November 8, 2023: Researchers at MIT have successfully trapped electrons in a pure crystal, marking the first time scientists have achieved an electronic flat band in a three-dimensional (3D) material. With some chemical manipulation, the researchers also showed they could transform the crystal into a superconductor.

November 27, 2023: Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a method to confirm whether carbon in concrete originates from the raw materials, or from carbon in the air which has been trapped when it reacts with the concrete to form the mineral calcium carbonate. This method could be useful for the industrial sector and countries looking to offset their carbon emissions.

November 28, 2023: Many of the most promising new pharmaceuticals are hydrophobic by nature, resulting in poor bioavailability. Researchers at MIT have found a more efficient way of processing and delivering these drugs that could make them far more effective. The technique involves initially processing the drugs in a liquid solution rather than in solid form, which also should make it easier to combine multiple different drugs in a single pill. One key to the new process is the use of a hydrogel, a sponge-like material that can retain water and hold molecules in place.

November 28, 2023: By pressure-cooking birch leaves picked on their campus, physicists at Umeå University in Denmark have produced a nanosized carbon particle with optical properties that may be used to produce semiconductors for optoelectronics, such as organic LEDs for super-thin TV and mobile phone screens. The goal of this research is to create methods to manufacture organic semiconductor materials using renewable resources instead of relying on petrochemical compounds and rare elements.

November 29, 2023: Used lithium-ion batteries from cell phones, laptops and a growing number of electric vehicles are piling up, but options for recycling them remain limited mostly to burning or chemically dissolving shredded batteries. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have improved approaches that dissolve the battery in a liquid solution in order to reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals used in the process.