Materials

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.

Researchers from National Taiwan University break traditional frameworks by unveiling a new symmetry-transition mechanism in ZrO2 thin films, achieving ultra-stable antiferroelectric behavior for up to one hundred million cycles.

A once-theoretical structure is now shaping the future of computing. Researchers have uncovered key properties of magnetic skyrmions, ultra-stable, 2 nm vortex-like structures that could enable next-gen memory with extremely low power consumption. Even more surprising? They can form in materials once thought impossible.

Researchers are investigating how 3D printers could achieve unprecedented levels of precision when creating batteries, opening the door for new innovations.

Matcha surprise, Smart sea urchin spines, Breaking biomass bonds, Hybrid air-conditioning, Alga in gloom & A touch of tech. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus Early Bird submissions for Asia Research News 2027

This deep dive explains the ins and outs of a catalyst called graphitic carbon nitride that speeds up the production of hydrogen peroxide – a highly useful oxidizing agent used widely in both industrial and household settings.

- Prof. Sangwon Seo’s team successfully achieved enantioselective synthesis, selectively producing only the desired mirror-image molecule using nickel—a common metal—instead of expensive noble metals - Expected to make a breakthrough contribution to drug development that fundamentally blocks side effects and to the high-value precision chemical industry - Published in the top-tier international chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie – International Edition

Butterfly wings were the inspiration behind this new, lightweight lattice structure that doesn’t compromise on sturdiness.

What’s the point of methane reforming to make environmentally friendly fuels if the process itself is environmentally unfriendly? To make the process greener, researchers at Tohoku University used oxygen carriers to improve efficiency.

Professor Yutaka Amao’s review gives a comprehensive overview of natural photosynthesis, the principles and history of artificial photosynthesis research, and carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage technologies.

Single monomer containing thiolactone and pyridyl disulfide molecules allows for variable polymer functionalities

In response to the global demand for clean energy transition, tandem solar cells are recognised as a crucial next-generation technology that will significantly improve solar power efficiency. Scholars from Lingnan University’s Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies (WJYSIS) and their collaborators have innovatively developed a novel interfacial structure, which substantially reduces energy loss and successfully overcomes the current limitations of perovskite solar cells in voltage, further improving the efficiency of converting sunlight into electricity. Their findings, published in the top-tier international journal Nature Communications, affirm Lingnan University’s research capabilities in the fields of renewable energy materials and photovoltaic technology.

Opening new possibilities for fluorescence-based imaging in extreme environments, from bioimaging to advanced materials

Concrete harbors distinct microbial zones whose signatures survive the heat of routine core sampling, a discovery researchers say could one day put structural health diagnostics within reach of general maintenance staff and even residents.

- Professor Jiwoong Yang’s team has developed a quantum-dot-based “circularly polarized light” sensor covering ultraviolet to infrared spectrum. - Breakthrough design introduces chiral structures into charge transport pathways, overcoming material and wavelength limitations of conventional optical sensors. - Published in Advanced Materials, a top-tier international journal in the field of materials science.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a polymer material that combines high mechanical durability with controllable enzymatic degradation. The material contains movable cross-links formed by cyclodextrin rings that slide along polymer chains. By using light to control the position of these rings, enzymatic degradation can be switched on or off and even spatially patterned.

Lingnan University has achieved outstanding results in the international higher education organisation Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2026. Nine broad and individual subjects were designated, and more than half moved up. Philosophy came in the top three in Hong Kong, and Computer Science and Information Systems is included in the list for the first time, showing Lingnan’s considerable recent progress in developing interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence and data science, which has gained widespread recognition from the international academic community. QS stated that only three Hong Kong universities have achieved a net improvement, with Lingnan University among the most improved.

Metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors can detect harmful pollutants in the air, but they only operate at extremely high temperatures. A new material design guideline using vanadium oxide may help us overcome this challenge.

A research team led by Prof. Boseok Kang at Sungkyunkwan University has uncovered the origin of polarity inversion—a long-standing phenomenon in polymer semiconductors that occurs only in certain materials—attracting significant attention.

Move over lithium-ion batteries – researchers found a creative way to combine materials (lithium metal and a ceramic surface) that may prove to be better for energy storage used in electric vehicles and portable electronics.

Researchers have discovered a new way to control magnetic “spin” using electric current, enabling states that were previously considered unstable. This breakthrough could move computing beyond simple binary systems by harnessing continuously fluctuating signals. The findings may lead to more powerful and efficient technologies for AI and next-generation devices.

Researchers at National Taiwan University developed a unified model that explains how thickness, defects, interface quality, and roughness together control the behavior of ultrathin oxide transistors. The work provides practical design rules for building low-leakage, normally-off devices suitable for future 3D chip stacking.

Enhancement of OER has been demonstrated via co-doping of Co/Ni into FeS2, which surpasses the performance of traditional expensive RuO2 as OER electrocatalyst.

Researchers developed high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric thin films on silicon that convert everyday vibrations into electricity. By using strain engineering and a novel sputtering method, they achieved record performance and demonstrated the compatibility of efficient, battery-free MEMS energy harvesters with standard semiconductor manufacturing processes.

- Research team led by Jae Eun Jang and Goeun Pyo demonstrates stable “dual-modulated vertically stacked transistors” even with two-dimensional nanochannels - Enables large-area and multilayer scalability without costly ultra-precision fabrication processes, which is promising for high-density 3D chips and flexible devices - Published in the leading international journal Advanced Science

- Breaking through the limitations of conventional oxygen-defect-based memories... Simultaneously performing AI computation and storage through precise hydrogen atom control - First case of successfully controlling hydrogen in a two-terminal vertical structure, accelerating the era of ultra-low-power, high-density neuromorphic chips - Selected as cover paper for the prestigious international journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

From royal armouries to international exhibitions, koftgari reflects a metalworking tradition shaped by conquest, courtly patronage, and shifting markets. Across Persia and South Asia, artisans inlaid steel with gold and silver, turning arms and regalia into symbols of power, protection, and prestige. Explore the craft across changing political landscapes as its patronage and purpose evolved.

Researchers discovered that a freshwater alga captures low-energy far-red light by precisely arranging ordinary chlorophyll molecules, rather than inventing new pigments. The finding reveals a new structural strategy for photosynthesis in low-light environments and could inform future bioenergy and protein design.

This invited publication highlights the contributions of Distinguished Professor Hao Li to AI and materials science – focusing on their original concept for a digital materials ecosystem.

Researchers used electroluminescence-detected magnetic resonance to directly observe electron-hole pairs in operating light-emitting electrochemical cells. They found that ion-driven changes in the internal electric field strongly affect recombination efficiency. Lower-voltage, more stable electric fields promote light emission, a discovery that identifies electric field management as a key factor in improving organic optoelectronic devices.