Polyoxometalates are complex molecular cages made of metal and oxygen atoms and are an important tool in experiments. However, they often behave differently than expected in solutions. Chemists at the University of Vienna have now systematically tested their properties and developed an 'atlas' for experiments. In doing so, they are providing a valuable tool for scientists who want to make chemistry, materials research and biomedical applications more reproducible and efficient. The study has been published in Science Advances.

Microorganisms in the Black Sea can produce large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O). However, this gas never reaches the atmosphere because it is swiftly consumed by other microorganisms, which convert it to harmless dinitrogen gas (N₂). Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have now investigated this process and identified the key players involved.

Researchers have developed a nitrogen-doped graphitic biochar using chitosan for efficient removal of nitrogen-containing contaminants, such as imidacloprid, from water. The material demonstrated notable adsorption performance, achieving a capacity of 140.1 mg/g and a removal efficiency of 97.2% for imidacloprid. The study reveals the key role of nitrogen-functional groups, particularly pyridinic-N and graphitic-N, in driving the adsorption process through π–π interactions and Lewis acid-base reactions. These findings provide valuable insights for designing advanced adsorbents for environmental remediation.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in ACS Applied Nano Materials a new method to precisely measure nuclear elasticity—the stiffness or softness of the cell nucleus—in living cells. By employing a technique called Nanoendoscopy-AFM (NE-AFM), which inserts a nanoneedle probe directly into cells, the team revealed how cancer cell nuclei stiffen or soften depending on chromatin structure and environmental conditions.

The findings provide fundamental insights into how the physical properties of cancer cell nuclei change during disease progression, highlighting their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment evaluation.

Having good neighbours can be very valuable – even in the atomic world. A team of Amsterdam physicists was able to determine an important property of strontium atoms, a highly useful element for modern applications in atomic clocks and quantum computers, to unprecedented precision. To achieve this, they made clever use of a nearby cloud of rubidium atoms. The results were published in the journal Physical Review Letters this week.

In the study, researchers identified top-performing covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for both adsorption and membrane separation, showing that 3D COFs with small pores excel in adsorption, while 2D COFs with large pores are ideal for membrane separation. The team also uncovered key features governing COFs' separation performance, pointing to more efficient ways to extract helium from natural gas.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society the use of three-dimensional atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular dynamics simulations to determine the structure of water in the hydration of different types of chitin nanocrystals, and how this affects their mechanical properties, reactivities, and interactions with enzymes and reactants.

Researchers have developed a highly sensitive method for detecting hotspots in the environment, such as bushfires or military threats, by harnessing the focussing power of meta-optical systems.

The key to the approach is innovative lens technology thinner than a human hair, which can collect and process infrared radiation from fires and other heat sources with much improved efficiency. Crucially it does not need cryogenic cooling, unlike current sensors.

The result is sensor technology that promises to enhance devices in both the civilian and military spheres, said Dr Tuomas Haggren, lead researcher on the project.