Researchers Dr. Heeyeon Kim and Dr. Yoonseok Choi from the High Temperature Electrolysis Laboratory at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER, President Yi, Chang-Keun), in collaboration with Professor WooChul Jung from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, have successfully improved a catalyst used in dry reforming reactions* that produce energy from greenhouse gases.

As a green sustainable alternative technology, synthesizing nitrate by electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) can replace the traditional energy-intensive Ostwald process. But low nitrogen fixation yields and poor selectivity due to the high bond energy of the N≡N bond and competition from the oxygen evolution reaction in the electrolyte restrict its application. On the other hand, two-dimensional (2D) PdS₂ as a member in the family of group-10 novel transition metal dichalcogenides (NTMDs) presents the interesting optical and electronic properties due to its novel folded pentagonal structure, but few researches involve to its fabrication and application. Herein, unique imitating growth feature for PdS₂ on different 2D substrates has been firstly discovered for constructing 2D/2D heterostructures by interface engineering. Due to the different exposed chemical groups on the substrates, PdS₂ grows as the imitation to the morphologies of the substrates and presents different thickness, size, shape and the degree of oxidation, resulting in the significant difference in the NOR activity and stability of the obtained composite catalysts. Especially, the thin and small PdS₂ nanoplates with more defects can be obtained by decorating poly(1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide) on the 2D substrate, easily oxidized during the preparation process, resulting in the in situ generation of SO₄²⁻, which plays a crucial role in reducing the activation energy of the NOR process, leading to improved efficiency for nitrate production, verified by theoretical calculation. This research provides valuable insights for the development of novel electrocatalysts based on NTMDs for NOR and highlights the importance of interface engineering in enhancing catalytic performance.

Nanoporous metal oxides have a wide variety of applications, such as catalysts, electrodes, energy materials, sensors, and biomaterials. Recently, a team of researchers has demonstrated a novel synthesis method for their efficient and desirable preparation. Specifically, they prepared difficult-to-prepare quasi-single-crystalline inverse opal α-Fe₂O₃, demonstrating that crystal growth occurs in nanospace due to volatilization and oxidation of metal chlorides. This technology is expected to further the development of catalytic and energy conversion materials for carbon neutrality.

Until recently, the color variations observed in the petals of Saintpaulia were attributed to periclinal chimera or the influence of genetically distinct cell layers. Now, a new study by researchers from Japan has identified a single gene called SiMYB2 that regulates petal colors in Saintpaulia by producing two distinct mRNA transcripts. This study lays the foundation for future horticulture-related research and can aid the deliberate breeding of patterned flowers.

Finishing techniques used to make cotton fabric smooth, water-resistant and less prone to wrinkling can contain formaldehyde or PFAS and be detrimental to the environment and the wearer. Now, researchers at North Carolina State University propose a method for using cottonseed oil as a greener and safer alternative to formaldehyde and PFAS when finishing cotton fabrics to make them more water-resistant. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2025.