Chemistry isn’t always known for its sustainable methodologies and simple execution, though the possibilities for finding more direct and efficient ways to synthesize products are limitless. Conventional methods for modifying drug intermediates with the addition of a carboxyl group (a functional group consisting of a carbon double-bonded to an oxygen molecule, with a single bond to a hydroxyl group, or -OH) using carbon dioxide (CO₂) in a process called carboxylation often are expensive, have poor stability and high activation energy costs. Alternatively, this study focuses on newer advances in the carboxylation of heteroaromatic compounds, which are organic molecules arranged in a ring format, making them very stable and necessary building blocks for many organic compounds. The advancements shown here use CO₂ as a raw material to develop a greener, highly selective and efficient way to add CO₂  to heteroaromatic compounds under mild conditions.

In a newly published research article in Space: Science & Technology, an international team of researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN); the China Academy of Space Technology; the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and the China University of Geosciences jointly presents a detailed account of the successful deployment of the INRRI laser retroreflector on the lunar farside by the Chang’e-6 mission.

This review highlights Anoectochilus roxburghii as a promising natural skincare ingredient with strong translational potential. Traditionally known as the “King of Medicine” and “Golden Herb,” A. roxburghii contains polysaccharides, flavonoids, and kinsenosides that may support antioxidant defense, anti-inflammatory regulation, skin barrier repair, and brightening effects. The article connects traditional medicinal value with modern cosmetic science, emphasizing topical, skin-relevant mechanisms rather than systemic pharmacological effects. It also discusses product development opportunities, including serums, masks, creams, and soothing formulations, while identifying key challenges such as extract standardization, clinical validation, safety assessment, and scalable industrial application.

An article in the Soil Science Society of America Journal proposes a classification framework to help scientists better understand lunar soils. This emerging science of “planetary pedology,” the study and classification of soils beyond Earth, could help future missions select the best sites for construction, resource extraction and potentially cultivation, thereby supporting long-term, sustainable human settlement on the Moon.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers successfully synthesized spherical Rh-Pd-Ir-Pt-Au HEA NPs with a mean diameter of approximately 10 nm in an aqueous mixed metal salt solution without any additional chemical reductants.

Atmospheric water vapor is vital to weather and climate research, yet estimating it from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals depends on an intermediate temperature value that global models may not represent accurately at regional scales. In Geodesy and Geodynamics, researchers introduce three models calibrated for Iran using radiosonde observations and radio occultation profiles from multiple satellite missions. Models using measured surface temperature performed best with radiosonde data, while a surface-temperature-independent model proved more reliable for satellite profiles and cut errors in GNSS-derived precipitable water vapor by about half at test stations in Tehran and Tabriz.