Alberto Striolo is helping scientists better understand clathrate hydrates, which are underutilized in technology, through a trailblazing study.

We live in times of the continuous growth of global energy consumption leading to the intensive studies in the development of alternative energy sources like solar cells. One of the most intensively studied material for photovoltaics just after the silicon are halide perovskites for their exceptional optoelectronic properties and potential for low-cost fabrication. However, despite remarkable energy conversion effectiveness, these materials still face application limitations that are caused by structural defects within the crystal lattice. These defects act as charge trapping centers that drastically drop the overall efficiency of the perovskite under the solar energy conversion. Recently, scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS) led by prof. Prochowicz proposed novel 2-in-1 strategy that inhibit defects development suppressing the ions migration in the material and work as molecular umbrella that enhances hydrophobicity of photoactive material improving environmental stability. Their work is essential for achieving more efficient and durable perovskite solar cells.

Can light behave like a whirlwind? It turns out it can – and such “optical tornadoes” have now been created in an extremely small structure by scientists from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, the Military University of Technology, and the Institut Pascal CNRS at Université Clermont Auvergne. This discovery opens a new pathway for creating miniature light sources with complex structures, potentially enabling the development of simpler and more scalable photonic devices in the future, for applications such as optical communication and quantum technologies

Harbin Institute of Technology researchers propose a new terrain-aware framework for jointly optimising coverage, connectivity, and cost, enabling the first system-level design of laser power-beaming networks for extreme exploration tasks in the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions

Confirmation of tetrataenite in lunar soil returned from the South Pole–Aitken Basin sheds light on how space weathering shapes strong magnetic minerals on the Moon, offering fresh insights into the farside magnetic anomalies.

New research from Harbin Institute of Technology demonstrates that lunar soil can be efficiently melted using only microwave energy, eliminating the need for additional heating aids transported from Earth and paving the way for more cost-effective lunar construction.

Integrated system for filtering, enriching, and detecting trace gases paves the way for high-precision isotopic measurements and resource extraction from the planet's corrosive atmosphere

Perovskite solar cells are widely seen as the next big leap in photovoltaics. These devices use a special class of crystalline materials that convert sunlight into electricity with exceptional efficiency. However, their sensitivity to temperature swings has slowed their path to our rooftops. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Cluster of Excellence e-conversion have now identified why these promising materials lose their performance – and how they can be stabilized.

A research team led by Professor Jaehoon Kim at Sungkyunkwan University(SKKU) has developed a highly efficient catalytic process that electrochemically converts lignin, a key component of woody biomass, into value-added aromatic compounds and cyclohexene-based compounds.