Supercomputer-based simulations reveal the intricacies of sodium-ion clustering and transport in hard carbon nano-pores, report researchers from Science Tokyo. Their results show that a bottleneck effect can lead to the sluggish diffusion of ions in sodium-ion batteries, while also providing useful nanostructural design guidelines to increase the energy density of hard carbon anode. By implementing these insights, the realization of carbon-neutral society can be accelerated.

The University of Trento has demonstrated the existence of an empty lava tube even in the depths of Venus, a planet whose surface and geology have been largely shaped by volcanic processes. The cave was identified through radar data analysis as part of a project funded by the Italian Space Agency. "Our knowledge of Venus is still limited, and until now we have never had the opportunity to directly observe processes occurring beneath the surface of Earth’s twin planet. The identification of a volcanic cavity is therefore of particular importance, as it allows us to validate theories that for many years have only hypothesized their existence," explains Lorenzo Bruzzone, the coordinator of the research, full professor of the University of Trento. "This discovery contributes to a deeper understanding of the processes that have shaped Venus’s evolution and opens new perspectives for the study of the planet," he adds.

Scientists are recruiting adults from across the UK to take part in a groundbreaking trial to accurately track what they eat and drink in their daily lives.

Phyton Biotech has successfully transferred the manufacturing process for the microbial production of Corallopyronin A (CorA). CorA is a novel anti-infective agent with the potential to address neglected tropical diseases. This achievement marks a significant step forward in the Company’s specialty GMP fermentation capabilities and supports the broader clinical development program led by the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).

Researchers have proposed a multi-channel TDC with Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) that is a generator of fingerprint of IC. Published in Electron. Signal Process, this brand-new TDC architecture with PUF function has the potential to create new direction in research of TDC and hardware security.

Water supply systems are crucial to urban infrastructure but are also significant contributors to carbon emissions, with their electricity-intensive processes making up a large portion of these emissions.

As the climate crisis becomes a part of daily life with unprecedented heatwaves and cold snaps, technology to effectively remove greenhouse gases is emerging as a critical global challenge. In particular, catalytic technology that decomposes harmful gases using oxygen is a key element of eco-friendly purification. South Korean researchers have identified the principle that catalysts—which were previously vaguely thought to simply ‘use oxygen well’—can selectively utilize different oxygen sources depending on the reaction environment, presenting a new standard for catalyst design.

Zinc–air chemistry is uniquely suited for microscale energy storage because it uses oxygen directly from the surrounding air, reducing the need for stored reactants. Despite this advantage, true micrometre-scale zinc–air batteries based on interdigitated electrodes and operating in safe, near-neutral electrolytes have remained largely unexplored. Most existing designs are primary batteries or rely on stacked architectures and strongly alkaline electrolytes, limiting their suitability for biomedical applications and on-chip integration.

Researchers have now developed a planar micro zinc–air battery that overcomes these challenges. The device integrates bifunctional cathode catalysts, a near-neutral NH₄Cl/ZnCl₂-based gel electrolyte, and micrometre-scale interdigitated electrodes patterned in a single plane. Using electrodeposition and microplotter-assisted microfabrication, precise material coverage is achieved across 200-micrometre-wide electrodes. Despite its small footprint, the battery delivers high energy and power at elevated current densities and is capable of powering an LED and a digital thermometer. This demonstrates that chip-scale systems can host their own onboard power source, enabling fully autonomous micro-devices.

The work is the result of a two-institution collaboration: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Hyderabad, India, led catalyst chemistry, materials development, and electrochemistry, while University College London (UK) contributed micro-fabrication, micro-plotting, and device engineering expertise.

As a first demonstration, challenges remain. Long-term cycling leads to gradual material loss at both anode and cathode, resulting in capacity decay. Ongoing efforts focus on robust catalyst anchoring, improved bifunctional cathode materials, and suppression of zinc dendrites to enhance areal energy and power over extended operation. This advance opens pathways for micro-batteries in wearables, implantable sensors, IoT nodes, and soft microrobotics, where power sources must be as small and integrated as the devices themselves.