl)-TPy-Pd⁰ exhibits excellent catalytic performance in various palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions (such as Suzuki, Heck, and Sonogashira couplings), achieving high yields even under mild conditions. In the synthesis of industrial biphenyl liquid crystal molecules, no palladium residue was detected in XOF(Cl)-TPy-Pd^0. In addition, the catalyst can be efficiently recovered by simple filtration and can be recycled many times, showing excellent practicality. These results were published as an open access article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

Researchers have developed a machine learning approach that can optimize the treatment of livestock manure and predict how valuable nutrients such as phosphorus are distributed during processing. The breakthrough could help transform agricultural waste into safer and more useful resources, while reducing environmental pollution.

In Malaysia, one of the world’s top producers of palm oil, millions of tons of oil palm ash (OPA) are left behind as agricultural waste every year—a disposal challenge that could soon become a climate solution. Now, groundbreaking research from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) shows that this humble byproduct can be transformed into a powerful, eco-friendly material capable of capturing carbon dioxide from the air. Published on August 18, 2025, in Carbon Research as an open-access original article, this innovative study was led by Dr. Azam Taufik Mohd Din from the School of Chemical Engineering at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Engineering Campus in Nibong Tebal, Penang. The team didn’t just repurpose waste—they engineered it. By treating raw oil palm ash with acid, then subjecting it to carbonization and chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH), they created a new material dubbed OPA-KOH(1:2). The result? A tailor-made adsorbent with a highly optimized mesoporous structure—pores so precisely shaped that they allow CO₂ molecules to flow in easily and stick effectively. Despite having a modest surface area of 30.95 m²/g—far lower than many commercial activated carbons—the material achieved an impressive CO₂ adsorption capacity of 2.9 mmol/g. That performance rivals or even exceeds more expensive materials with much higher surface areas, proving that pore architecture matters more than size alone. “This isn’t just recycling—it’s upcycling at the molecular level,” says Dr. Mohd Din. “We’re taking a waste product that often ends up in landfills and turning it into a high-performance tool for carbon capture.”

Africa’s agrifood system emits nearly 2.9 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent every year—more than a quarter of global sector emissions. An international study compares Africa’s trajectory with China’s and proposes concrete solutions—from water management in rice paddies to modernizing logistics chains—to produce more food without worsening the climate.

Researchers recreated a nearly forgotten yogurt recipe that was once was once common across the Balkans and Turkey—using ants. Reporting in the Cell Press journal iScience on October 3, the team shows that bacteria, acids, and enzymes in ants can kickstart the fermentation process that turns milk into yogurt. The work highlights how traditional practices can inspire new approaches to food science and even add creativity to the dinner table. 

Harnessing quantum states that avoid thermalization enables energy harvesters to surpass traditional thermodynamic limits such as Carnot efficiency, report researchers from Japan. The team developed a new approach using a non-thermal Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid to convert waste heat into electricity with higher efficiency than conventional approaches. These findings pave the way for more sustainable low-power electronics and quantum computing.