Cement manufacturing and repair could be significantly improved by using biocement-producing bacteria, but growing the microbes at construction sites remains a challenge. Now, researchers report a freeze-drying approach in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that preserves the bacteria, potentially allowing construction workers to ultimately use powder out of a packet to quickly make tiles, repair oil wells or strengthen the ground for makeshift roads or camps.

Lancaster University is leading a £2.1 million project with Cambridge and Durham which aims to revolutionise the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and computing.The Memristive Organometallic Devices formed from Self-Assembled Multilayers (MemOD) programme brings together world leading experts in molecular scale electronics, chemical synthesis, quantum transport, and device fabrication to develop the next generation of computers.MemOD aims to develop high-performance memory devices using self-assembled molecular technology. By leveraging quantum effects at the molecular level, MemOD aims to deliver memory devices that are faster, more stable, and more energy-efficient than current options, all of which are required if computing hardware is to keep up with the growing demands of AI use in all aspects of our lives.

A newly developed pentanuclear iron complex (Fe5-PCz(ClO₄)₃) can offer an efficient, stable, and cost-effective solution for water oxidation. By electrochemically polymerizing the complex, researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo obtained a polymer-based catalyst, poly-Fe5-PCz, and achieved water oxidation with up to 99% Faradaic efficiency and exceptional stability, even under rigorous conditions. This breakthrough offers a scalable alternative to rare metal catalysts, advancing hydrogen production and energy storage for renewable energy.