EurekAlert! News by Subject: Chemistry & Physics - News by Subject: Chemistry & Physics

Chemistry & Physics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 6-Nov-2025 02:11 ET (6-Nov-2025 07:11 GMT/UTC)

New approach expands possibilities for studying viruses in the environment

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The study showcases an innovative and effective approach for large-scale genomic research of individual cells and viral particles, highlighting the abundance of marine viruses with unusual DNA chemistry.

Journal: Nature Microbiology

More polar ocean turbulence due to planetary warming

Institute for Basic Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change by an international team of scientists, from the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University in South Korea, presents new evidence that ocean turbulence and a process known as “horizontal stirring” will increase dramatically in the Arctic and Southern Oceans due to human-induced Global Warming and decreasing sea ice coverage.

Journal: Nature Climate Change
Funder: Institute for Basic Science

The chilling effect of air pollution

University of Washington
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New University of Washington-led research attributes accelerated warming to reduced cloud reflectivity. As efforts to improve air quality have reduced pollution, clouds became less mirror-like, letting more solar radiation reach Earth and revealing the true impact of greenhouse gases.

Journal: Nature Communications

Laser-drawn graphene metasurface turns electromagnetic waves on and off

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The research team led by Professor Daping He at Wuhan University of Technology reported a method for actively controlling the shielding efficiency of microwaves based on a micrometer-thick graphene metasurface. The continuous modulation between wave transmission and shielding in an ultra-wide range of 9.66%–99.78% is achieved, due to the remarkable anisotropy of wave-induced electron oscillation. The metasurface achieves facile preparation and open-air processability utilizing laser-induced ultrafast kinetics, facilitating its application in advanced smart electromagnetic devices. Additionally, the metasurface demonstrates potential in a novel paradigm for data electromagnetic encryption.

Journal: National Science Review

Preventing dangerous short circuits in lithium batteries

Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

• Danger not limited to electrodes

• Protective layer itself affected by dendrite growth

• New findings aid in search for alternative materials

Dendrites are considered the most dangerous destroyers of lithium batteries — tiny metal structures that can cause short circuits. In the worst case, they can cause batteries to burn or explode. A research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now discovered that such structures can form not only at the electrodes but also in polymer-based electrolytes. This new finding is crucial for the stability of future solid-state batteries.

Journal: Nature Communications

Plasma strategy boosts antibacterial efficacy of silica-based materials

Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Recently, Researcher NI Guohua and Associate Researcher SUN Hongmei from the Institute of Plasma Physics, together with Associate Professor WANG Dong from Anhui Medical University, developed a novel two-step plasma strategy to modify mesoporous silica-supported silver nanoparticles, enabling them to achieve strong antibacterial activity and accelerated wound healing.

Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal

Fly ash-enhanced biochar provides new opportunity for soil carbon sequestration

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

Researchers in China have unveiled a promising method to boost the carbon capture potential of biochar by integrating fly ash into the production process. The new study, published in Carbon Research, explores how the combination of agricultural and industrial byproducts can help tackle climate change by efficiently stabilizing carbon in soils.

Journal: Carbon Research

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