Chemical reactions that are sensitive to force could help power engineered materials that beat, twitch and shiver like living tissue for new applications in robotics and other technologies

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers examined how boiling PFSA polymer membranes — a common treatment applied to the material — affects their performance and helps them work as specialized tools for different applications.

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) in Japan have one-upped themselves in their quest to solve our microplastic problem. They report a new plant-based plastic made from cellulose, the world’s most abundant organic compound. The new plastic is strong, flexible, and capable of rapid decomposition in natural environments, setting it apart from other plastics marketed as biodegradable.

CU Boulder engineers have developed a way to see, in real time, exactly how and when buildup forms on desalination filters, an advance that could help water treatment plants run more efficiently, cut energy costs and deliver clean drinking water to communities around the world.

A joint research team from NIMS, The University of Tokyo, Kyoto Institute of Technology and Tohoku University has demonstrated that thin films of ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂) exhibit altermagnetism—the defining property of what is now recognized as the third fundamental class of magnetic materials. Altermagnets have the potential to overcome limitations associated with current magnetic random access memory using conventional ferromagnets and are attracting attention as promising materials for next-generation high-speed, high-density memory devices. In addition to identifying RuO₂ as a strong candidate for such applications, the study also highlights the possibility of enhancing its functionality through control of crystallographic orientation. The research findings were published in Nature Communications on September 24, 2025.