With the aim to precisely understand its function, researchers from the Inorganic Chemistry Department and Interface Science Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, together with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion investigated the Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst system used for industrial methanol production during reaction conditions. They found that the dynamic, temperature-sensitive nature of the Cu-ZnO interaction is the key to its function – opening up new avenues for rationally improving this process.

Salk researchers collaborated with scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine to develop a new class of probes for imaging living cells. The probes, called visible-spectrum antigen-stabilizable fluorescent nanobodies (VIS-Fbs), generate high-contrast images with minimal disruption to normal cellular activity. The technology enables more precise investigation of complex biological processes, including cell signaling, development, and disease progression.

Prominences are cool plasma structures extending several thousand kilometers in the Sun’s hot corona. Some persist for weeks. For prominences to form and remain stable, they need a constant replenishment of plasma. A new study in the journal Nature Astronomy provides insights into their “supply logistics.” The Sun’s magnetic field is crucial. It lifts plasma from deeper layers into the prominences and directs the inflow through the corona. For the first time, the new computer simulations take into account processes in all involved layers of the Sun - including those below the surface.

A research team led by Prof. Zhiyuan Zeng from City University of Hong Kong has made a key breakthrough in lithium intercalation of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). They first mapped the full electrochemical lithium intercalation phase evolution of IV-VI TMDs, uncovered the universal phase transition mechanism, and realized mass production of atomically thin TMD sheets. Based on this, the team fabricated a high-performance flexible thermoelectric generator with excellent stability, providing a new solution for self-power supply of wearable electronics. The findings are published in National Science Reviews.

A noble‑metal‑free photocatalyst, Co-Ni(OH)₂/CdS, has been developed to efficiently convert benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde while simultaneously producing hydrogen under visible light. The study reveals a photon–heteroatom synergistic mechanism. Using a Pickering emulsion system, the team achieved gram‑scale synthesis, producing 12.4 g of high‑purity benzaldehyde. This work offers a promising strategy for sustainable chemical synthesis and clean energy production.

Renowned energy storage scientist Professor Shirley Meng will join Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) as its next Vice President (Industry).  She formally begins her tenure on 1 July 2026. Professor Meng is currently the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME). She leads the Energy Technologies Initiative, anchored at UChicago PME, which serves as a core part of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG). She will maintain a partial appointment at UChicago PME for a transitional period and continue to be involved in the University’s Energy Transition Network, a programme established by her to safely, quickly, and cost-effectively transition the globe from fossil fuels through a collaborative approach.

Scientists achieved record-breaking ambient-pressure superconductivity in nickelate films, reaching an onset temperature of 63 K and zero resistance at 37 K, together with enhanced Meissner diamagnetism. By utilizing a novel non-equilibrium epitaxy method, they overcomed previous thermodynamic conflicts and significantly improved the crystalline integrity and control over oxygen content. The findings correlate high-T_c with strange-metal behavior and reveal strong interlayer coupling exceeding that of cuprates.