Despite their widespread use in various applications, synthetic polymers such as polyethylene (PE) remain susceptible to structural deformation when exposed to stress. In a new study, scientists from Japan have utilized focused electron beam (FEB) irradiation to precisely induce micro-voids and nano-scale fibrils to improve the mechanical strength of PE. Following irradiation with FEB, PE demonstrated minimal crack opening and prevented further crack propagation. This study can fuel the development of superior polymer-based materials.

Birds currently inhabiting many territories across Africa, Latin America and Asia are, on average, considerably smaller than those that predominated in 1940. This is the conclusion of an international study led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), which documents—drawing on the collective ecological memory of ten Indigenous Peoples and local communities—a reduction of up to 72% in the mean body mass of the bird species present in their territories between 1940 and 2020.

After nearly five years of collaborative work, the European Horizon 2020 REST-COAST project convened for its final consortium meeting in Barcelona in early February. On the agenda were the main results that demonstrate how nature-based solutions (NbS), operational tools, business plans and policy insights can support evidence-based decision-making across Europe to reduce coastal risks, restore ecosystems and biodiversity, while improving the well-being of citizens.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a way to breach one of cancer’s most stubborn defenses: the impenetrable fortress that solid tumors build around themselves. By injecting nanobubbles filled with inert gas into tumors and “jiggling” them with ultrasound, the team successfully broke down tumor barriers enough for treatment-bearing molecules to get inside, according to results of a new study published in ACS Nano.

Among the enduring challenges of storing energy—for wind or solar farms, or backup storage for the energy grid or data centers—is batteries that can hold large amounts of electricity for a long time. In addition to having a large capacity—potentially enough to power a neighborhood or small city for days or weeks—ideally these batteries would be safe, affordable and environmentally harmless. With an eye toward meeting those benchmarks, researchers at Case Western Reserve University are developing novel electrolytes—fluids that can conduct ions—for rechargeable flow batteries.

A new study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has unveiled the first biomaterial that is not only waterproof but actually becomes stronger in contact with water. The material is produced by the incorporation of nickel into the structure of chitosan, a chitinous polymer obtained from discarded shrimp shells. The development of this new biomaterial, published in Nature Communications, marks a departure from the plastic-age mindset of making materials that must isolate from their environment to perform well. Instead, it shows how sustainable materials can connect and leverage their environment, using their surrounding water to achieve mechanical performance that surpasses common plastics.