Hydrogen is widely seen as a key player in the net-zero energy transition, but its large-scale use faces a hidden barrier: underdeveloped insurance. New article in Engineering points out unique risks of hydrogen systems—from flammability and embrittlement to supply chain delays—that insurers struggle to quantify. With few tailored policies available, projects risk higher costs and limited funding. Closer cross-sector cooperation and innovative insurance tools could help unlock hydrogen’s full potential.

Researchers have developed an electricity-driven catalytic system that converts lignin, an abundant plant-based aromatic polymer, into valuable phenolic chemicals and fuel-related molecules with high efficiency. By combining a Ru@Bi/N-C catalyst with a HPW-HFIP electrolyte, the system directs active hydrogen toward useful reactions while suppressing hydrogen gas formation, offering a greener route for upgrading biomass into sustainable chemicals and aviation-fuel precursors.

Discovering new catalysts to power hydrogen production often involves a time-consuming trial-and-error process. Not only that, but materials scientists often have to comb through troves of scientific data and experimental data. Yet these days may be over thanks to a new AI-powered platform that enables researchers to identify new catalysts for methane pyrolysis— a promising technology for producing hydrogen with lower carbon emissions.

A research team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a plasma-cascade process that enables the direct synthesis of cyclohexanone cyanohydrin [Cy(OH)CN] with nitrogen, methane, and cyclohexanone under mild conditions. The process achieved a Cy(OH)CN selectivity of 95.8%, a yield of 23.9%, and a formation rate of 0.60 mmol h^-1.

Infected wounds can lead to delayed healing, suppuration, and potentially life-threatening complications, making their management critically important. An ideal wound dressing should possess key characteristics such as high protective function, comfortable user experience, and effective antibacterial efficiency. However, a single dressing that integrates all these functions is rarely achieved. Herein, we developed a “bionic cooling skin” for infected wound management based on hierarchical nanofiber construction. This was achieved by integrating solvent welding technology with single-sided metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that generate visible light-responsive reactive oxygen species (ROS, band gap = 2.56 eV). The designed bionic skin promotes rapid healing of infected wounds, and the healing mechanism has been confirmed by gene analysis. This advanced dressing closely mimics natural skin, exhibiting similar mechanical properties (σ_max = 21.6 MPa; ε_max = 54%), and high air and moisture permeability (> 1.8 mL s⁻¹ and > 12.5 kg m⁻² d⁻¹), respectively. Furthermore, the bionic cooling skin reduces the local temperatures of wounds exposed to sunlight by 4 °C, mitigating heat gain through high mid-infrared emissivity. This innovative bionic wound dressing not only enhances comfort and healing efficacy but also advances our understanding of wound repair mechanisms, holding significant promise for future wound care and biomedical material design.

A research team led by Professor Taesung Kim of the School of Mechanical Engineering at SKKU developed an optoelectronic synaptic device that mimics the functions of human neurons and synapses at the device scale.

The sixth State of the World’s Plants and Fungi report, published 16 June 2026 by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, brings together expertise from over 400 scientists across 40 countries to explore how new technology is transforming the race to save nature. The report argues technology can be nature’s ally, with digital tools exposing critical gaps in scientific knowledge and highlighting where action is most urgently needed to safeguard plants and fungi.

- Professor Sung Jin Kim’s team embeds liquid-cooling channels thinner than a human hair inside silicon chips, enabling cooling of 2 kW per 1 cm² with room-temperature water

 

- 3D coolant distributing channels shorten the travel paths like a distributed logistics network, reducing flow resistance and pumping power by up to 90%

 

- Record-high coefficient of performance (COP) of 106,000 expected to help ease thermal bottlenecks in AI accelerators and data centers

A new study has shown that agricultural waste from lavender straw can be transformed into a highly sensitive biochar-based sensor for detecting ethylene glycol, a widely used but potentially toxic chemical found in products such as antifreeze and industrial solvents.