American Chemical Society

At any given moment, 89,000 terawatts of solar power hits the Earth’s surface. Current technology captures only part of it, limited by the solar spectrum. Researchers at Korea University report using gold nanotechnology to harness the full spectrum.

A recently published study shows promising results from combining edible turkey tail fungus with a solution of wood fibers. The end product is a natural sustainable waterproof coating that may be a replacement for single-use plastic food wrap.

Geckos are able to maintain a grip on wet surfaces not because their toe pads repel water, but because they attract it. A new polymer, which was inspired by this phenomenon, could find use in shoe soles that keep people from slipping on ice.

When it comes to keeping cool on hot days, it's not so much a matter of wearing less clothing as it is a matter of wearing the right clothing. A new fabric coating could help in that regard, and it's essentially made of chalk.

While renewable energy sources certainly are eco-friendly, most of them only produce electricity in one way, such as using sunlight … which isn't always available. A new system, that has been built into an artificial plant, uses both wind and rain.

Most three-dimensional glass objects are produced via either a molding, blowing or 3D-printing process. Chinese scientists, however, have devised a technique of folding such items into shape – and it has some key advantages over other methods.

Ice on roads isn't a good thing, but neither are the eco-unfriendly chloride-based salts used to melt it. Scientists have developed a greener and more effective alternative, however, that could be mixed into the asphalt and remain active for years.

Although we've seen a number of systems that use sunlight to purify tainted water, their output is often quite limited. A new loofah-inspired hydrogel, however, uses sunlight to treat much more water in one go … enough to meet a person's daily needs.

Scientists working on cheap and easy-to-make electrical generators have landed upon a design that makes use of store-bought double-sided tape, and which they say can perform on par with more complex systems when it comes to producing electricity.

As the source of power for many modes of clean transportation, improvements in battery technology stand to benefit vehicle performance in a number of important ways, as new research detailing a promising sub-zero battery design demonstrates.

While we may think of wood as being earthy and natural, wooden materials such as plywood typically contain formaldehyde-based adhesives that give off toxic fumes. Such is not the case with a new adhesive, which is made from glucose and citric acid.

Lead-contaminated tap water is still a problem in much of the world, where conventional lead removal filters may be too expensive for most households. An inexpensive new filter could help – and it was designed by a group of high school students.