In the high-altitude and extremely remote region of Dolpo in north-west Nepal, there are numerous Buddhist temples whose history dates back to the 11th century. The structures are threatened by earthquakes, landslides and planned infrastructure projects such as the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. There is also a lack of financial resources for long-term maintenance. Researchers from the Institute of Architectural Theory, History of Art and Cultural Studies and the Institute of Engineering Geodesy and Measurement Systems at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) want to prevent the loss of this cultural heritage, which has hardly been researched up to now. With the support of the Austrian Science Fund FWF, they have documented, analysed and measured buildings as part of several expeditions and preserved some of the temple complexes as 3D computer models – and could thus also have contributed to the preservation of the real buildings. The results have now been published in the journal “Heritage”.

Electrochemical water splitting holds promise for producing clean hydrogen at industrial scales, but current technologies often falter under large current densities. Recent advances in catalyst design and scalable synthesis strategies are bridging this gap, offering materials that maintain high efficiency, stability, and durability under harsh operational conditions. This review synthesizes progress in scalable electrocatalyst production, from electrodeposition and corrosion engineering to thermal treatment approaches, and further to their combinations. By addressing the key challenges of performance degradation, bubble management, and cost limitations, the study highlights emerging solutions that can accelerate the industrial adoption of green hydrogen production technologies.

Small-scale robots designed to operate on water surfaces face challenges in mobility, adaptability, and multifunctionality. This study introduces bio-inspired “S-aquabots” powered by a programmable Marangoni motor (PM-motor), enabling highly controllable propulsion, efficient fuel use, and silent motion. The robots mimic natural leaves, blending seamlessly into aquatic environments while achieving a 3.5-fold improvement in fuel efficiency compared to conventional designs. With flexible hybrid electronics, the S-aquabots perform complex maneuvers, transmit real-time video, and monitor environmental conditions. By combining biomimicry with advanced engineering, these devices open new possibilities for environmental monitoring, pollution control, and adaptive robotics in outdoor aquatic systems.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are widely recognized for their outstanding power conversion efficiency, but their vulnerability to heat undermines long-term stability and practical use. This study introduces a crystal facet engineering strategy to enhance thermal conductivity and reduce performance loss under elevated temperatures. By orienting the perovskite film toward the (100) facet, the researchers improved heat transfer, lowered operating temperature, and achieved stable power output even during prolonged illumination. The resulting inverted solar cells reached 25.12% efficiency while maintaining over 90% of initial performance after extended aging. These findings highlight thermal management through facet orientation as a powerful route to reliable, high-efficiency solar energy technologies.

Hydrogen release at the electrode surface has long hindered the development of aqueous zinc metal batteries, a promising technology for grid-scale energy storage. While most studies have focused on hydrogen evolution during zinc plating, new evidence reveals that significant hydrogen is also generated during zinc stripping, driven by chemical corrosion of newly exposed zinc surfaces. Researchers now show that small organic additives, particularly cysteamine, can form a protective gradient solid electrolyte interphase that isolates water molecules from the electrode surface. This approach greatly reduces unwanted hydrogen generation and improves battery reversibility, achieving more than 4000 stable cycles with high Coulombic efficiency.