Researchers Shinjiro Takano, Yuya Hamasaki, and Tatsuya Tsukuda of the University of Tokyo have successfully visualized the geometric structure of growing gold nanoclusters in their earliest stages. During this process, they also successfully “grew” a novel structure of elongated nanoclusters, which they named “gold quantum needles.” Thanks to their responsiveness to light in the near-infrared range, these “needles” could enable much higher-resolution biomedical imaging and more efficient light-energy conversion. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Designing high-performance electrocatalysts is one of the key challenges in the development of microbial electrochemical hydrogen production. Transition metal-based (TM-based) electrocatalysts are introduced as an astonishing alternative for future catalysts by addressing several disadvantages, like the high cost and low performance of noble metal and metal-free electrocatalysts, respectively. In this critical review, a comprehensive analysis of the major development of all families of TM-based catalysts from the beginning development of microbial electrolysis cells in the last 15 years is presented. Importantly, pivotal design parameters such as selecting efficient synthesis methods based on the type of material, main criteria during each synthesizing method, and the pros and cons of various procedures are highlighted and compared. Moreover, procedures for tuning and tailoring the structures, advanced strategies to promote active sites, and the potential for implementing novel unexplored TM-based hybrid structures suggested. Furthermore, consideration for large-scale application of TM-based catalysts for future mass production, including life cycle assessment, cost assessment, economic analysis, and recently pilot-scale studies were highlighted. Of great importance, the potential of utilizing artificial intelligence and advanced computational methods such as active learning, microkinetic modeling, and physics-informed machine learning in designing high-performance electrodes in successful practices was elucidated. Finally, a conceptual framework for future studies and remaining challenges on different aspects of TM-based electrocatalysts in microbial electrolysis cells is proposed.

Astronomers using ALMA have made the first spatially resolved detection of protostellar jets and outflows in the Milky Way’s outer region. Observations of Sh 2-283-1a SMM1 reveal episodic ejections every 900–4,000 years. The results show that while star formation follows universal physics, the region’s lower silicon-to-carbon ratio offers rare chemical insights into how stars formed under early cosmic conditions.

The study reported the development of a transparent mesoporous tungsten trioxide (WO₃) film that achieved efficient and durable solar-driven water splitting. A unique in situ template-carbonization strategy, the material maintains crystallinity, optical transparency, and stability under neutral conditions were optimized. This enhances photocurrent generation, oxygen evolution efficiency, and long-term performance, offering a scalable route for tandem photoelectrochemical devices and advancing the prospects of sustainable hydrogen production from sunlight.

In the quest for sustainable and efficient methods to detect heavy metals in the environment, a new study titled "Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Biomass-Derived N-Doped Carbon Dots for Metal Ion Sensing" offers a promising solution. This research explores the innovative use of microwave-assisted synthesis to create nitrogen-doped carbon dots from biomass, providing a green and effective approach to metal ion sensing.

Recently, the team of Academician Xiaojun Peng from Dalian University of Technology, Associate Professor Haidong Li, and the team of Professor Juyoung Yoon from Ewha Womans University, South Korea cooperated to develop a series of near-infrared (NIR) dyes with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics, based on an electron-acceptor engineering strategy to regulate the excited-state dynamic processes of dyes. By introducing diphenylamine into the xanthene structural unit, due to the increase in freely rotatable single bonds and asymmetric structures, the dyes exhibited enhanced AIE characteristics as well as potential for photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and photoacoustic imaging (PAI). Variation in the number of cyano groups within the dyes could regulate their excitation wavelength, PDT efficacy, and PTT capability. Experimental results showed that Hcy-ON displayed high ROS production and heat-generating capacity under 760 nm laser irradiation. Molecular theoretical calculations indicated that Hcy-ON exhibited a significant spin–orbit coupling matrix element (SOCME) value <S₁|SOC|T₃>, with the minimum energy gap between S₁ and T₁ energy levels being 0.678 eV, which is related to its strongest ROS generation capability. In addition, analyses of the singlet–triplet (S–T) energy gap, electron transition mechanism, root-mean-square displacement (RMSD) value, and Huang–Rhys factor confirmed the excellent photothermal performance of Hcy-ON. This strategy provides a new paradigm for constructing multimodal light-driven tumor therapies. This research work was published in CCS Chemistry.

Improving living conditions for Parkinson's patients, and diagnoses for patients suffering from inflammatory processes. The medical field is the common factor in these Politecnico di Milano research projects, which have been awarded two ERC (European Research Council) Starting Grants with a funding of 1.5 million each, for a duration of five years. The prestigious awards were won by researchers Emanuele Riva from the Department of Mechanical Engineering with the LUMEN project and Claudio Conci from the Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” with the ALFRED project. A total of 55 Italian researchers are among the 478 selected by the European Research Council for 2025, with a total of 761 million EUR going to support the proposed ideas.