A novel measurement cell allows, for the first time, soft and hard X-ray investigations under high pressures of up to 20 bar and temperatures of up to 400°C. This provides new insights into thermocatalytic processes, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for producing synthetic fuels. The development of the measurement cell is considered a significant achievement within the Care-O-Sene project.

Textile properties often depend as much on yarn entanglement as on the material itself, with these underlying patterns influencing mechanical behavior. Researchers have developed a mathematical framework that classifies periodic textile structures and identifies the features that define knittable textiles through the propagation of defects. The findings could help design fabrics with tailored mechanical properties and provide insights into how the underlying structure affects the properties of other entangled materials, from polymers to soft robotics.

Tourism is a growing source of carbon emissions, yet voluntary. This study found that CO₂-based pricing, particularly when environmental costs are presented as visible surcharges rather than discounts, increases tourists' intentions to conserve energy and resources. From a green capitalism perspective, the findings show how market-based price signals can align consumer behavior with sustainability goals while remaining compatible with business interests and existing consumption patterns.

Driving an electric current through a molecule can create a magnetic field. Yet in practice, such fields are often too weak to be detected experimentally. Through theoretical modeling, researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) show how quantum effects can turn single molecules into effective magnets—including one shaped like a microscopic soccer ball, just in time for the FIFA World Cup final. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

Small-scale plants could produce ammonia directly where it is needed. A global analysis involving the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI shows at which locations and under what conditions such mini-plants could operate in a low-carbon and economical manner. Ammonia is indispensable for fertiliser and could, in the future, also serve as fuel for ships.

When extreme drought strikes, drier grasslands receive the greatest productivity benefit from biodiversity. By contrast, forests did not show the same context-dependent pattern under drought, according to a new global synthesis of 75 biodiversity experiments. Researchers from YOKOHAMA National University published their results in Nature Ecology & Evolution on July 15.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo discovered that hydrogen behaves either as a quantum wave or as a classical particle inside vanadium, depending on its concentration and the crystal structure of the material. By combining hydrogen diffusion measurements with theoretical calculations, crystal symmetry was identified as a key factor controlling hydrogen tunneling. The findings provide a new framework for designing materials for future energy technologies.

Helpful microbes that combat harmful pathogens could be the answer to rising antimicrobial resistance - particularly within built environments such as hospitals, homes and schools.

That’s according to a fascinating new review that discusses the ongoing threat of antimicrobial resistant infections and why current prevention and treatment methods fall short.