A research team led by Prof. DENG Dehui and Prof. YU Liang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), collaborating with Prof. LU Junling from the University of Science and Technology of China and Prof. YU Hongmei from the DICP, developed a highly efficient and stable catalyst for acidic hydrogen evolution.

Kyoto, Japan -- Experts say quantum computing is the future of computers. Unlike conventional computers, quantum computers leverage the properties of quantum physics such as superposition and interference, theoretically outperforming current equipment to an exponential degree.

When a quantum computer is able to solve a problem unfeasible for current technologies, this is called the quantum advantage. However, this edge is not guaranteed for all calculations, raising fundamental questions regarding the conditions under which such an advantage exists. While previous studies have proposed various sufficient conditions for quantum advantage, the necessity of these conditions has remained unclear.

Motivated by this uncertainty, a team of researchers at Kyoto University has endeavored to understand the necessary and sufficient conditions for quantum advantage, using an approach combining techniques from quantum computing and cryptography, the science of coding information securely.

A new study led by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers investigating precision polymer blends revealed critical insights that could accelerate the development of advanced materials for batteries, membranes and energy storage systems.

The research, which focused on blends of a polymer called polyethylene oxide (PEO) and a charged polymer known as p5, found that even small amounts of charge can dramatically alter how these materials mix. This behavior aligns with previously developed theoretical models, offering a new framework for anticipating when polymer blends will remain uniform or separate into distinct phases.

In joint research with the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tohoku University, and Kyoto Institute of Technology, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) developed and published "elemental reactivity maps" for discovering new phases. The research team proposed maps that use machine learning to identify over 3,000 element combinations that could potentially form new phases from among a total of 85,320 combinations of up to three elements selected from the 80 elements easily handled in the laboratory. This research result was published in Chemistry of Materials on February 21, 2025.

A research team led by Prof. ZHANG Jian and Prof. ZHANG Yexin from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with Prof. ZHANG Zhaoliang from the University of Jinan, has developed a novel electrified catalysis strategy for DRM, which they termed electrified DRM (e-DRM).

Coordination nanosheets formed by coordination bonds between metal ions and planar organic molecules are widely utilized in diverse electronic and catalytic applications. In a new study, researchers from Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Japan, have developed coordination nanosheets in an ink-like form. By employing a single-phase reaction of nickel, copper, and zinc ions along with benzenehexathiol, they have demonstrated the selective and sequential synthesis of highly conductive coordination nanosheets.