The rapid and energy-efficient synthesis of high-performance catalysts is a critical hurdle in advancing clean energy technologies like hydrogen production. Addressing this challenge, a research team at KAIST has now developed a novel platform technology that utilizes a 0.02-second flash of light to generate an ultrahigh temperature of 3,000 °C, enabling the highly efficient synthesis of catalysts. This breakthrough process reduces energy consumption by more than a thousandfold compared to conventional methods while increasing hydrogen production efficiency by up to six times, marking a significant step toward the commercialization of clean energy.

Leading maritime engineering specialists, marine ecologists, and biodiversity experts, gathered in Barcelona between 7 and 9 October to officially kick start the project’s vision on climate-resilient coastal landscapes. Hosted by the Maritime Engineering Laboratory from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the meeting focused on setting the strategic direction of the project, aligning the scientific, technical and communication objectives and establishing synergies between project partners across Europe and beyond. 

A Japanese research team has mathematically revealed why crack tips sharpen during rapid fracture in rubber. The study demonstrates that this phenomenon is caused solely by the material’s viscoelasticity, not by previously assumed nonlinear effects. They also validated the long-standing viscoelastic trumpet theory, proposed by Nobel Laureate Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, using fundamental equations of continuum mechanics. This work establishes a theoretical foundation for fracture control and durability improvement of a wide range of polymer materials from tires to medical devices.

A collaborative research team led by the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new “sandwiched” MoOx/Ag/MoOx (MAM) buffer layer to improve the performance and scalability of semi-transparent CsPbI₃/TOPCon tandem solar cells. The MAM buffer layer enhances light transmittance and charge carrier transport while effectively protecting underlying layers from sputtering damage. This innovation enabled semi-transparent CsPbI₃ solar cells to achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.86% (0.50 cm²) and corresponding 4-T CsPbI₃/TOPCon tandem cells to reach 26.55% PCE. Significantly, the technology was successfully scaled to larger-area minimodules, achieving 16.67% and 26.41% PCE for CsPbI₃ and 4-T tandem minimodules (6.62 cm²), respectively—marking the first reported minimodule demonstration for this architecture. This work provides a scalable and efficient buffer layer strategy, paving the way for next-generation, high-efficiency perovskite-based photovoltaic systems.

A research team from Tianjin University of Technology, Shandong Univeristy and Shantou University has developed a novel method to enhance the performance and durability of inverted perovskite solar cell (PSC). By introducing guanidinium salt into the fabrication process, the team successfully controlled crystal growth and orientation, leading to solar cells with higher efficiency (25.85%), improved charge transport and exceptional stability under humid and thermal conditions. Moreover, extensive testing demonstrated that the devices retain over 95% of their original efficiency after thousands of hours of operation and exposure to challenging environments.

This work offers a reliable approach to fabricating highly oriented, low-defect perovskite films, accelerating the development and commercialization of efficient and stable PSCs.