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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Dec-2025 21:11 ET (16-Dec-2025 02:11 GMT/UTC)

Decoding how pH controls the chemistry of clean energy

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists at Tohoku University have uncovered how electric fields, surface properties, and charge dynamics work together to shape catalytic reactions. The findings reveal why pH so strongly influences reaction efficiency, and how understanding this interplay can guide the design of smarter, more sustainable catalysts.

Journal: Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Unmasking the culprits of battery failure with a graphene mesosponge

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Tohoku University synthesized a graphene mesosponge to pinpoint the cause of battery failure, so that we can fix the root cause of their instability.

Journal: Applied Catalysis B Environment and Energy
Funder: JST-ASPIRE, JST A-STEP, JSPS KAKENHI, EPSRC, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship

Hot pressing and SPS found equally effective for next-gen batteries

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Tohoku University researchers dispel the “plasma effect” myth in spark plasma sintering, showing that both SPS and hot pressing achieve equally effective, rapid densification of LLZO solid electrolytes.

Journal: Small

Artificial intelligence technology in environmental research and health

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

With so many environmental issues arising, how can we even begin trying to solve them all? Perhaps, we can start by asking AI. This study highlights how AI can pinpoint viable action plans for these issues.

Journal: Environment International

How is good cholesterol made?

Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL), also known as “good cholesterol”, remove excess cholesterol from the body’s tissues and transport it to the liver. This process is known to prevent atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque in the walls of arteries. Atherosclerosis is associated with deadly symptoms, including heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, and blood clots. Despite the importance of HDLs, scientists still have a limited understanding of how they are made.

Journal: Nano Letters

Layered cobalt catalyst reimagines pigment as a pathway for carbon dioxide recycling

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a multilayer cobalt catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide with stable efficiency. The work highlights how data-driven design and molecular stacking can open new directions for carbon recycling.

Journal: Applied Catalysis B Environment and Energy

An energy-efficient method to convert water pollutants into useful ammonia

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Producing ammonia – a valuable chemical compound used in many fields – takes enormous amounts of energy. Researchers at Tohoku University have found a more efficient option that converts harmful pollutants in water to ammonia.

Journal: Advanced Functional Materials

Turning rust into fuel: MANA advances green rust catalyst for next-gen hydrogen vehicles

Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), one of the centers under the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, report an inexpensive iron hydroxide catalyst that could support the use of sodium borohydride as a hydrogen storage material.

Journal: ACS Catalysis

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