Northwestern University chemists have developed a new plastic upcycling process that could revolutionize recycling by significantly reducing or even eliminating the need to pre-sort mixed plastic waste. Using an inexpensive nickel-based catalyst, the method selectively breaks down polyolefin plastics—such as polyethylenes and polypropylenes, which make up nearly two-thirds of global plastic use—allowing industrial users to […]
KU research group discovers the principles of in vivo thermopower generation
Professor Yoon Hyo-jae’s research team at Korea University has discovered that rubber plant leaves can naturally generate electricity through a phenomenon called the ionic Seebeck effect, without any additional processing. This effect occurs when moisture and ions within the plant tissues move in response to temperature differences, creating voltage. Notably, partially drying the leaves forms […]
Novel kiri-origami structures enable high-performance stretchable electronics
Stretchable electronics are increasingly used in devices like smartphones, smartwatches, curved displays, and wearable sensors, but they face a trade-off between flexibility and electrical performance, as stretchable materials like elastomers typically underperform compared to rigid ones like metals or semiconductors. To address this, researchers have turned to origami and kirigami—Japanese techniques of folding and cutting […]
Prof. Stefano Curtarolo Named 2026 Recipient of the J. Willard Gibbs Phase Equilibria Award
Thermal spray non-skid coating
In this video see how the US Naval Research Laboratory employs thermal spray non-skid coating to U.S. Navy ships.





