In International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing,  researchers fired ultrafast laser bursts at titanium foil and carved dual-scale microscopic textures in a single manufacturing step to create an artificial skin that handles both extremes.

A study published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts reports a scalable approach for introducing radiative cooling functionality onto wood surfaces. The researchers integrated thermochromic microcapsules (TCMs) and ZnO nanoparticles into a phenolic resin coating applied to rubberwood and fir. The resulting coating reversibly changes its optical response with temperature, increasing UV-visible reflectance by about 44.7% above its 28 °C transition temperature while maintaining high thermal emissivity. Outdoor experiments showed surface and subsurface temperature reductions of up to 10.4 °C and 7.2 °C, respectively. A model wooden house also showed lower surface and indoor temperatures, while EnergyPlus simulations indicated potential annual cooling energy savings of up to 19.5% in hot climates.

Researchers have discovered a system that helps seeds survive when there is too much salt in the soil. The system helps young germinating embryos keep the right balance of sodium and potassium as they begin to grow. Understanding how it works could eventually help scientists develop crops that grow better in salty soils.

Hafnia-based ferroelectric memories are emerging as promising candidates for next-generation nonvolatile memory because they combine excellent scalability with compatibility with CMOS technology. Further reducing the thickness of ferroelectric films can lower operating voltage and increase storage density, but maintaining reliability at high temperatures becomes increasingly challenging. Researchers at Fudan University have now shown that tailoring the size and orientation of ferroelectric grains can help address this challenge. Their ultrathin devices remain highly stable at 225 °C, pointing to a route toward dense and reliable ferroelectric memories for harsh thermal environments. The study was published in Science Bulletin.

Precise micromachining of refractory high-entropy alloys keeps a significant challenge for inherent brittleness and low thermal conductivity. In this work, water-jet guided laser technology enables a higher micromachining quality compared with CNL and femtosecond laser. Notably, WJGL reduces the heat-affected zone (HAZ) to 298 nm, ~99.1% lower than that of CNL. The material removal mechanism and microstructural evolution are elucidated. This work provides a reliable route for precision manufacturing of hard-to-process RHEAs.

New study shows that catastrophic fractures begin not with an explosive crack, but with tiny two-dimensional patches that creep almost imperceptibly before suddenly racing through a material. The findings offer a new picture of material failure, with implications ranging from detecting fractures to understanding how earthquakes begin.

Micro-QLEDs are emerging as a promising AR technology due to their high brightness and high-resolution capability. Scientists in China developed a two-inch wafer-scale fabrication process for Micro-QLEDs which provides a simple and low-cost route to accelerate the industrial application of Micro-QLED display.

A newly developed electrolyte additive could help lithium-ion batteries keep graphite anodes stable over prolonged cycling. Researchers synthesized pentafluorophenyl thiophene imine (FPTI), which forms a protective, LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase on graphite. At 4 mg/mL, FPTI enabled 95.6% capacity retention after 1,000 cycles in graphite/Li half-cells and improved lithium-ion transport. NMC811/graphite full cells using FPTI-conditioned anodes reached an energy density of approximately 233 Wh/kg, highlighting its potential for longer-lasting battery systems. 

Kyoto, Japan -- Plants are home to a diverse array of microorganisms that support their growth and help them adapt to environmental stress -- of which there has been an abundance of late. High temperatures and drought caused by human-induced climate change have led to reduced crop yields and the use of biofertilizers such as rhizosphere microorganisms, which help plants absorb nutrients and increase their resistance to disease and stresses. Yet single microorganisms have difficulties sustaining themselves in crops and remaining functional in the fluctuating environment of an agricultural field. This is where microbial communities can help.

A recent approach involves creating defined microbial communities -- DMCs -- by combining multiple microorganisms, which in turn influence each other and can thereby strengthen their resilience. However, the composition and function of such a community changes depending on plant-specialized metabolites and environmental conditions, rendering these rather impractical to use in conventional trial-and-error experiments aiming to find optimal microbial communities from amongst a vast number of combinations.

This motivated a team of researchers from Kyoto University, with help from colleagues at Tohoku University and RIKEN, to integrate microorganism data and establish a rational, predictable method for designing DMCs. The team chose the humble tomato as their plant subject.