Snow and ice can damage paved surfaces, leading to frost heaves and potholes. These become potential hazards for drivers and pedestrians and are expensive to fix. Now, researchers propose in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering a figurative and literal green solution to improve the durability of roads and sidewalks: an algae-derived asphalt binder. For temperatures below freezing, results indicated that the algae binder reduced asphalt cracks when compared to a conventional, petroleum-based binder.

SAN ANTONIO — December 15, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has received $1.75 million in funding from the ENERGYWERX program to support a set of hydrogen-related projects. The eight projects focus on testing components for the hydrogen industry to improve energy infrastructure and support the use of this clean-burning fuel.

The lithium-ion battery is a new energy storage device widely employed in various fields such as mobile power, electric vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and spacecrafts due to its high energy, high efficiency, lightweight, and environmental friendliness. Understanding the internal mechanism of the battery is of utmost importance. The electrochemical model provides detailed insights into the internal mechanism of lithium batteries and encompasses the single-particle model and the P2D model, as well as enhancements such as thermal coupling, mechanical stress coupling, and electric double-layer capacitive coupling. However, the dispersion effect of capacitors in solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film capacitors and porous electrodes has been basically ignored, which is essential for analyzing the internal mechanism and managing energy conversion in lithium batteries experiencing short-term effects. Furthermore, the determination of the dominant order of the Faraday process and non-Faraday process within a short time period is essential for accurately predicting the lifespan of lithium batteries subjected to high-frequency periodic excitation and assessing performance degradation. While the frequency range of these two processes can be roughly delineated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the precise transition time of their dominant positions remains uncertain.

AIP’s 2026 Karl Taylor Compton Medal for leadership in physics is being awarded to Professor John Holdren of Harvard University and former Chief Science & Technology Advisor to President Obama. Named after prominent physicist Karl Taylor Compton, the medal is presented by AIP every two years to a highly a distinguished physicist who has made outstanding contributions to physics through exceptional statesmanship in science. Holdren was chosen by the selection committee “for his scientific leadership in engaging the public and promoting sound governmental policies and key international agreements.”

Scientists at Aarhus University have developed nanomotors inspired by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes and placed them inside artificial cells. The nanomotors drive the formation of internal protein networks resembling a cytoskeleton, giving artificial cells a life-like function previously seen only in living cells and marking a step toward self-organizing synthetic systems.