Zeolites, crystalline materials widely used in the petrochemical industry, serve as pivotal catalysts in the production of fine chemicals, with aluminium being the source of active sites within zeolite structures. A research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has revealed the precise location of aluminium atoms in the zeolite framework. This discovery could facilitate the design of more efficient and stable catalysts, aimed at increasing the yield of petrochemical products, achieving efficient renewable energy storage, and controlling air pollution. This advancement will further promote the application of zeolites in relevant fields. The findings have been published in the international journal Science.

Inspired by how brainless lifeforms such as starfish and slime moulds move around, physicists at the University of Amsterdam have constructed ‘odd’ objects that autonomously roll, crawl and wiggle over unpredictable terrain, including uphill and over obstacles placed in their way. This solves a key problem of robotic locomotion.

Simulations of quantum many-body problems are a challenge for even the most powerful conventional computers. Quantum computing has the potential to solve this challenge using an approach called an analog quantum simulation. To succeed, these simulations need theoretical approximations of how quantum computers represent many-body systems. In this research, nuclear physicists developed a new framework to analyze these approximations and minimize their effects.

A highly complex spectroscopic method for analysing the extremely fast movements of electrons in solids can now be used much more easily than before thanks to a new approach. A German-Italien research team presents the new method in the journal Optica. The researchers hope that this will transform multidimensional electronic spectroscopy from a method for experts to a tool that can be widely used.

Researchers used in situ pH measurements and in situ UV-Vis spectroscopy to investigate the kinetically controlled growth of Co(OH)₂. They discovered that Co polyhedra with unconventional coordination play a crucial role in the formation process of Co(OH)₂, reshaping our understanding of the formation process.