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Chemistry & Physics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 6-May-2026 05:15 ET (6-May-2026 09:15 GMT/UTC)

Metal clumps in quantum state: Vienna research team breaks records

University of Vienna
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Can a small lump of metal be in a quantum state that extends over distant locations? A research team at the University of Vienna answers this question with a resounding yes. In the journal Nature, physicists from the University of Vienna and the University of Duisburg-Essen show that even massive nanoparticles consisting of thousands of sodium atoms follow the rules of quantum mechanics. The experiment is currently one of the best tests of quantum mechanics on a macroscopic scale.

Journal: Nature

PolyU develops new human-safe magnetorheological fibres, leading innovations in smart wearable textiles

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has achieved a revolutionary breakthrough in smart materials, successfully developing soft magnetorheological textiles that can flexibly deform and modulate their mechanical properties under a human-safe magnetic field. Driven by electricity and programmable control, these new materials combine lightweight, flexible and breathable textile characteristics, making them widely applicable in smart wearables, soft robotics, virtual reality and metaverse haptic experiences.

Journal: Nature

Scientists design molecules “backward” to speed up discovery

New York University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Generative AI models can propose molecular structures guided by target properties, compressing what once took years of trial-and-error into hours of computation. A team of researchers has now developed a new method that advances this capability even further. The method, PropMolFlow (Property-guided Molecular Flow), can generate molecular candidates roughly 10 times faster than existing methods—and without compromising the accuracy or chemical validity of the results.

Journal: Nature Computational Science

Quantum error correction with logical qubits

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics
Grant and Award Announcement

Due to their error-prone hardware, quantum computers have not yet found practical use. One promising solution is quantum error correction: special methods are used to find and correct errors in the calculations of quantum computers in order to achieve reliable results. In the snaQCs2025 project, neQxt GmbH, Fraunhofer IAF and Point 8 GmbH are working on the coordinated development of quantum error correction methods and quantum algorithms. The project aims at significantly advancing the practical applicability of quantum computers. The project kick-off took place in Cologne on January 14, 2026. The BMFTR is funding snaQCs with €2.5 million over three years.

Funder: German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space BMFTR

How spin shapes the world

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Grant and Award Announcement

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Assistant Professor Dien Nguyen has won an Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, an $875,000 investment in understanding how materials are arranged at the fundamental level.

Turning industrial exhaust into useful materials with a new electrode

American Chemical Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Flue gas is exhausted from home furnaces, fireplaces and even industrial plants, and it carries polluting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. To help mitigate these emissions, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have designed a specialized electrode that captures airborne CO₂ and directly converts it into a useful chemical material called formic acid. The system performed better than existing electrodes in tests with simulated flue gas and at ambient CO₂ concentrations.

Journal: ACS Energy Letters

SEOULTECH researchers develop sodium-based next-generation smart electrochromic windows

Seoul National University of Science & Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Hexagonal tungsten oxide nanorods are highly promising for sodium-based near-infrared electrochromic windows. However, conventional dopants limit the performance of these devices. In a new study, researchers have leveraged thermally removable dopants to unlock the electrochromic capacity of sodium-based smart windows, paving the way for enhanced thermal regulation and efficient energy consumption in buildings and automobiles.

Journal: Nano Letters

Jeonbuk National University researchers develop novel dual-chemical looping method for efficient ammonia synthesis

Jeonbuk National University, Sustainable Strategy team, Planning and Coordination Division
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Ammonia is a promising hydrogen carrier and fertilizer, with growing potential as a low-carbon fuel. However, conventional production is highly energy-intensive and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. In a new study, researchers developed a dual chemical looping strategy for ammonia synthesis that avoids several energy-intensive steps used in traditional processes. An integrated 4E analysis showed improved efficiency and robustness while reducing production costs.

Journal: Energy Conversion and Management

Light switches made of ultra-thin semiconductor layers

University of Oldenburg
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A nanostructure made of silver and an atomically thin semiconductor layer can be turned into an ultrafast switching mirror device that may function as an optical transistor – with a switching speed around 10,000 times faster than an electronic transistor. An international team of researchers led by the University of Oldenburg, Germany, describes this effect in a paper published in the current issue of Nature Nanotechnology. Ultrafast light switches offer interesting prospects for optical data processing, chip manufacturing, optical sensors or quantum computers.

Journal: Nature Nanotechnology