A single carbon atom is revolutionizing pesticide design. Scientists reveal how adding a tiny methyl group to existing insecticides can dramatically boost their killing power against crop-destroying pests—offering a clever, cost-effective solution to combat rising resistance and protect global food supplies.

Local photothermal effect of AuNRs gives rise to high local temperatures. Two methods based on electron spin resonance (ESR) technique were developed to characterize the local temperature (T_local) around the excited rod. The obtained T_local is 20-30℃ higher than the global temperature (T_global) of the illuminated suspension measured using thermocouple. The local photothermal effects of gold nanorods (AuNRs) can promote the thermal decomposition of H₂O₂ to generate hydroxyl radicals. The AuNRs + H₂O₂ system can be used as a light-triggered hydroxyl radical source to regulate the generation of hydroxyl radical by time and space.

A noncontact virtual reality (VR) human-machine interface (HMI) was developed by electret-based triboelectric sensor (ETS), which is fabricated by the electrospun polylactic acid/thermoplastic polyurethane (PLA/TPU) electret nanofiber film. Integrated with a deep learningbased multilayer perceptron neural network, the ETS realizes the recognition of 18 different types of 3D gestures with a high average accuracy of 97.3%. An intelligent noncontact VR interactive system based on the ETS is further developed to manipulate game characters for performing different actions by 3D gestures. This work for the first time introduces the triboelectric 3D gesture recognition method to the VR HMIs, and could make the interaction between human and virtual environments become more efficient and fascinating.

Directly observing the atomic rearrangement in ferroelectric semiconductor In₂Se₃ paves the way for developing stable and reliable in-memory computing devices.

Electrocatalysts constantly experience structure evolution during CO₂RR, directly affecting activity, selectivity, and long-term durability. In this review, researchers explain how atomic migration, redox transitions, and surface restructuring determine catalytic performance, and highlights advanced in-situ characterization techniques for decoding these dynamic processes. Understanding such reconstruction mechanisms plays a key role in designing robust catalysts for industrial CO₂ conversion.

Forest restoration, a critical strategy for mitigating climate change and rejuvenating natural ecosystems, is a global priority, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) targeting substantial atmospheric carbon removal through these efforts. However, understanding the factors that govern the recovery of soil organic carbon (SOC) – the largest terrestrial carbon pool – has remained a complex challenge. A comprehensive global meta-analysis, led by Shan Xu and Junjian Wang from the Southern University of Science and Technology with international collaborators including Nico Eisenhauer from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, now clarifies these crucial drivers, offering vital insights for effective climate change mitigation strategies.

A new investigation led by researchers at the African Centre of Excellence in Future Energies and Electrochemical Systems (ACE-FUELS) at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, provides a detailed molecular-level blueprint for using Nigerian coal deposits to simultaneously capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) and enhance natural gas production. The work by Victor Inumidun Fagorite and his colleagues offers a scientific foundation for implementing CO₂-Enhanced Coalbed Methane (ECBM) technology, a process with significant economic and environmental potential for the nation.

A team of researchers from Guizhou University has published a comprehensive review on the synthesis and application of catalysts derived from a ubiquitous and challenging source: solid waste. The paper synthesizes a vast body of research to demonstrate how materials like industrial sludge, agricultural residue, and metal-containing byproducts can be converted into valuable solid waste-derived carbonaceous catalysts (SW-CCs). This work, authored by Tao Jiang, Bing Wang, Masud Hassan, and Qianqian Zou, provides a critical overview of how these advanced materials can address pressing environmental and energy challenges, offering a viable pathway toward a circular economy.

The increasing global demand for sustainable energy and carbon materials, alongside pressing environmental concerns, necessitates innovative approaches to resource management. Biomass, a versatile renewable resource, offers significant potential for conversion into biochar, an alternative fuel and valuable carbon material. However, efficiently transforming diverse biomass types into high-quality biochar remains a challenge. A recent investigation, conducted by Zhilong Yuan, Ye Wang, Lingfeng Zhu, Congcong Zhang, and Yifei Sun from Beihang University and Hainan University, addresses this by developing a sophisticated machine-learning framework to optimize biochar production from aquatic biomass. This work bridges a crucial gap, as previous modeling efforts largely overlooked aquatic sources.