Researchers have developed a new optical computing material from photon avalanching nanoparticles.

Researchers at Hokkaido University and Duke University have developed a hydrogel that heals and strengthens itself as it is overloaded and damaged. The proof-of-concept demonstration could lead to improved performance for situations where soft but durable materials are required, such as load-bearing connections and joints within machines, robots and even people.

By tracking half a million fungal highways and the traffic flows within them, researchers describe how plants and symbiotic fungi build efficient supply chains. The team built an imaging robot that allowed them to gather 100 years’ worth of microscopy data in under 3 years. This work advances our understanding of how fungi move billions of tons of CO2e into underground ecosystems each year.

Aerospace engineering senior Philip Wilson attended an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) conference. Rohit Raut, a senior physics major, presented his work at a nuclear research symposium, and senior biology major Jaden Rankin had the opportunity to feature her research at an entomology conference. These and other University of Texas at Arlington students were able to showcase their original research at major symposiums thanks to UTA’s expansion of its popular undergraduate research program that provides funding for select students to present at academic conferences.

A century of fire suppression, climate change, and drought has worsened wildfires in the Western U.S. While prescribed burns help reduce fuel, a “fire deficit” increases wildfire risks, with significant health and environmental impacts. Deforestation and pests further limit carbon storage. Emulating Indigenous practices, a new study shows that combining physical harvesting of dead wood with thinning reduces wildfire risks, lowers carbon emissions, and boosts carbon storage through products like biochar.

The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ has been recognized as a promising strategy to convert ambient atmospheric CO₂ into valuable products. Bismuth-based catalysts have garnered the widespread attention of researchers due to their cost-effectiveness, low toxicity, and high natural abundance. Significant progress has been made toward enhancing the reactivity of catalyst structureons through innovative synthesis techniques and engineering. Advances include the use of flow cells and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) cells to attain high cathodic current densities of over 200 mA cm^-2 with superior selectivity that approaches over 90%.

Though technologies for the highly selective reduction of CO₂ to formate have been realized for bismuth-based catalysts, several challenges remain that hinder their commercialization. Further advancements are essential for improving the stability of Bi-based catalysts for industrial applications. The development of in situ characterization techniques is required to be compatible with high current densities, which would provide insights into the kinetics of the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) to facilitate the identification of key intermediates for real-world applications. Economic evaluations are vital for assessing the CO₂RR in terms of the cost and efficacy of the CO₂ reduction process. A research team has highlighted recent developments and proposed viable future directions, with their work being published in the journal Industrial Chemistry & Materials recently. The main goal of this feature article is to provide readers with the latest research progress and current challenges of CO₂RR using Bi-based catalysts.