Today's Tech News: Notable or Not?

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1092166  "quantifies material's edge's spin accumulation due to spin Hall effect, large effect crucial for developing energy-efficient, high-speed, durable, non-volatile magnetic memory devices... calculation as performance indicator was affected by varying spin current definitions leading to inconsistencies, overcome using direct measurement... 1st-principles calculations relying on quantum mechanics... advances microscopic understanding of spin Hall effect enabling development of advanced spintronic devices"

https://decarbonfuse.com/posts/fighting-climate-change-with-used-gas-syzygy-plasmonics-and-rti-achieve-breakthrough-in-co2-to-fuel-conversion "can be used in existing engines... utilizes light-driven reactors converting captured exhaust into syngas fed into Fischer-Tropsch unit, refining into aviation fuel, diesel, gasoline, methanol... scalable large-scale CO2-to-Fuel plants" Related: Swiss scientists are making jet fuel from sunlight and air https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/12/swiss-scientist-jet-fuel-aviation-sunlight-air/ Carbon dioxide, the main culprit of global warming, reborn as an antioxidant substance https://phys.org/news/2024-05-carbon-dioxide-main-culprit-global.html New study offers a cleaner path for controlling water, transforming greenhouse gases https://phys.org/news/2024-05-cleaner-path-greenhouse-gases.html New sulfur-free catalyst enables efficient green diesel production https://phys.org/news/2024-05-sulfur-free-catalyst-enables-efficient.html Resear...

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-05-scientists-chicken-fat-energy-storage.html "cheap, eco-friendly... soot from rendered chicken fat carbon-based nanostructures, uniform spherical lattices of concentric graphite rings... enhance electrical characteristics soaking in thiourea solution... assembled into  asymmetric supercapacitor negative electrode, nanoparticles demonstrated good capacitance and durability, as well as high energy and power density. As predicted, these properties were improved further when the electrodes were made of the thiourea-treated carbon nanoparticles... light up red, green, blue LEDs"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-embedding-silver-nanoparticles-lining-cotton.html "silver nanoparticle hybrid material adds antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, electrical, optical properties to consumer products: aerogels, packaging, composites, textiles, coatings, paints, pigments, electronics, optics... simple, cost-effective, environmentally friendly producing/ embedding silver nanoparticles within cotton gin waste, water containing silver ions, and heat... silver nanoparticles continues to kill harmful bacteria wash after wash... upcycle large quantities cotton gin waste produced annually"

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-microbial-plastic-factory-high-quality.html "bacteria (can use CO2 as raw material) produce more processable, scalable plastic modifier... mix polylactic acid with bacteria-produced LAHB bioplastic...bacteria naturally produces precursor, then manipulate organism's genome through gene addition/ deletion enabling LAHB chains up to 10X longer... high degree of melt tension during LAHB manufacture in high amounts, using glucose as feedstock... highly transparent plastic, moldable, more shock resistant, biodegrades in seawater within week" Related: Researchers develop eggshell 'bioplastic' pellet as sustainable alternative to plastic https://phys.org/news/2024-04-eggshell-bioplastic-pellet-sustainable-alternative.html Biodegradable 'living plastic' houses bacterial spores that help it break down https://phys.org/news/2024-04-biodegradable-plastic-houses-bacterial-spores.html Team develops technology for producing bioplastics from ...

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-propelling-atomically-layered-magnets-green.html "room temperature, controlled electrically without need for magnetic fields... iron gallium telluride 2D van der Waals magnet (low electrical current density) interfaced with 2D tungsten ditelluride (breaks 2nd mirror plane without outside help)... improved interface, gate voltage tunability, flexible and transparent spintronic technologies... electric current conversion to spin currents in heavy metals enables controlling magnets electrically... order magnitude lower switching current required, 2 orders magnitude more energy efficient" Related: Magnetic with a pinch of hydrogen: Research team develops new idea to improve the properties of ultra-thin materials https://phys.org/news/2024-04-magnetic-hydrogen-team-idea-properties.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-greener-cheaper-method-chemical-reactions.html "microfluidic cell creating continuous flow of reactants catalyzed together within electric field... electrode's interface confined within microfluidic channel induces chemical reaction on centimeter areas of electrodes, producing new chemical compounds... lower cost, scaled electrical fields producing milligrams... pharmacology (pure isomeric chemical compound formation)" Related: Revolutionizing Green Chemical Production with Ultrasound https://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news/revolutionizing-green-chemical-production-ultrasound Tiny flow chips, faster clean catalysis https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1122287

https://www.wardsauto.com/industry-news/researchers-claim-breakthrough-ammonia-ice "swirling flow promotes homogenous air/ fuel mix, improved combustion and reduced emissions...air entering through helical port develops into swirling patterns, while air from tangential port initially produces no vortical structure but when redirected by cylinder walls eventually generates swirling structures... best results in early stage of compression stroke when tangential port opening >25%, low variances of turbulent kinetic energy during intake stroke, and low variances of swirl center position during compression stroke" Related: Molecular simulations of ammonia mixtures support search for renewable fuels https://phys.org/news/2024-03-molecular-simulations-ammonia-mixtures-renewable.html Yuchai Introduces Its First High-Pressure, Direct-Injection Pure Ammonia Internal Combustion Engine For Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicles https://fuelcellsworks.com/2026/05/14/fuel-cells/yuchai-introduce...

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-reveals-eco-friendly-generate-power.html "low cost... low-grade heat (<200 C) recovered from lignin-derived membranes... waste heat to electricity utilizing movement of charged atoms (ions) within material... in industrial processes, 66% of waste heat falls into this category, highlighting the potential of this breakthrough for developing sustainable heat-to-electricity applications... membrane is lightweight, easy to synthesize, and biocompatible, making it suitable for thermal energy harvesting, temperature sensing, and biomedical sensors" Related: Valorization of depolymerized lignin using microorganisms https://phys.org/news/2024-03-valorization-depolymerized-lignin-microorganisms.html Researchers develop a thermoelectric material with optimal cost, efficiency and flexibility https://phys.org/news/2024-03-thermoelectric-material-optimal-efficiency-flexibility.html Ion thermoelectric conversion devices for near room temperature https:...

https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-784634 "Brenmiller Energy's bGen converts electricity into heat to power sustainable industrial processes at price competitive with natural gas... 7-year, $3.55 million project utilizes crushed rocks to store energy in the form of heat and dispatches low-cost steam, hot water, or hot air on demand... could become clean energy storage standard for industrial and municipal facilities" Related: Brenmiller Energy to Launch Revolutionary bGen™ Thermal Energy Storage System to Electrify Thermal Oil: 8 Projects Worth Approximately $170 Million Already in Commercial Pipeline https://greenstocknews.com/news/nasdaq/bnrg/brenmiller-energy-to-launch-revolutionary-bgen-thermal-energy-storage-system-to-electrify-thermal-oil-8-projects-worth-approximately-170-million-already-in-commercial-pipeline

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-greener-feasible-production-enzymatic-methods.html "enzyme choice, substrates, and conditions affect efficiency and quality of MAGs and DAGs, highlighting reaction media's role enhancing reaction homogeneity and product yield... becoming standard due to specificity, lower energy requirements, and ability to preserve sensitive components (healthier and more natural and sustainable emulsifiers and cooking oils, cosmetics" Related: Baylor's Swirl Burst injector achieves near-zero emissions and high efficiency with glycerol/ methanol blends, offering cost-effective solutions for sustainable energy https://news.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2024/baylor-engineers-unveil-breakthrough-ultra-clean-biofuel-technology Scientists engineer novel catalyst to upgrade biofuel byproduct into industrial resource https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1089884 Scientists design stable enzymes for non-natural reactions with near-natural efficiency https://phys....

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-strategies-environmentally-friendly-sustainable-polyamide.html "metabolically engineered microorganisms... bio-based polyamide advancements utilizing these monomers... reviewed the strategies for synthesizing bio-based polyamides through chemical conversion of natural oils and discussed the biodegradability and recycling of the polyamides... the importance of utilizing systems metabolic engineering tools and strategies for bio-based polyamides production" Related: Researchers develop a new approach to amides from alkene and amine feedstocks https://phys.org/news/2024-01-approach-amides-alkene-amine-feedstocks.html Enhancing safety in green adipic acid synthesis: The role of EDTA stabilizer and microchannel flow technology https://phys.org/news/2024-03-safety-green-adipic-acid-synthesis.html Bacterium converts individual building blocks of nylon into value-added products https://phys.org/news/2025-02-bacterium-individual-blocks-nylon-added.html Sc...

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-bacterium-big-impact-rare-earth.html "eco-friendly... changed the genome of Vibrio natriegens with plasmid MP6, which introduces errors into genome and screened mutants for increased biosorption of rare earth elements... results highlight just how many genes likely contribute to biosorption as well as the power of random mutagenesis in identifying genes of interest and optimizing a biological system for a task,.. cheaper, since no need to purify proteins... smartphones, computers, electric cars, and wind turbines" Related: Biosensor can detect rare earth elements for more efficient resource extraction https://phys.org/news/2025-01-biosensor-rare-earth-elements-efficient.html Eco-friendly rare earth element separation: A bioinspired solution to an industry challenge https://phys.org/news/2025-03-eco-friendly-rare-earth-element.html New gel-based system allows bacteria to act as bioelectrical sensors https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1119987

https://techxplore.com/news/2023-12-wood-materials-reliable-solar-cells.html "untreated kraft lignin (directly extracted from wood in paper manufacturing) as cathode creates many hydrogen bonds improving stability... Organic solar cells will never be the most efficient, but their advantage is that they are efficient, reliable, cheap, scalable, environmentally friendly and scalable. If they have a 15%–20% efficiency, that is more than enough for most applications... only small part of this solar cell is currently made of lignin, but long-term goal is to build solar cell almost entirely from wood"

https://techxplore.com/news/2023-11-environmentally-friendly-electrochemical-refrigerant-compressor.html "no moving parts and no need for lubricants, overcoming shortcomings of mechanical compressors... constant flow rate can be provided at various pressure ratios with electrochemical compressors... enables high COP heat pump... desired flow rate and pressure obtained by stacking... compresses refrigerants through ion movement by charging the ion exchange membrane with DCvoltage, using hydrogen as carrier gas... isothermal compression by applying multi-layer freezing where cells accumulated in a stack"

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-green-pharmaceutical-production-wood.html "lignin broken down into a precursor substance to synthesize 4 substance classes each with multiple derivatives... only lignin plus other non-harmful and biodegradable solvents and reagents used to create substances capable of influencing growth of different types of bacteria or even cancer cells... allows us to produce molecules that are otherwise very difficult to access" Related: Scientists engineer bacteria to make two valuable products from plant fiber https://phys.org/news/2023-12-scientists-bacteria-valuable-products-fiber.html Nature’s Glue from Sawdust Gets to the Root of Sustainable Chemicals Challenge https://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=35357

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-boundaries-eco-friendly-chemical-production-azaarenes.html "supercharging enzymes with a flashlight, enabling them to assemble or repair molecular structures in unprecedented ways. By harnessing the power of light, these scientists have unearthed novel chemical reactions that were previously thought to be out of reach.... manipulating azaarenes, building blocks in many compounds... asymmetric photocatalysis ensures consistency in reactions...  enantioselective enzymatic hydrogen atom transfer... biofuels and other bioproducts from bioimass, agrochemicals, medicines"

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-chemist-plastic-alternatives-proteins-scraps.html "chemical link binds protein molecules together, creating a dimer (molecule composed of 2 proteins) which is joined with another dimer to create tetramer, and so on until large 3D polymer... enables to behave like plastic, can stretch, change shape, and fold... biodegrade, degrades few days in acid... coffee cup lids, thin transparent films, fire-resistant roof tiles, car doors, rocket cone tips, or heart valves... 2nd technology proteins reinforced with cotton... attraction makes strong protein-fabric shoes, desks, flowers, and chairs" Related: Researchers develop eco-friendly material from mushrooms, coffee grounds and natural pineapple fibers https://phys.org/news/2024-01-eco-friendly-material-mushrooms-coffee.html Plants you can wear: Hydrogel material weaves seeds into textiles https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-hydrogel-material-seeds-textiles.html#google_vignette Cleaner rayon fiber produc...

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cleaner-efficient-production-key-detergents.html "more efficient, cheaper and cleaner manufacturing process... simple alkanes as alkylating agent for alkylbenzenes synthesis... sole byproduct harmless hydrogen gas... palladium nanoparticle catalyst for direct alkylation when situated on the outer surface of H-ZSM-5 zeolites primes alkane for addition of benzene producing alkylbenzene... 95.6% selectivity for desired alkylated products... soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent and industrial cleaners" Related: Next Wave and Lummus Produce World’s First Renewable Alkylate https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/next-wave-and-lummus-produce-worlds-first-renewable-alkylate/ Researchers create eco-friendly detergent from wood fiber and corn protein https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1077795 Micro-Nano Bubbles: A New Field of Eco-Friendly Cleaning https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/7/480

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ammonia-reaction-sustainable-source-nitrogen.html "simple way to produce amines from ammonia and unsaturated hydrocarbons... for the first time, not based on transition metals, but on main group elements without waste... so far, have converted activated substrates only and no unsaturated hydrocarbons, but now much closer to be major breakthrough, which would facilitate building blocks of agricultural and pharmaceutical chemicals, detergents, dyes, lubricants, coatings, catalysts in production of polyurethanes, applied in gas scrubbers at refineries and power plants" Related:  Circular low-carbon catalytic technology enabling the co-production of gluconic acid and sorbitol at room temperature via internal hydrogen transfer from glucose without external hydrogen input https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121022