Mosquitoes pose a significant threat to human health, responsible for transmitting deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus. With over one million people worldwide affected by mosquito-borne illnesses annually, these insects inflict more human suffering than any other organism. Despite extensive efforts, controlling mosquito populations...

Nitric species such as nitric oxides are important environmental pollutants as well as key breath biomarkers of respiratory diseases. A chemical sensor that can quickly, selectively and sensitively detect these analytes will find applications not only in environmental monitoring, but also as a non-invasive medical diagnosis and management device. Current...

Background Airborne dust emission can lead to adverse effects on human health (e.g., respiratory problems and cardiovascular issues) and the surrounding environment (e.g., contamination of water bodies and degradation of vegetation). One commonly used short-term method to mitigate airborne dust is spraying water on the soil surface. However, as the...

Background In cold climates, phase changes of water-to-ice and ice-to-water in the pore structures of soils significantly challenge the integrity and longevity of infrastructure. Soils in these regions typically undergo substantial volumetric changes because of climate stressors, impacting structures including building foundations, bridges, pipelines,...

Background The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasizes the urgent need to remove CO2 from the atmosphere by the end of the century to limit global warming to below 2 °C. Direct Air Capture (DAC) is essential in all scenarios to meet this target, requiring the removal of about 1,000 gigatons of CO2. DAC systems use chemical sorbents...

Background Many companies have made sustainability pledges like having net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating plastic waste. However, few tools are available to guide industry transition toward this future while remaining profitable. The complex multi-material structures of plastics and multilayer materials pose significant challenges for...

Background Mid to long-wave infrared detectors capture and interpret infrared radiation emitted by objects, and convert it into additional data. These detectors have wide ranging applications including gas sensing, thermal imaging, environmental monitoring, and defense applications. Typically, these detectors use micro- or nano-scale microwave-frequency...

Background The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires creates difficulty for power engineers to decide on the best course of action for ensuring reliable and resilient system operation. To enable informed decision-making in the presence of active wildfire risks, knowledge of the local environmental conditions surrounding the electric power...

Background Zn-air batteries (ZABs) are an emerging technology recognized for their environmentally friendly properties, cost-effectiveness, and high energy density. ZABs are reinventing next generation metal air batteries and are considered potential alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, providing a greener alternative. These batteries operate by...

Background The increasing level of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) poses a significant environmental challenge, necessitating innovative direct air capture designs. Traditional methods of CO₂ separation and capture, such as amine scrubbing or passive membrane filtration, often struggle with the issue of high energy consumption, low selectivity, and...