Organic field-effect transistors are promising for highly sensitive portable gas sensors, but their practical application is limited by the atmospheric instability of organic semiconductors. This instability eventually leads to reduced device performance, contributing to growing electronic waste. To address this issue, researchers, through careful solvent engineering, have now developed a new class of eco-friendly, high-performance, and durable organic gas sensors using biodegradable polymers.

A new nanocomposite material made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers and piezoelectric materials can use vibrations to self-detect tiny cracks. This material could be used in the aerospace, automative, and construction industries to monitor structural health without the need of an external power source. 

Researchers have developed a new type of porous microneedle that can extract interstitial fluid from skin faster than ever before, without drawing blood or causing pain.

A joint study by the EHU-University of the Basque Country and the BC3 research centre reveals that EVs are concentrated in households with high incomes, higher levels of education and located in urban areas, which highlights a social divide in accessing them. The study concludes that current government grant schemes do not address this inequality, and proposes linking grants to income levels.

International researchers have improved an ultrasonic phased array system, making it possible to see hidden defects in aging concrete infrastructure and potentially strengthening the efficiency of infrastructural maintenance. 

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) research team has developed a groundbreaking wastewater treatment technology that integrates a mesh bioreactor with an ultrasound-induced transient cavitation cleaning mechanism. The system can complete mesh cleaning within 3.8 seconds under anaerobic conditions and achieves 10-20 times higher flux than conventional membrane bioreactors (MBRs). The technology operates efficiently with substantially lower energy consumption, produces treated effluent surpassing international and local discharge standards, and reduces the cost of treating each cubic metre of wastewater to 50% of conventional MBRs, offering a sustainable solution for both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.