Aqueous Zn-iodine batteries (ZIBs) face the formidable challenges towards practical implementation, including metal corrosion and rampant dendrite growth on the Zn anode side, and shuttle effect of polyiodide species from the cathode side. These challenges lead to poor cycle stability and severe self-discharge. From the fabrication and cost point of view, it is technologically more viable to deploy electrolyte engineering than electrode protection strategies. More importantly, a synchronous method for modulation of both cathode and anode is pivotal, which has been often neglected in prior studies. In this work, cationic poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (Pah⁺) is adopted as a low-cost dual-function electrolyte additive for ZIBs. We elaborate the synchronous effect by Pah⁺ in stabilizing Zn anode and immobilizing polyiodide anions. The fabricated Zn-iodine coin cell with Pah⁺ (ZnI₂ loading: 25 mg cm⁻²) stably cycles 1000 times at 1 C, and a single-layered 3 × 4 cm² pouch cell (N/P ratio ~ 1.5) with the same mass loading cycles over 300 times with insignificant capacity decay.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have applied stochastic optimal control theory to biological systems, studying how these systems behave. By using concepts and tools from information theory, they successfully converted the nonlinear optimization problem into a reasonably solvable form. The optimal control strategies for problems such as biodiversity and epidemics are found to exhibit “mode-switching” phenomena, where sharply transitioning from weak to strong control provides the most effective solution.

Rice paddies feed billions of people worldwide but face two major challenges: heavy metal contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. Now, researchers have developed a new type of biochar that can address both problems at once—immobilizing toxic cadmium in soil while helping trap carbon, a critical step in slowing climate change.

University of Arkansas researchers found a new, environmentally friendly method to clean wastewater of toxic and carcinogenic dyes commonly used in the garment industry. 

The terahertz (THz) band offers exciting opportunities for telecommunications, encryption, and imaging, but practical devices remain limited by slow or inefficient metasurfaces. In a recent study, researchers from China developed a novel electrically tunable metasurface that integrates vanadium dioxide in a ladder-like design. Their design enables rapid, low-power modulation of THz waves, demonstrated through real-time holography and secure optical encryption with strong durability and stability.