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Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence method that automates experiments by autonomously defining and conducting the next step of an experiment without input from human researchers. It works by creating a model that fits experimental data, then using that model as the starting point for continuously refining the model to fit with new data.

Heterostructures are semiconductors that have special optical and electronic properties that make them useful in transistors, and other applications. Research ers discovered a new way to make heterostructures that consist of a core of tin sulfide crystals wrapped in a tin disulfide shell, a structure with excellent light absorption and energy transfer properties.

Nearly all computer models of molecules and materials are based on density functional theory (DFT) approximations. Scientists have several methods for correcting self-interaction error in DFT approximations that work well for some chemical arrangements but introduce new errors in others. A new method removes self-interaction errors without hurting accuracy.

The Sun is a spinning ball of plasma that generates its own magnetic field. As the Sun spews out plasma, it generates solar wind that pulls the Sun's magnetic field along with it, twisting the magnetic field into what is called a Parker spiral. A recent experiment recreated this interaction at a small scale in the laboratory.

Understanding how a small, gas-phase molecule containing an actinide atom reacts with other molecules helps us better understand the chemistry of heavy elements. This study identified an extreme in the chemical behavior of curium. Curium lies at the center of the actinide series on the periodic table at the transition between the rare heavy elements and the very rare, very heavy elements.

Scientists have designed a recyclable plastic called poly(diketoenamine)s, or PDKs. In contrast to many plastics, scientists can recover and free the monomers of PDK plastic from each other and additives by dunking it in a highly acidic solution. Manufacturers can then reassemble the plastic into a different shape, texture, and color without loss of performance or quality.

Scientists have discovered a new method for creating hollow metallic nanostructures with regularly spaced and sized pores. They used advanced electron tomography to collect three-dimensional images at different stages of synthesis, allowing them to track the transition from gold nanocubes with sharp corners to gold-silver alloy nanowrappers with pores at their corners. The pores are large and regular enough to carry molecule or nanoscale-size particles for applications in medicine, catalysis, and other fields.

Researchers have created miniature lasers that are stable and work continuously at room temperature. The lasers use combined arrays of nanopillars with nanoparticles that can absorb two photons of light and emit them as a single photon with higher energy. They could have applications in quantum technologies, imaging, and other areas.

All objects emit heat in the form of infrared light. This effect is strongest in dry, clear air, especially on cloudless nights. Radiative sky cooling employs this effect as a passive cooling mechanism. Scientists have now demonstrated that radiative sky cooling can be coupled with thermoelectric materials to generate enough electricity to power a small light emitting diode. When scaled up, the technology could be a useful supplement to solar photovoltaic cells.

Scientists working on ways to build atomic structures to specifications can study these methods on a larger scale using 'big atoms.' 'Big atoms' are micro-particles of silica mixed into liquid crystals and act much like individual atoms. The geometry of the particles determines how they interact with each other the same way the electrons around an atom determine how it interacts with other atoms. Scientists can observe 'big atoms' using conventional optical microscopes.