Chemistry

Janus 2D materials, named after the two-faced Roman god, boast bottom surfaces composing two different elements. This asymmetry gives them unique properties, and Janus two-dimensional semiconductors are becoming more common. While scientists have long known how to produce Janus 2D materials, they have yet to grasp the underlying physics behind the process. Now, researchers from Tohoku University have solved the mystery.

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, carry out computer experiments to track how water nanodroplets wet surfaces

An international research team has discovered a method to precisely synthesize extremely small Iridium Nanoclusters that outperform conventional, commercially available iridium catalysts by 1.5 times in mass activity. This breakthrough could result in improved production of green hydrogen.

Using the color of light to strengthen or weaken an artificial synapse's memory

Kanazawa University-led researchers developed a one-step recycling method that recovers toxic lead (Pb) and valuable metals including gold (Au) and indium (In) from flexible perovskite solar cells, supporting sustainable solar energy technologies.

Cells have surface receptors that couple to proteins and other molecules to initiate or inhibit certain behaviors. Researchers have found that one of these receptors helps set developing cells on the path to becoming neurons much earlier than previously thought.

Researchers demonstrate a systematic screening method that can help find promising catalyst candidates without the tedious trial-and-error of every single possible combination.

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a quantum mechanical model for concentrated organic radical solutions considering stochastic collisions between molecules. The first-order contribution to intermolecular interactions is averaged to zero by collisional fluctuations, but the second-order term survives and enhances the magnetic susceptibility. These results explain experimental observations of an anomalous increase in the magnetic susceptibility at the solid-to-fluid transition that cannot be predicted by conventional theories.

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.

An exciting new strategy involving a specially designed iron-based catalyst can speed up the reaction that powers next-gen zinc-air batteries. This means cleaner, more efficient energy for everyone.

An international research collaboration, including OMU, IJS, NIST and AUT, has unveiled a robust metallic state in the molecular material ytterbium cesium fulleride (Yb₂CsC₆₀) that directly tests conventional theories of electron behavior. Normally, strong interactions between electrons are expected to suppress their movement and turn materials into insulators through a process called a Mott transition. However, Yb₂CsC₆₀ represents a case where metallicity survived, suggesting that the material’s electrons were continuing to move collectively, stabilized by a different mechanism. The discovery is of relevance to future research in fields such as superconductivity, quantum matter, and next-generation electronic technologies.

Self-assembled nanostructures in the electrolyte control ion flow… achieving world-record performance in both cycle life and capacity simultaneously

Researchers innovated artificial photosynthesis technology by optimizing the electrolyzer part of the system. This tweak enables the continuous production of solar fuel, even with fluctuations in sunlight intensity.

Exciting new research at Tohoku University’s Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) explains how to transform decades of scattered literature data into design rules for catalysts.

Scientists found that certain chemical impurities, such as hydrogen and oxygen, help amorphous carbon form graphite-like, ultralow-friction interfaces under mechanical stress. The findings reveal how impurities can enable self-forming lubricating surfaces, offering a new strategy for designing durable, energy-efficient materials.

- Reductive sulfonamidation of ketones, previously impossible, was achieved using new 'diethylsilylium ion’

A remarkable new method of distinguishing chiral (mirror-image) molecules could eventually detect distortions inside quantum and soft materials, find abnormal protein aggregates linked to disease, and more.

The device retains 98% of its performance even after 45,000 charge–discharge cycles, demonstrating excellent long-term stability.

- Prof. Hyuk-Jun Kwon’s team at DGIST develops a high-performance photodetector (light-sensing sensor) in a two-dimensional semiconductor material using a single laser process - Expected to enable next-generation flexible and image sensor applications without complex stacking or transfer processes - Published in the international journal Advanced Optical Materials

The study reveals that when one macrocyclic molecule captures a guest molecule, this event influences neighboring host molecules and promotes further guest capture.

A newly designed magnesium-tin alloy is bringing magnesium batteries a step closer to reality. The new alloy design improves both stability and magnesium-ion transport inside solid-state batteries, helping address one of the long-standing challenges in next-generation battery technology.

Researchers from Tohoku University have developed a new kind of filter that overcomes a long-standing challenge, creating a special material that makes separating CO2 from other gases both fast and highly accurate.

What if some of the most important scientific discoveries are already hidden in data collected years ago? Researchers at Tohoku University are exploring how AI and data-driven science can reveal new insights from past experiments and scientific literature. Their review highlights how old data could help accelerate discoveries in chemistry and materials science.

Studying molecules in liquid solution is notoriously difficult. However, this just got easier thanks to a new X-ray technique developed by an international group of scientists. The technique can capture ultrafast molecular changes in extremely dilute liquid samples.

Researchers at Tohoku University have uncovered a new principle that could help accelerate the development of cheaper and more efficient fuel cells. The team discovered that dual-atom catalysts follow a previously unknown “dual-Sabatier optima” pattern, overturning long-standing assumptions in catalyst science and opening new possibilities for clean energy technologies.

Researchers have developed an optical fiber that uses laser-induced heating and bubble-driven convection to rapidly concentrate bacteria and nanoparticles in liquid samples. The method collects thousands of targets in 60 seconds with over tenfold higher efficiency than conventional approaches. This approach allows for faster and more sensitive detection in biomedical and environmental applications.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a strategy to make aggregates of nanoparticles plastically deform under heating. Anionic groups are introduced onto the surfaces of cellulose nanofibers and paired with cations from an ionic liquid. At high temperatures, the cations diffuse across the interfaces between the nanofibers in the aggregates, enabling the aggregates to expand. This study is the first time nanoparticle aggregates have been thermoformed without loss of nanoparticle shape or crystallites.

Solid electrolyte particle sizes affect ion pathways

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- DGIST Principal Researcher Kim Jaehyun’s team has developed a high-voltage, flame-retardant solid polymer electrolyte that operates even at low temperatures - Fluorine-based additives induce molecular interactions that modify the lithium-ion solvation structure, prevent polymer freezing, and improve oxidation resistance - Published in the international journal Energy Storage Materials