In a review published in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry, opportunities for industrializing Photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction (PEC-CO₂R) by minimizing reaction energy consumption to improve reaction efficiency and selectivity are explored. This review summarizes recent advancements in developing Si-based photocathodes for PEC-CO₂R.

In a paper published in Polymer Science & Technology, an international team of scientists

explores how modifying side-chain features in homopolypeptides affects their ability to form coacervates. They synthesized various polypeptide variants, revealing that changing the lengths of side-chain amino or linker segments was found either to prohibit coacervate formation or to allow adjustment of the phase transition temperature. Notably, anionic polypeptides also formed coacervates, expanding potential applications in biomimetic materials. This work paves the way for designing multifunctional polymers with tunable properties. This study is led by Timothy J. Deming (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, United States).

This study introduces a fibrous amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide material (IGZO) integrated into sensory face masks, providing real-time respiratory monitoring via a wireless flexible circuit. Enhanced surface area promotes gas diffusion, enabling precise detection of respiratory states. This innovation in wearable health monitoring highlights a promising direction for continuous physiological assessment.

A research group led by Dr. Toru Ube at Chuo University enabled 3D-selective deformation of “photomobile polymer materials” with the aid of two-photon absorption processes. Spatial selectivity of previous photomobile polymer materials has been limited in two dimensions. By applying two-photon absorption processes, the group succeeded in inducing deformation at any selective depth of a sample, which led to the versatile deformations and motions with an enhanced degree of freedom.

This work enhances the applicability of photomobile polymer materials and contributes to the development of small, lightweight and soft robots.

Researchers from the Florida State University Department of Physics and FSU-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have published new findings that reveal how various physical manipulations of graphene, such as layering and twisting, impact its optical properties and conductivity. The study was published in the journal Nano Letters.

An international, Gates Foundation-funded collaboration reports new knowledge that could simplify genetic transfer of nitrogen fixation to food crops.The method, which involves a newly known minimum of seven genes, is aimed at enabling cereal crops, such as corn and rice, to achieve nitrogen fixation on their own, from sunlight, without applying fertilizer.