Engineering & Technology

Metal–amide chemistry provides a rational approach to controlling heavy-pnictogen reduction, paving the way for safer and more scalable semiconductor quantum dots.

Researchers have developed a new framework that uses artificial intelligence to monitor wastewater treatment in real time, ensuring environmental safety while maximizing resource recovery. This “twin transition” approach allows facilities to predict system health and optimize energy use simultaneously.

The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA (LVK) detector network has a new trick up its sleeve to improve the instruments’ sensitivity to gravitational waves: it’s called Astrophysical Calibration and it plays a role similar to auto-tune in music production.

A tiny change to the arrangement of organic molecules in nanoparticle systems can result in a massive change to material properties. By synthesizing gold nanoparticles coated with two different types of organic molecules, a research team has uncovered new insights into this phenomenon.

Researchers from The University of Osaka report the creation of step–terrace–ordered GaN surfaces using catalyst-referred etching (CARE). Mechanical testing on these surfaces demonstrates exceptional reproducibility across 100 measurements, achieving record-low stress scatter.

Dolphin secrets, Iron-rich Moon, Squeezing diamonds, Sweat the small stuff, Muonic molecules. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus: SciCom Coffee speaker.

Researchers in Japan showed that growing Eu-doped GaN on a semipolar GaN plane selectively forms highly efficient Eu luminescent centers while suppressing inefficient Eu clusters. The approach increased room-temperature red emission by 3.6 times, reduced efficiency droop, and points to brighter, wavelength-stable red LEDs for monolithically integrated full-color micro-LED displays using the GaN materials platform.

Development of Stevia-PVA Hydrogel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator Technology

Researchers at National Taiwan University developed bioinspired composites that mimic bone and bamboo structures to improve strength and toughness simultaneously. Using artificial intelligence, simulations, and 3D printing, the team discovered how soft layers near cracks can prevent catastrophic failure.

Electrical-domain interference in polymer optical fibers offers a simpler route to fast sensing without conventional optical-spectrum analysis.

Dynamic catalyst interfaces offer a smarter route for converting CO2 into formic acid.

Data-driven models provide precise prediction on charging-phase of desalination technology building a bridge between data-driven insights and physicochemical principle to lay a strong foundation for system parameter optimization.

A National Taiwan University study shows that traffic particles can create sharply localized exposure hotspots near busy roads, intersections and elevated corridors. The findings suggest that targeted street-level planning may better protect children and other vulnerable groups than citywide averages alone.

- Principal Researcher at DGIST, Lee Hyun-Joon, receives the Minister of Science and ICT Commendation for his contributions to the localization of semiconductor thermal observation equipment - A decade of commercialization support leads to expansion into AI-based next-generation semiconductor analysis

Development of specialized "One-body" materials for dry processes maximizes battery performance and productivity.

An international research team led by a scholar from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has broken through the overlooked role of sewers as a source of methane, developing the first-ever globally applicable estimation tool and offering a new perspective on mitigating climate change.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have demonstrated that a wireless electroencephalogram transmission system can operate using energy harvested from the temperature difference between the human body and the ambient air. The low-power device successfully operated outdoors at high temperatures, demonstrating stable performance without external power or airflow. This technology could enable the development of maintenance-free sensing systems for health monitoring and infrastructure applications in the future.

Researchers have created a self-powered fiber sensor that can detect oil in water and respond quickly to dangerous heat. The system works without an external power source and could support real-time safety monitoring in marine and industrial environments.

Researchers developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) technique that could help overcome a major bottleneck in the development of large-scale quantum computers. The method enables automated analysis of key measurement data used in semiconductor spin qubits.

Biodegradable plastics are great. They provide the ductility of plastics whilst reducing the materials environmental downsides. However, in the quest for greater degradability, improving durability has received scant attention. A research group recently rectified this with the development of a new bamboo composite that emphasised both biodegradability and strength. The group also developed a means to predict how the material breaks down in water.

Engineers at NIMS develop a system that captures all the elements of trial and error in material design, enabling reliable reproduction of the reasoning processes and results

Floatable beads made from chitosan and cellulose acetate and enhanced with bentonite were engineered to effectively clean oil from water. The beads showed good oil adsorption capacity while remaining easy to collect from the water surface.

Wireless signals do not travel well through the human body, especially in high-frequency bands, such as the UWB band, making it difficult for swallowable medical devices to reliably send data outside the body. By accounting for how different frequencies behave in the body, researchers adjusted each part of the signal to match how it is absorbed and distorted by tissue, creating a stronger, clearer signal at the receiver.

Researchers reveal a powerful new way to precisely tune quantum defects, opening the door to ultra-sensitive next-generation sensors

In collaboration with Clarivate, Professor Nam-Gyu Park’s research team highlights the rapid growth of solid-state implementation since its first successful realization in 2012

Simultaneous greenhouse gas capture and electricity generation marks a paradigm shift from energy-consuming to energy-producing systems

This study uses an IO-MFA model to reveal that recycled polyester is currently concentrated in low-value industries, identifying high-value invisible pathways in indirect supply chains to foster strategic industrial matchmaking. It provides a data-driven framework for policymakers to design "pull" mechanisms, such as mandatory recycled content, to redirect materials toward higher-margin economic streams.

Researchers have created a new database that employs AI to filter jargon and eliminate the need for users to have specialist programming skills. Called StableOx-Cat, the database identifies stable metal oxide electrocatalysts, making it easier to discover better materials for clean energy technologies.

The Hong Kong SAR imports over 90 per cent of its food, and it can be very difficult when food safety incidents occur to trace the source across a complex supply chain. Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management at Lingnan University, has published a new study proposing the introduction of a unified product tracing system across the food supply chain. The study confirms that such a system would improve overall traceability efficiency, and analysis shows that cooperative mechanisms across supply chain tiers help reduce the entry of problematic food into the market, improving both food safety and consumer confidence. The research findings have been published in the internationally respected flagship journal IISE Transactions of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.

What if AI could discover breakthrough materials before we even test them? A new physics-informed AI model makes discovery faster and more reliable. This approach could reshape the future of electronics.