MXene-polymer composite enables printed, eco-friendly device for energy harvesting and motion-sensing

MXene-polymer composite enables printed, eco-friendly device for energy harvesting and sensing
Graphical abstract. Credit: Nano Energy (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2025.111206

Researchers at Boise State University have developed a novel, environmentally friendly triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that is fully printed and capable of harvesting biomechanical and environmental energy while also functioning as a real-time motion sensor. The innovation leverages a composite of Poly (vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) (PVBVA) and MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanosheets, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional TENGs that often rely on fluorinated polymers and complex fabrication.

TENGs are innovative energy-harvesting devices that convert mechanical energy into electricity using the triboelectric effect. They were invented by Prof...

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By measuring gases around young stars, astronomers unlock major clues to planet formation

By measuring gases around young stars, astronomers unlock major clues to planet formation
1.3 mm (Left panels) and 12CO (2-1) moment zero images (Right panels) of the AGE-PRO sample. Credit: arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2506.10719

An international team of scientists led by astronomers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison has produced the most accurate measurement of the gases swirling around young stars and how their mass changes over time. The discovery joins many pieces of a puzzle that may reveal which kinds of planets form—rocky Earth-types, gas giants like Jupiter, or balls of ice in the Neptune mold—as star systems mature.

The researchers used an array of 66 massive radio telescopes, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, perched at 16,000 feet in the Chilean Andes Mountains, to study the disks of gas spinning in the gravity of each of 3...

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Tiny receiver chip uses stacked capacitors to block interference in 5G IoT devices

This compact, low-power receiver could give a boost to 5G smart devices
MIT researchers developed this compact, wireless receiver chip that uses a special filtering mechanism which consumes less than a milliwatt of static power while blocking unwanted signals that could jam an IoT device like a health wearable. Credit: Soroush Araei, Mohammad Barzgari, Haibo Yang and Negar Reiskarimian

MIT researchers have designed a compact, low-power receiver for 5G-compatible smart devices that is about 30 times more resilient to a certain type of interference than some traditional wireless receivers.

The low-cost receiver would be ideal for battery-powered internet of things (IoT) devices like environmental sensors, smart thermostats, or other devices that need to run continuously for a long time, such as health wearables, smart cameras, or industrial monitoring sen...

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Astronomers have found the home address for the universe’s ‘missing’ matter

Universe’s Missing Matter Found by FRBs
A landmark study led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) has pinpointed the Universe’s “missing” matter using Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)— brief, bright radio signals from distant galaxies— as a guide. This artist’s conception depicts a bright pulse of radio waves (the FRB) on its journey through the fog between galaxies, known as the intergalactic medium. Long wavelengths, shown in red, are slowed down compared to shorter, bluer wavelengths, allowing astronomers to “weigh” the otherwise invisible ordinary matter.  
Credit: Melissa Weiss/CfA

A new landmark study has pinpointed the location of the universe’s “missing” matter, and detected the most distant fast radio burst (FRB) on record...

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