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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Nov-2025 13:11 ET (16-Nov-2025 18:11 GMT/UTC)

Nano-engineered photocatalyst sets milestone for solar fuel production

Institute of Science Tokyo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a leap forward for solar fuel technology, researchers from Japan developed nanosized, porous oxyhalide photocatalysts (Pb₂Ti₂O_5.4F_1.2) that achieved record performance in producing hydrogen from water and converting carbon dioxide to formic acid using sunlight, outperforming previous oxyhalide catalysts by ~60 times. This breakthrough offers a scalable, eco-friendly approach to solar fuel production and highlights the importance of controlling particle size and structure to enhance efficiency.

Journal: ACS Catalysis
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology

Efficient solar harvesting even in high humidity

National Research Council of Science & Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The Energy & Environment Materials Research Division of the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), led by Dr. Dong-chan Lim and Dr. So-yeon Kim, has developed a highly durable flexible perovskite solar cell material and fabrication process that remains stable even under high humidity conditions.

Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal
Funder: Ministry of Science and ICT

Reinforcement learning world models for catalyst surface reconstruction: state-of-the-art review

ELSP
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Reinforcement learning (RL) and latent world models are emerging as promising tools for modeling complex atomic level changes in catalyst surfaces under real reaction environments. This newly published review in AI Mater introduces a conceptual framework to reconstruct and optimize catalyst surfaces, such as AgPd nanoalloys, using AI-driven techniques. The work presents advancements in using Dreamer based architectures and multi-objective optimization strategies to address long standing challenges in catalytic surface modeling, offering new insights for computational catalysis and smart materials design.

Journal: AI & Materials

Design of a household robot with autonomous navigation for object detection and sorting

ELSP
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have designed an intelligent household robot capable of autonomous navigation, object detection, and sorting. This robot, equipped with advanced technologies like depth cameras, YOLOv11 object recognition, and a flexible gripper, can perform various tasks, including retrieving objects and interactive entertainment. The study, published in Robot Learning, highlights the robot’s ability to navigate indoor spaces, recognize objects with high accuracy, and grasp items of different sizes and weights. This innovation could transform household robots into more efficient and interactive family assistants.

Journal: Robot Learning

Merging genes, models, and climate: a new approach to predicting rice flowering

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team used flowering data from 169 rice genotypes—each with over 700,000 SNP markers—across multiple environments to develop a robust framework for phenotypic prediction.

Journal: Plant Phenomics

Unlocking the green code: how CsCHLI drives chlorophyll synthesis in tea plants

Maximum Academic Press

A research team has identified a key gene, CsCHLI, that plays a central role in chlorophyll biosynthesis and leaf coloration in tea plants.

Journal: Beverage Plant Research

Unlocking the aroma secrets of gardenia tea: scientists decode its signature scent

Maximum Academic Press

A research team systematically analyzed the volatile compounds and key odorants that define its fragrance using advanced analytical technologies and chemometric tools.

Journal: Beverage Plant Research