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Silver nanoparticles with diameters of ~10 nm deliver the best performance as electrocatalysts. The silver particles are sprayed onto the electrode together with a conductive carbon powder. The ideal mixture consists of 20 per cent by mass silver and 80 per cent by mass carbon powder. This image was taken using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). © HZB Via electrolysis, CO₂ can be reduced to CO, a raw material for further chemical products such as fuels. Within the Gre

A flexible metal–organic framework developed by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo enables the structural determination of large "beyond rule of 5" molecules from microgram-scale samples. Using APF-40 as a crystalline sponge, the researchers determined the structures of 12 pharmaceutical-related molecules, including the 899 Da drug molecule doramectin and trace ivermectin derivatives. The method could aid drug discovery, natural products research, and the characteriz

image: CuZn800@C was constructed via solvothermal method and utilizes the high-temperature volatility of zinc to prepare through calcination at different temperatures, which displays a high methane Faradaic efficiency of 64.5% and a remarkable partial current density of -551.3 mA/cm2 at -1.7 V vs. RHE, along with excellent stability. Zn and Cu form a tandem reaction system. Zn sites promote water splitting to provide protons, while Cu sites reduce the energy barrier for *CO h

A joint team from SNU, KAIST, and KBSI has identified the distinct reaction sites of silver nanocatalysts in solid oxide cells. During electricity generation the catalyst–electrode interface dominates, while during hydrogen production the nanoparticle surface is key. The finding enables new design principles for higher-efficiency green hydrogen and clean power systems. Published in Energy & Environmental Science.

Researchers at MPSD and the University of Oxford have discovered that mechanical strain induces chirality in non-chiral crystals, a phenomenon they term the piezochiral effect. Tensile or compressive strain creates left- or right-handed structures that can be reversed on demand. The work establishes a general route to control chirality and is accompanied by an open materials database. Published in Nature.

Researchers from Japan achieve significant breakthrough in optoelectronics that can revolutionize next-generation photodetectors