The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has named Katherine (Kate) Evans as associate laboratory director for the Biological and Environmental Systems Science Directorate (BESSD). Evans will lead the directorate as it advances the science and technology needed to strengthen energy security, safeguard infrastructure and accelerate biotechnology innovation.

Summertime hikes and afternoons in the backyard can be ruined by mosquito bites. So, many people apply topical synthetic repellents like DEET before heading outside, but there is a growing market for natural repellants that could be less irritating to the skin and more environmentally friendly. In ACS Omega, researchers describe their new plant-based formulation, a patchouli oil-infused lotion that protected against mosquitoes as effectively as a commercially available DEET formulation. 

Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have demonstrated, for the first time, a single quantum of vibrational energy interacting with a single atomic spin, seeding a pathway to quantum technologies that use sound as an information carrier, instead of light or electricity.

 Researchers have developed a two‑dimensional fluid model to study atmospheric pressure non‑equilibrium CO₂–H₂O plasma in a needle‑plate configuration. The model incorporates plasma chemical reactions and photoionization effects. Numerical simulations reveal that increasing initial water vapor content significantly reduces electron energy and density, causing the discharge channel to contract when the reduced electric field is below 200 Td. Higher quenching pressure enhances photoionization but plasma discharge remains primarily sustained by direct electron‑impact ionization. The study identifies the dominant reaction pathways for key products (CO, OH, and electrons) and shows that low water vapor content and elevated quenching pressure both accelerate streamer propagation.

Researchers have developed a novel CuBi₂S₄/Al₂WO₆/Ti₃C₂ MXene Schottky/Z‑scheme ternary heterojunction photocatalyst for the efficient photoreduction of nitrate and carbon dioxide, as well as photocatalytic water splitting under visible‑light irradiation. The nanocomposite achieves a nitrate reduction efficiency of 80% with N₂ as the predominant product (55% selectivity), a CO₂ photoreduction efficiency of 70% with CH₄ generation of 13.87 mL·g⁻¹·h⁻¹ (50% selectivity), and a hydrogen evolution rate of 16 mL·g⁻¹·h⁻¹ (60% efficiency) from water splitting. The catalyst also exhibits excellent reusability over five consecutive cycles.

 Researchers have developed an integrated strategy combining cathode catalytic H₂-O₂ reaction heating, machine learning, and multi-objective optimization to significantly improve the cold-start performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. At -20 °C, the approach achieves a temperature rise exceeding 30 °C without external load, suppresses peak ice volume fraction in the cathode catalyst layer to 3.28 vol%, and ensures post-start stability. Machine learning models accurately predict key cold-start indicators, while SHAP analysis reveals complex nonlinear interactions among operating parameters.

 The design and industrial application of autothermal reactors for CO₂-to-methanol synthesis face significant challenges due to multiscale transport phenomena, intrinsic multi-stability, and difficulties in scaling from laboratory to industrial scales. This review highlights the need for advanced modeling approaches, particularly Virtual and Digital Twins, to optimize reactor performance and enable reliable scale-up for sustainable methanol production.

Scientists have demonstrated a fiber-optic sensing method that detects strain and displacement by reading interference patterns in the electrical spectrum after photodetection. The approach uses modal delay in polymer optical fibers and may support faster, simpler sensing systems.