Chemistry

A single atom can make all the difference. Researchers at Tohoku University have shown that subtle changes in the nitrogen coordination around cobalt dramatically reshape oxygen reduction reaction performance, a cornerstone process for fuel cells and clean chemical production. These insights provide a powerful blueprint for designing next-generation single-atom catalysts to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.

We all want cheap, long-lasting, green, and efficient energy. Researchers are helping to make this dream a reality with a new distortion-resistant material that greatly improves these aspects of a battery’s cathode.

In our recent JACS paper, we demonstrate that AI-designed ubiquitin-fold proteins achieve extraordinary stability not by tightening their hydrophobic cores, but by reorganizing surface charges to program a structured hydration shell. Using solution NMR and molecular dynamics simulations, we decode this “hydration shield” as a sequence-encoded and engineerable mechanism for extreme protein resilience.

- Selective production of CO and CH₄ achieved by tuning Fe·Cu single-atom–TiO₂ interactions - CO₂ reduction activity enhanced by 55 times (CO) and 44 times (CH₄) compared to conventional TiO₂ - Findings published in Advanced Science

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a method to reproducibly form subnanometer pores within a solid-state nanopore. A voltage-driven chemical reaction produces a precipitate that fills and closes the nanopore, while dissolution reopens conductive pathways. This process forms many subnanometer-sized pores, whose effective size can be tuned by changing reactant composition and pH. These ultrasmall pores mimic biological ion channels and enable studies of ion transport in confined spaces.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have created highly transparent wood without plastic additives and revealed that its clarity depends on structural direction. Alkali treatment softens cellulose-based cell walls, allowing internal cavities to collapse during drying and reduce light scattering. Tangential sections become more transparent than radial ones due to anisotropic swelling and densification. The findings offer new design principles for sustainable transparent materials in buildings and advanced devices.

DNA - the blueprint of life – can also act as a reaction vessel that guides chemical reactions. This is possible using interstrand crosslinking technology developed by researchers at Tohoku University.

From the DeLorean to skyscrapers, stainless steel is known for its exceptional strength. But exposure to certain elements, such as seawater, can compromise it. Grinding the surface of stainless steel has long been known to reduce its corrosion resistance, and now researchers at Tohoku University have discovered why, potentially opening the door to new ways to mitigate the problem.

Carbon-based π-electron compounds are usually a first pick for their catalyst potential, but researchers have developed a stable silicon version – a feat that has been a major challenge until now.

This research study assessing 23,000 mother-child pairs found that higher maternal depression around the period of birth may impair mother-infant bonding and increases the risk of autism in their daughters.

Critical to hydrogen’s widespread adoption as a clean energy source is its storage. Solid-state storage, where hydrogen is absorbed into metals, offers an alternative to high-pressure tanks. Yet hydrogen storage alloys face a trade-off between storage capacity and material stability. Tohoku University researchers discovered that magnetism governs this trade-off, and that by controlling the magnetic properties of alloys, it is possible to workaround this trade-off.

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a much more efficient way to produce ethylamine - a crucial component for dyes, pharmaceuticals, and more. It all starts with a catalyst.

Take a dive into the streamlined workflow of DIVE (Descriptive Interpretation of Visual Expression)! DIVE combines multiple AI agents to extract images from about 4,000 scientific publications to propose new materials – all within minutes.

Early marine algae adapted their light-harvesting systems for weak blue-green light, suggesting how photosynthesis evolved.

A new tool offers researchers a better way of exploring and understanding catalyst data.

Researchers at Tohoku University developed a wastewater treatment method to help clear pollution caused by toxic, non-biodegradable dyes. The method uses a 3D, sponge-like covalent organic network to purify wastewater in a sustainable manner.

Old trees are learning new tricks with the advent of composite materials. Made of biodegradable polymers and the waste bark of the Yakushima Jisugi tree, the green composite was developed by a research team at Tohoku University. When assessing the material, they found that simply testing its mechanical strength — in this case, its tensile strength or ability to resist pulling —could reliably predict the biodegradation process. Traditionally, in processes that are costly in time and money, scientists chemically test how much of a material remains after time has passed. Shifting assessment focus to how a material continues to safely function during the biodegradation process, the team said, could help better inform practical use of such products.

Two-dimensional topological materials are widely studied because they can be efficient and cost-effective catalysts. Their unique electronic properties give rise to robust topological surface states. However, this assumption is often made under the premise that their surfaces remain clean and unchanged during reactions, which is rarely the case. Using quantum computing, a research team has recreated a 2D material’s true working surface under reaction conditions.

Researchers from The University of Osaka report the development of two fluorescent indicators, Gachapin and Gachapin-C, that can be used to monitor cell–cell contacts and contacts between different processes of the same neuronal cell. Unlike split GFP indicators, the reversible and instant fluorescence from the Gachapin/Gachapin-C chromophore upon contact enables real-time imaging of dynamic contact events.

Sticky life beginnings. Precarious pitcher plant, Breaking the cobalt "cage", Toxic algae killer & “Pure-bred” stem cell medium. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus Asia Research News 2026 is out now and SciCom Coffee talk by Rachael Smith at Wellcome Sanger Institute.

A recent review article explores how software-based AI systems are changing the design process of solid electrolytes, enabling faster development of solid-state batteries.

- DGIST Professor Youngwook Kim’s research team uncovers a new principle for “ultralow-power memory” without artificial deformation - Presents a novel physical principle for the realization of next-generation low-power electronic devices and quantum memory

Initially stacked benzene layers increase fluorescent color change drastically when exposed to pressure, suggesting new ways to design the pressure sensors used in machinery and medical devices

Macrolide antibiotics like azithromycin rely on a complex ring structure that’s powerful but notoriously hard to control. Researchers have uncovered how bacterial enzymes shape this ring during the biosynthesis of the antibiotic pikromycin, revealing new ways to fine-tune macrolide structures. Their findings could open the door to designing improved antibiotics through smarter biosynthetic engineering.

A simple tablet could change the way deadly breathing disorders are treated, with no need for electricity, machines, or gas tanks.

The largest ever reported database of dielectric material properties could speed up development of electronics like smartphones and energy storage systems.

A glowing test strip offers real-time protection against formaldehyde exposure in homes, workplaces, and labs.

Understanding the interaction between hydrogen, metal, and the environment can help avoid metal fatigue cracks.

Researchers have developed a machine learning approach to predict the mechanical behaviour of new alloys, offering potential savings in both costs and experiment time.

Understanding how tree-like structures that form in thin films could be the key to next-generation materials for beyond-5G communications technologies.