https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres Applying an external magnetic field during the synthesis of CoFe2O4 electrocatalysts triples the ammonia yield during electrocatalytic conversion. The magnetic field alters the surface states of the spinel oxide thin films, making catalytically active sites more accessible. In the journal Advanced Functional Materials, a team led by Marcel Risch at HZB and Sanjay Mathur at University of Cologne demonstrates a scalable strategy for developing next-generation electrocatalysts for efficient and sustainable chemical production. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-magnetic-field-catalyst-synthesis-triples.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:40:02 EDT news699544081 AI-generated images are widespread on social media. Starting in August 2026, platforms will be required under the EU AI Act to label certain types of such content. A study by CISPA researcher Sandra Höltervennhoff investigates how users perceive these so-called AI labels and how they influence the credibility of information. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-platforms-ai-generated-images.html Internet Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:00:02 EDT news699529429 The synthesis of materials can serve as a tool for developing smart, adaptive electrocatalysts. This rapidly evolving field of research involves in-situ analytics, data-driven discoveries and autonomous robotics. These new approaches could accelerate the discovery of long-lasting and efficient catalysts for future energy conversion and the decarbonization of the chemical industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-catalysts-synthesis-cleaner-fuels-greener.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 29 May 2026 13:40:07 EDT news699280561 Today, magnetic field sensors are one of the invisible mass-produced products in the electronics industry. They measure movement, positions or distances and can be found in window contacts, steering wheels, hard disks, packaging and cell phones. Billions of these components are manufactured every year. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-biobased-magnetic-sensors-iron-cellulose.html Electronics & Semiconductors Thu, 28 May 2026 13:40:04 EDT news699193691 Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have developed a new procedure, enabling them to speed up elaborate computer simulations that analyze matter under extreme conditions. In particular, this work improves the evaluation of experiments at large-scale research facilities like the European XFEL—and should facilitate substantial progress, among others, in fusion research and laboratory astrophysics. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-imaginary-technique-ray-simulations-extreme.html Condensed Matter Tue, 26 May 2026 10:20:02 EDT news699003482 Located in the middle of the North Pacific, between Japan and Canada, lies one of the world's largest oceanic plateaus, the so-called Hess Rise. The plateau is roughly T-shaped and extends over a length of about 1,000 kilometers. Due to its distance from the nearest mainland, the research area at Hess Rise is difficult to access and has therefore been the destination of only a few expeditions to date. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hess-northwest-pacific.html Earth Sciences Sun, 24 May 2026 22:40:01 EDT news698413625 A German–Israeli research team led by Dr. Andreas Furchner has demonstrated how imaging ellipsometry enables non-destructive characterization and quality control of microstructured MXene thin films during device fabrication. The authors used two complementary ellipsometry approaches for precise, multi-scale access to key material properties. The work positions imaging ellipsometry as a powerful platform for monitoring thin-film uniformity, device integrity, and functionality throughout processing, including critical lithographic steps. The study was published in Applied Physics Letters and selected as an Editor's Pick. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-imaging-ellipsometry-tracks-mxene-thin.html Nanophysics Fri, 22 May 2026 18:40:01 EDT news698678101 For ten years, the Fr1da study, coordinated by Helmholtz Munich, has been investigating whether early stages of type 1 diabetes in children can be detected in routine pediatric care. The latest evaluation shows that the screening program is sustainably feasible and identifies most children who will later develop stage 3 (clinical) type 1 diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-early-diabetes-children-feasible-routine.html Thu, 21 May 2026 16:10:01 EDT news698597221 Obesity affects far more than metabolism and fat storage. It alters immune activity, nerve structure, and tissue organization across multiple organ systems, increasing the risk of diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, neuropathy and cancer. Yet despite these systemic effects, researchers have lacked tools capable of studying disease-associated changes across the entire body in intact organisms and at high resolution. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ai-atlas-reveals-hidden-body.html Wed, 20 May 2026 15:20:06 EDT news698506801 A code-reuse attack named "Segmentation Fault Oriented Programming (SFOP)" exploits weaknesses in signal handling and Intel CET in Linux systems. SFOP is capable of bypassing Intel CET in any program by producing segmentation faults in sequence. The program under attack is first made to access a restricted area of memory and then repeatedly crashed by executing invalid instructions. Every time it receives a SIGSEGV signal in return, the attacker registers a signal handler that succeeds in crashing the program. SFOP is enabled by 12 previously unknown weaknesses that affect Linux signals. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-consequences-serial-code-reuse-sfop.html Security Wed, 20 May 2026 12:55:44 EDT news698500194 In June 2020, Intel announced the first hardware availability of Control-Flow Enforcement Technology (CET). This hardware-based protection mechanism has been gradually introduced since Intel's 10th and 11th Core generations and is integrated into newer Windows and Linux operating systems. CET is designed to make so-called code-reuse attacks more difficult, in which attackers exploit existing program code to compromise systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-hackers-intel-cet-platypus-library.html Security Tue, 19 May 2026 09:40:01 EDT news698402198 For the first time, researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon have produced a magnesium foam made entirely from natural marine raw materials. No toxic additives are required for its production. Ground oyster shell powder from the food industry serves as the blowing agent. The foam has a wide range of applications in automotive manufacturing and is fully recyclable. The researchers published their results in Discover Materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-ground-oyster-shells-ultra-magnesium.html Engineering Mon, 18 May 2026 13:00:02 EDT news698327821 Our solar system is currently passing through the Local Interstellar Cloud, a region of highly diluted gas and dust between the stars. On its path, Earth continuously accumulates iron-60, a rare radioactive isotope of iron produced in stellar explosions. This has now been confirmed by an international research team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) through the analysis of Antarctic ice tens of thousands of years old. From the steady but time-varying influx, the researchers conclude that the radioactive isotope has been stored within the cloud since a long-past stellar explosion. The results have been published in the journal Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-stardust-antarctic-ice-cores-earth.html Astronomy Sun, 17 May 2026 15:20:01 EDT news697946932 An international team of researchers, including scientists from HZDR and Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, for the first time directly observed how angular momentum is transferred and conserved within a crystal lattice. Using intense terahertz laser pulses, the researchers were able to selectively control these processes, which unveiled a surprising effect: During the angular momentum transfer, the direction of rotation reverses—caused by the rotational symmetry of the material. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-atoms-vibrate-circular-paths-unexpected.html Condensed Matter Tue, 12 May 2026 10:00:04 EDT news697795861 Whether in tooth enamel or in nanomaterials made of silicon, the orientation of tiny internal structures often determines the properties of a material. A new X-ray method can even make this nano-order visible when the structures are actually too small to be imaged directly. The method was developed by an international team led by the Helmholtz Center Hereon, and it opens up new possibilities to investigate materials and biological structures. The research is published in the journal Light: Science & Applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ray-vision.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 12 May 2026 08:40:03 EDT news697793582 Although solid-state batteries (SSBs) demonstrate high performance and are intrinsically safe, their capacity currently declines rapidly. A team from TU Wien, Humboldt-University Berlin and HZB has now analyzed a TiS₂|Li₃YCl₆ solid-state half-cell in operando at BESSY II using a special sample environment that allows for non-destructive investigation under real operating conditions. The research is published in the journal ACS Energy Letters. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-oxygen-reactions-solid-state-batteries.html Engineering Mon, 11 May 2026 12:00:05 EDT news697719195 An international research team, including scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), has achieved a methodological breakthrough in the study of superhydrides, a promising class of superconductors. For the first time, the team succeeded in analyzing lanthanum superhydrides under extreme pressure using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-magnetic-super-lenses-window-high.html Condensed Matter Wed, 06 May 2026 19:40:03 EDT news697296601 The bacterium Segatella copri is one of the most common inhabitants of the human gut. In their latest study, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have discovered that some strains of this bacterial species possess genetic bonus material that makes them more oxygen-tolerant. The presence of the molecular regulator OxyR is crucial for this. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-genetic-bonus-material-boosts-gut.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 May 2026 17:40:08 EDT news697291861 An international research team has achieved an important milestone for astrophysics at GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt: In the CRYRING@ESR storage ring, scientists were able to measure nuclear reactions at extremely low energies for the first time, mirroring the conditions inside stars. This novel experimental approach lays the foundation for decoding the formation of elements in the universe with even greater precision in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nuclear-reactions-energies-pathways-astrophysics.html General Physics Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:50:01 EDT news696782161 Spintronic devices enable data processing with significantly lower energy consumption. They are based on the interaction between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers. Now, a team from Freie Universität Berlin, HZB and Uppsala University has succeeded in tracking—separately for each layer—how the magnetic order changes after a short laser pulse has excited the system. The researchers were also able to identify the main cause of the loss of antiferromagnetic order in the oxide layer: The excitation is transported from the hot electrons in the ferromagnetic metal to the spins in the antiferromagnet. The findings are published in the journal Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-spintronics-bessy-ii-real-analysis.html Condensed Matter Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:20:01 EDT news696692221 A team led by metabolism researcher Prof Timo D. Müller at Helmholtz Munich has developed a new approach for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes: a hybrid molecule uses the well-known GLP-1/GIP signaling pathway as a "door opener" and delivers an additional metabolic modulator specifically into the target cells. In laboratory experiments, mice subsequently ate less, lost more weight, and showed improved blood-glucose values compared with reference treatments. The researchers published their preclinical results in the journal Nature. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-molecule-effects-drug-concept-obesity.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:00:05 EDT news696690841 How much of the essential trace element iron remains available for marine life in the ocean depends critically on the diversity of organic molecules in seawater, according to new research published in Nature Communications by an international team led by Dr. Martha Gledhill from GEOMAR. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-diversity-iron-marine-life.html Earth Sciences Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:20:01 EDT news696606661 The GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and the international accelerator facility FAIR have made an important contribution to the success of the Artemis II moon mission. A camera specially developed for use in space was successfully tested in advance under realistic conditions at the GSI and FAIR particle accelerator. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-contribution-artemis-ii-moon-mission.html Space Exploration Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:30:01 EDT news695919556 Short-chain perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) such as perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) are increasingly entering the environment via various pathways and contaminating groundwater and drinking water. Because PFAS are highly mobile, removing them has so far required a great deal of effort. But a research team at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has developed a new technology to do so. According to an article recently published in Chemical Engineering Journal, the new process is more environmentally friendly and less energy-intensive. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-efficient-degradation-short-chain-pfas.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:20:01 EDT news696180902 A research team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has demonstrated how a classic technique can be repurposed to measure the material degradation of photoelectrodes in real time. This new method enables continuous and precise detection of subtle material losses. The technique can directly determine material degradation rates under realistic operating conditions. The researchers have presented their results in the journal EES Solar. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-technique-solar-cell-materials-corroding.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news695564819 Offshore wind energy generation is a central pillar of Europe's energy transition. At the same time, it is placing increasing demands on models that are expected to reliably predict future wind power production and its impact on the atmosphere. A study by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon now shows that both atmospheric boundary conditions and technical decisions made during the development of wind farms can lead to significant differences. The various turbine parameters have a particularly strong influence on the calculations, as the associated reduction in wind speeds has a substantial impact on the results. The researchers' findings were published in the journal Wind Energy Science. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-turbine-parameters-significant-differences-offshore.html Engineering Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:20:04 EDT news695577781 Hydrogen is at the heart of the transition to carbon neutrality, as both an energy carrier and a reagent for green chemistry. However, large-scale production of hydrogen via electrolysis, as well as the production of many other chemical products, requires significantly cheaper and more efficient catalysts. A precise understanding of the electrochemical processes that take place at the interface between the solid catalyst and the liquid medium is highly useful for developing better electrocatalysts. In the journal Nature Communications, a European team has now presented a powerful model that determines charge separation at the interface, the formation of the electric double layer and local electric potential variations, and the resulting influence on the catalytic activity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-electric-layer-emerges-electrocatalyst-interface.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:20:03 EDT news695561761 The CRISPR-Cas gene-editing system has long been the focus of research as a promising tool in genome editing. However, the emphasis has been on its underlying mechanisms and nucleases. In contrast, little research has examined how CRISPR-Cas systems have evolved and been optimized. In collaboration with the universities of Leipzig, Freiburg, and Michigan (U.S.), a research team at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg found an optimization mechanism in CRISPR-Cas13, providing insights into the evolution of these systems. The results were recently published in The EMBO Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-built-hairpin-mechanism-crispr-cas13.html Evolution Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:40:06 EDT news695388602 When laser flashes hit matter, electrons are knocked off their orbits around the atomic nuclei. This can generate extremely hot plasmas composed of charged particles—ions and electrons. Researchers at HZDR have now observed this ionization process in more detail than ever before. To do so, they combined two state-of-the-art lasers: the X-ray free-electron laser and the high-intensity optical laser ReLaX at the HED-HiBEF experiment station at the European XFEL in Schenefeld, near Hamburg. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, deliver fundamental insights into the interaction of high-energy lasers and matter under extreme conditions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-copper-blasted-million-degree-plasma.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news695384221 How do radicals form in aqueous solutions when exposed to UV light? This question is important for health research and environmental protection. For example, with regard to the overfertilization of water bodies by intensive agriculture. A team at BESSY II has now developed a new method of investigating hydroxyl radicals in solution. By using a clever trick, the scientists gained surprising insights into the reaction pathway. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hydroxyl-radicals-uv-exposed-reveal.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news694966861