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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-May-2026 22:15 ET (31-May-2026 02:15 GMT/UTC)

Armor-plated platinum catalyst unlocks durable fuel cells

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Fe-N-C interfacial engineering on commercial Pt/C catalysts, via unique 5d-3d/2p orbital hybridization, enables a breakthrough in fuel cell durability and performance. The engineered PtFe/C@Fe-N-C catalyst maintains 97.3% of its activity after 30,000 accelerated stress cycles. This exceptional stability and its high mass activity decisively surpass both the performance of pristine Pt/C and the U.S. Department of Energy's 2025 technical targets.

Journal: Chinese Journal of Catalysis

Hydrochar turns agricultural waste into a powerful tool for healthier, carbon-rich soils

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study shows that hydrochar, a carbon-rich material made from wet biomass, can improve soil structure and help soils store more carbon more effectively than several common organic amendments.

Journal: Biochar

Turning microalgae waste into high-performance membranes for cleaner municipal wastewater

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in Biochar reports a sustainable membrane technology that converts microalgae-derived biochar into an advanced material for municipal wastewater treatment, offering a promising route to cleaner water and waste valorization.

Journal: Biochar

Not all biochar is equal: New perspective calls for clearer claims in carbon removal and soil health

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new perspective published in Biochar warns that biochar’s long-term carbon storage potential and its soil improvement benefits should not be treated as the same thing. The authors argue that clearer communication is urgently needed as biochar becomes a major player in voluntary carbon markets and climate mitigation strategies.

Journal: Biochar

A new way to build chips: Sequentially stacking silicon to extend Moore’s law

University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers led by Illinois Grainger Engineering professor Qing Cao have demonstrated a scalable way to directly and sequentially stack high-performance silicon circuits. This advance marks a critical step toward realizing the full potential of three-dimensional chips that could carry computing beyond the limits of traditional scaling.

Journal: Nature

Rovers, regolith, robots: The blueprint for the moon

Texas A&M University
Meeting Announcement

In an environment of radiation, extreme temperatures and razor-sharp dust, researchers are designing how humans will build, and ultimately survive, on the moon.

Meeting: Earth and Space 2026

Photon-driven synapse advances low-power neuromorphic systems

SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have developed a fully light-controlled artificial synapse that could improve how computers process visual information. The device uses a rare-earth-doped crystal to mimic how biological synapses strengthen and weaken connections based on past activity, but operates entirely with optical signals rather than electricity. By modeling and validating how trapped charge carriers govern this behavior, the team demonstrated both signal enhancement and suppression, key features of neural function. Integrated with an imaging sensor, the system can reduce noise and enhance contrast directly at the point of capture. When applied to a neural network, the approach achieved nearly 96% accuracy on handwritten digit recognition, highlighting its potential for low-power, efficient neuromorphic vision systems.

Journal: Advanced Photonics

Innovative local collaboration can unlock stronger environmental protection in England, study shows

University of Exeter
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The use of digital tools and better coordination between different organisations can help the UK significantly optimise its first line of defence against ecological degradation, new research shows.

Journal: Environmental Law Review

“Herbal” does not mean “harmless”: A new study finds herbal cigarettes are not safer than tobacco

Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Herbal cigarettes, widely sold in India and abroad as natural, tobacco-free, and even therapeutic alternatives to conventional cigarettes, are not safer than regular tobacco cigarettes. They produce emissions that can be comparably or even more damaging than tobacco smoke. That is the conclusion of a new study conducted by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The paper, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, presents a comprehensive comparison of the physical, chemical, and oxidative properties of mainstream (firsthand) smoke from commercially available herbal and tobacco cigarettes in the Indian market.

Journal: Journal of Hazardous Materials
Funder: Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration

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