Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have successfully increased the production of D-lactic acid from methanol by exposing Komagataella phaffii yeast to ultraviolet irradiation.

Researchers have developed a humidity-resistant phosphorescent material using a simple and effective strategy of multi-component crosslinking in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films. The innovation enables ultralong phosphorescence (3.18 seconds) under high humidity (80% RH), enabling applications in anti-counterfeiting, data encryption, and wearable electronics.

Given the limited exposure of active sites and the retarded separation of photogenerated charge carriers in those developed photocatalysts, photocatalytic CO₂ splitting into value-added chemicals has suffered from the poor activity and remained in great challenge for real application. Herein, hydrothermally synthesized BiOCl with layered structure (BOCNSs) was exfoliated into thickness reduced nanosheets (BOCNSs-w) and even atomic layers (BOCNSs-i) via ultrasonication in water and isopropanol, respectively. In comparison with the pristine BOCNSs, the exfoliated BiOCl, especially BOCNSs-i with atomically layered structure, exhibits much improved photocatalytic activity for CO₂ overall splitting to produce CO and O₂ at a stoichiometric ratio of 2:1, with CO evolution rate reaching 134.8 µmol g^-1 h^-1 under simulated solar light (1.7 suns). By surpassing the photocatalytic performances of the state-of-the-art Bi_lO_mX_n (X: Cl, Br, I) based photocatalysts, the CO evolution rate is further increased by 99 times, reaching 13.3 mmol g^-1 h^-1 under concentrated solar irradiation (34 suns). This excellent photocatalytic performance achieved over BOCNSs-i should be benefited from the shortened transfer distance and the increased built-in electric field intensity, which accelerates the migration of photogenerated charge carriers to surface. Moreover, with oxygen vacancies (V_O) introduced into the atomic layers, BOCNSs-i is exposed with the electrons enriched Bi active sites that could transfer electrons to activate CO₂ molecules for highly efficient and selective CO production, by lowering the energy barrier of rate-determining step (RDS), *OH + *CO₂⁻ → HCO₃⁻. It is also realized that the H₂O vapor supplied during photocatalytic reaction would exchange oxygen atoms with CO₂, which could alter the reaction pathways and further reduce the energy barrier of RDS, contributing to the dramatically improved photocatalytic performance for CO₂ overall splitting to CO and O₂.

In a milestone moment for science education and collaboration, Rice University hosted its first DUNE-TECH (DUNE Training ExperienCe Hub) camp this June, drawing students, researchers and scientists from across the country into the world of neutrino physics and computing. The weeklong event held on Rice’s campus was designed to prepare participants for meaningful engagement with the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) — the most ambitious neutrino experiment ever undertaken in the United States.

Researchers from Brown University and Morgan State University have developed a smartphone-based method to measure skin tone using color analysis, offering a more accessible way to address racial bias in pulse oximetry. By capturing images of the skin and calculating a standardized color metric known as the individual typology angle (ITA), the team showed that smartphones can produce accurate skin-tone readings comparable to those of expensive clinical devices. The approach works best under controlled lighting conditions and could help improve the accuracy of oxygen level monitoring in patients with darker skin tones. This technique may support more equitable healthcare practices by providing clinicians with a standardized, low-cost tool for skin-tone assessment.