Using a dual-modification strategy of in-situ silica and mercaptosilane alongside a covalent co-vulcanization network, the study constructs ultra-durable carbon nanotube strain sensors. This design effectively suppresses filler secondary agglomeration. Benefiting from this robust chemical bonding, the sensor maintains exceptional signal stability without significant drift after 15,000 stretch cycles, achieving industry-leading durability under extreme acidic, alkaline, and saline environments.

Bacteria naturally release microscopic particles known as bacterial extracellular vesicles. This review considers how these vesicles could be adapted for precision cancer medicine, from carrying drugs and activating immune responses to limiting metastasis and identifying cancer biomarkers. It also examines the practical obstacles ahead, including inconsistent production, safety risks, contamination and the lack of shared manufacturing and quality standards.

This work introduces a reusable, dry, one-step method for direct collection and transfer of high-resolution single‑walled carbon nanotube films of predetermined geometry without material waste or necessity for post‑processing. By locally clogging pores of filter by stencil imprinting, the method yields reusable membranes that leave undesired areas completely CNT‑free and achieve laser‑limited ~100 µm features. Demonstrations include ultra-sensitive strain gauges and a stretchable THz spiral zone plate, highlighting potential for future optical and sensing devices.

A renewable polymer with agricultural potential

Modern agriculture faces a difficult balance: raising productivity while reducing dependence on petrochemical fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics. In a review published in Carbon Research, authors led by Hongliang Wang of China Agricultural University examine how lignin, the most abundant natural aromatic polymer, could serve as a versatile platform for eco-friendly agricultural inputs. The article positions lignin valorization within a broader push toward low-carbon, circular agriculture.

The review explains that lignin’s appeal comes from a combination of structural and functional traits. Its phenolic and aliphatic hydroxyl groups, aromatic backbone, antioxidant activity, UV-shielding capacity, antimicrobial behavior, and tunable degradability make it suitable for multiple agricultural uses. Rather than treating lignin as a low-value industrial by-product, the authors describe it as a candidate feedstock for materials that can improve nutrient efficiency, crop protection, and soil performance while reducing pollution.

Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) established the first fully in-house, closed-loop pipeline for manufacturing and validating synchrotron X-ray nanofocusing mirrors in the U.S. Leveraging deterministic ion beam figuring (IBF), they achieved atomic-level precision, enabling 30-nanometer resolution during in situ operation. This autonomous framework reduces reliance on external supply chains, guaranteeing the deterministic delivery of atomic-scale optics required for next-generation synchrotrons and free-electron lasers.

Producing hydrogen using sunlight could offer a cleaner way to store renewable energy, but many photocatalytic materials still lose much of the absorbed solar energy before it can be converted into hydrogen. A new study shows that tiny carbon particles made from cellulose can help overcome this problem.

Biochar is increasingly used in agricultural soils to store carbon, improve soil properties, and support climate mitigation. But agricultural soils are also accumulating another persistent form of carbon: microplastics.

Researchers at the University of Patras have found that biochar made from a common brewery byproduct can substantially improve the ability of sand to retain Escherichia coli, pointing to a potential new use for brewing waste in water filtration and groundwater protection.

A research team has uncovered a possible epigenetic mechanism that enables the elite ‘Shuxinyou’ (SXY) cultivar of Aquilaria sinensis to produce agarwood more efficiently than ordinary ‘Baimu’ (BM). 

A research team has identified MaLBD50 as a key positive regulator of banana ripening that accelerates starch breakdown by directly activating the β-amylase gene MaBMY1.