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In a groundbreaking advancement that could reshape the landscape of bioelectronic medicine, researchers have developed a wirelessly powered, bioresorbable electrical stimulation system with unprecedented programmable control over stimulation waveforms. This innovation integrates tissue-penetrating near-infrared (NIR) light to modulate electrical currents with precision, harnessing a novel bioresorbable silicon phototransistor as the cornerstone of its operation. Pioneering beyond earlier monophasic pulse devices, this technology allows for the delivery of monophasic, biphasic, and polyphasic stimulation patterns, significantly enhancing the versatility and therapeutic potential of implantable electrical stimulators designed to dissolve harmlessly after use.

Traditional electrical stimulators implanted in biological tissues have largely relied on wired connections or bulky batteries, impeding patient mobility and often necessitating additional surgeries for device removal. Bioresorbable devices emerged as a solution to these challenges by safely degrading in the body over time, eliminating the risks associated with permanent implants. However, these earlier systems primarily delivered monophasic pulses, limiting therapeutic precision and adaptability in complex treatments. The innovation reported by Kim, Seo, Wang, and colleagues introduces a new paradigm by integrating wireless power transfer via NIR light and programmable waveform control within a fully bioresorbable platform, thus extending the functional range and easing the clinical management of bioelectronic therapies.

Central to this system is the incorporation of bioresorbable silicon phototransistors engineered to serve as optoelectronic modulators within the electrical circuitry. When illuminated by externally applied near-infrared light that penetrates deep into biological tissues, these phototransistors effectively adjust current flows at critical circuit nodes. This optical modulation capability replaces conventional electronic control elements, which often rely on persistent power sources or invasive wiring, thereby enabling the device to operate autonomously while still allowing fine-tuning of stimulation parameters through non-contact optical inputs.

The adoption of near-infrared light as the wireless power and control mechanism is particularly significant. NIR light possesses the ability to penetrate through several centimeters of tissue without causing damage, providing a safe and efficient transmission channel between the external controller and the implanted device. This feature supports programmability in situ, empowering clinicians to tailor electrical stimulation waveforms dynamically after device implantation. Precisely controlling the shape, amplitude, and timing of the electrical pulses is crucial for optimizing therapeutic outcomes in applications such as neuroregeneration and cardiac pacing.

The research team demonstrated the remarkable versatility of their bioresorbable system by successfully delivering a variety of stimulation waveforms. Monophasic pulses, which are unidirectional current flows, serve as a baseline therapy. More complex biphasic and polyphasic waveforms, which alternate current direction and comprise multiple phases respectively, have been shown to minimize tissue damage and improve efficacy in various biosignaling contexts. The ability to generate these sophisticated patterns expands the therapeutic range of the device, potentially enabling treatments that were previously inaccessible using bioresorbable technologies.

In demonstrating practical utility, the device was tested in both small and large animal models, validating its capacity for clinically relevant electrical stimulation regimes. The system was effectively employed in single- and dual-chamber cardiac pacing, a critical intervention for managing arrhythmias and heart block. Through controlled electrical stimulation, the device could synchronize cardiac contractions, a feat crucial for restoring efficient cardiac output. These trials highlight the translational potential of the technology for future human applications, situating it as a promising alternative to current electronic pacemakers that require permanent implantation and battery replacements.

Further extending the functional scope, the researchers utilized the bioresorbable stimulator to activate phrenic neuromuscular pathways to either induce or block diaphragmatic movements. The phrenic nerve controls diaphragmatic excursion, essential for respiration, and its modulation has significant implications for respiratory therapies, such as in patients with spinal cord injuries or central hypoventilation syndromes. By enabling wireless, programmable neurostimulation of the phrenic nerve, the technology offers a minimally invasive approach to manage life-sustaining respiratory functions, with the added benefit of device degradation after the therapeutic window.

The bioresorbable nature of the silicon phototransistors and associated electronics assures that after fulfilling their therapeutic role, the devices gradually dissolve into biocompatible byproducts. This process circumvents the complications related to device explantation surgeries, reducing patient risk and healthcare costs. Moreover, the materials chosen minimize inflammatory responses and tissue irritation, facilitating seamless integration with host biology during the operational phase.

The engineering behind this system represents an intersection of materials science, optoelectronics, and biomedical engineering. The architecture leverages the semiconducting properties of silicon in thin-film, bioresorbable form, combined with circuit design optimized for minimal power consumption and maximal efficiency during NIR irradiation. These multidisciplinary innovations collectively overcome longstanding barriers in the fabrication of transient electronic implants capable of sophisticated programmable functionality.

Controlling the stimulation waveforms via light permits remote adjustment without physical connections, paving the way for real-time therapeutic modulation responsive to patient status or physiological signals. Future iterations could incorporate feedback mechanisms by integrating bioresorbable sensors that monitor tissue response, creating closed-loop systems for personalized medicine. This dynamic adaptability could be transformative in managing chronic conditions requiring variable and responsive electrical stimulation protocols.

This research also addresses one of the fundamental challenges of implantable devices: power delivery. The optical wireless power transfer circumvents the need for bulky batteries or explant procedures, offering renewed device miniaturization potential. Coupled with programmable phototransistors, these innovations enable multifunctional implants that conform to soft tissues and degrade harmlessly, a trifecta crucial for implantation in sensitive organs like the heart and nervous system.

The ability to deliver polyphasic waveforms through a single bioresorbable receiver unit is particularly noteworthy. Conventionally, generating these complex waveforms requires sophisticated circuitry and stable power sources, neither of which are trivial to implement in resorbable devices. The research showcases how optical control unlocks this capability without sacrificing bioresorbability or wireless operation, representing a paradigm shift in transient biomedical electronics.

The successful application of this device in large animal cardiac models bridges a critical gap toward clinical translation. Such models replicate human physiological scales and complexities far more closely than small animals, validating both the efficacy and safety of the system under conditions analogous to human therapies. This demonstration is an essential milestone on the path toward human clinical trials and eventual regulatory approval.

Moreover, the phrenic nerve stimulation experiments illustrate the broader applicability beyond cardiac pacing. Neuromuscular control via electrical stimulation has vast clinical relevance, from restoring motor function to modulating organ systems. The biodegradable, wireless nature of this system makes it especially suited for temporary therapeutic interventions, such as post-surgical recovery or transient disease states, where permanent implants would be unnecessary or undesirable.

While this work represents a major leap forward, ongoing challenges remain, including further optimization of device longevity relative to treatment durations, refinement of light delivery systems to maximize tissue penetration and minimize off-target effects, and integration with advanced biocompatible materials to tailor resorption timelines. Addressing these will be key to broadening the range of clinical applications and ensuring patient safety across diverse scenarios.

Overall, this wirelessly powered, light-controlled, bioresorbable stimulation system emerges as a versatile platform poised to transform bioelectronic therapies. Its elegant combination of programmable polyphasic waveform delivery, wireless operation via near-infrared light, and full bioresorbability addresses critical limitations of current implantable stimulators. By enabling sophisticated, minimally invasive, and transient electrical stimulation paradigms, this technology advances the frontiers of regenerative medicine, cardiac therapy, and neuromodulation, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of biomedical devices.

Subject of Research: Wireless bioresorbable electrical stimulation device with programmable waveform control using near-infrared light

Article Title: A wirelessly powered, light-controlled, bioresorbable stimulation system with programmable polyphasic waveforms

Article References:
Kim, J.U., Seo, S.G., Wang, H. et al. A wirelessly powered, light-controlled, bioresorbable stimulation system with programmable polyphasic waveforms. Nat Electron (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01655-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01655-8

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China’s robot schools are training humanoids through repetition, VR-guided demonstrations, and shared data to prepare them for real-world work.

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a technique to carve microscopic liquid-cooling channels directly inside silicon semiconductor chips. 

Interestingly, the computer architecture slashed the energy required for cooling by pumping ordinary, room-temperature water straight through the chip’s internal structure.

“As the performance of AI semiconductors and advanced electronic packaging becomes increasingly limited by heat, we expect this technology to serve as a foundational cooling solution for future high-performance computing systems,” said Professor Sung Jin Kim. 

Micro-channel tech

The rapid advancement of high-performance AI chips has created a severe energy crisis for data centers, which require massive amounts of electricity both to power intensive computations and to cool down the resulting heat. 

Typical cooling methods, such as roaring air fans and external copper heat spreaders, are reaching their physical limits. Hence, the industry is urgently looking for thermal alternatives. 

To appreciate this development, you have to understand why standard liquid cooling is flagging.

Most modern liquid systems rely on an external “cold plate” pressed against the outside of a chip. The coolant has to travel from one end of the hardware to the other. This long trek creates immense fluid resistance.

It requires heavy-duty pumps pushing with massive pressure, which consumes a ton of energy. And at times, the fluid warms up along the way, leaving some parts of the processor chilled and others dangerously hot.

The KAIST team developed a liquid-cooling technology that cools semiconductors from the inside out. It uses ordinary room-temperature water to tackle high-heat-flux conditions at the source.

The design features multiple tiny inlets and outlets scattered uniformly across the chip.

The innovation centers on a “manifold microchannel” structure embedded directly inside the silicon, which mimics an efficient logistics network by using multiple strategic inlet and outlet points. 

This decentralized design shortens the fluid’s travel distance, reducing flow resistance and pumping pressure. The researchers used a multi-fidelity optimization framework to perfectly balance channel dimensions and flow rates.

10x higher efficiency

The KAIST team combined rapid 1D computational models with heavy-duty simulations to map an optimal, perfectly uniform flow. And the experimental results blew past expectations.

Notably, the system registered a cooling Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 106,000. That is an abstract engineering metric, but the context is historic: it is ten times higher than the previous world record published in Nature in 2020. 

In plain terms, it means chip manufacturers need just one-tenth of the pumping power to remove the same amount of heat from a machine. Even under an extreme thermal load of 2,000 watts per square centimeter, the system kept the chip comfortably below 100°C (212°F).

Yet, the most disruptive detail of the experiment is how it’s made.

The researchers didn’t use exotic, hyper-expensive materials like synthetic diamond; instead, they used plain water. Furthermore, the entire fabrication process happens below 350°C (662°F).

It means the process is entirely compatible with existing commercial semiconductor manufacturing lines. Foundries can integrate this plumbing technique into current chip designs without buying billions of dollars in new machinery.

The development was published in the journal Energy Conversion and Management.

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A research team led by Professor Taesung Kim of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) has developed an optoelectronic synaptic device that mimics the functions of human neurons and synapses at the device scale. The researchers designed a van der Waals (vdW) crystal through a single-step sulfurization process using mixed plasma. The device operates under optical stimuli, offering a structural solution for configuring semiconductor materials for brain-inspired computing.

Origin Wukong, China’s independently developed series of superconducting quantum computers, has completed more than 1 million computing tasks, according to a statement from the Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Computing Chips and the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center in Hefei. The milestone is special as it also demonstrates the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) protection framework, which will be a must for quantum computers of the future. 

As quantum computers move from the laboratory to real-world applications, there is a major fear of their impact on encryption systems. It is well known that quantum computers can rapidly solve computations that the fastest supercomputers might take decades to complete.  

Modern-day encryption systems have relied on mathematical problems that are difficult for classical computers to compute quickly. However, the arrival of commercial quantum computers will crash encryption protections if they are not upgraded. This is why PQC protection frameworks need to be rapidly developed and deployed before quantum computing becomes mainstream. 

Origin Wukong’s feat

Powered by superconducting qubits, the Origin Wukong has been operational for over two years and has received more than 49 million visits from over 192 countries globally. During this time, it has completed over 1 million quantum computing tasks. While doing so, it has also demonstrated the effectiveness of its safety infrastructure. 

Back in April 2024, Origin Wukong integrated Origin Rock, China’s first PQC protection framework.  A software cryptographic model, it was China’s first attempt to build an anti-quantum-attack shield that can resist attacks from both quantum and classical computers. 

According to the statement, Origin Rock is an early-stage ‘spear and shield’ model that combines strong quantum computing services with defensive security measures, creating a quantum computing service system capable of performing both tasks. 

China has also deployed this PQC protection framework at other enterprises and public institutions in the country. 

PQC ready now

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has previously estimated that quantum computers could disrupt existing cryptographic systems within the next 5-10 years. However, the US National Security Agency has urged federal agencies to switch to PQC as early as possible, as it has become an operational requirement and is not something that can be decided in the future.

Earlier this year, the NIST announced that nine candidates had qualified for the third round of evaluation for post-quantum digital signature algorithms. It has also previously approved three PQC cryptographic standards. 

China is reportedly working to develop its own national standards for PQC within the next three years, and lessons from Origin Wukong will play a major role in shaping them. “I personally think that the next three-to-five-year period is potentially one of explosive growth for post-quantum cryptography industry migration,” said Wang Xiaoyun, a professor at Tsinghua University’s Institute for Advanced Study. 

 Origin Wukong will also help advance scalable programmable computing, the researchers associated with the project told Global Times. It is one of the areas where the Chinese government is expected to nurture future industries alongside embodied artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, energy, and 6G technologies, the annual Government Work Report said. 

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a hybrid 3D printing process that combines origami-inspired design with composite materials.

The technique, demonstrated at the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, eliminates the need for costly molds while enabling lightweight, foldable structures.

The researchers deposited materials directly onto a flexible fabric base. This created flat panels that can be folded into complex three-dimensional forms, merging flexible and rigid elements in a single integrated component.

Their approach addresses key limitations in traditional composite manufacturing, which often requires expensive molds and long lead times.

New method ‘redefines’ 3D printing

The ORNL team’s process uses a high-strength fabric substrate, such as nylon, glass fiber, or resin-infused fibers. An integration layer, typically thermoplastic polyurethane, meanwhile, ensures adhesion.

Reinforcing materials are then deposited, including thermoplastic carbon-fiber acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for lightweight strength or thermoset resins like epoxy for greater stiffness and durability. The materials form molecular-level bonds, resulting in a robust, unified structure.

“This pioneering method redefines advanced manufacturing by fusing material science with transformative design principles,” Steven Guzorek, lead researcher at ORNL, explained in a statement. “By applying origami-inspired principles to hybrid composites, we are improving the efficiency and scalability of large-structure manufacturing and achieving forms unattainable with traditional additive approaches.”

Guzorek added that material compatibility is key to the new method. “By understanding the materials science, we chose materials that we knew would bond effectively, producing a truly integrated component,” he said.

Cutting fabrication time and cost

The new method is capable of producing complex geometries and structures larger than the printing equipment itself.

In tests, the mold-free method cut fabrication time by 95 percent and reduced costs by 90 percent for a specific design when compared with conventional approaches. It also eliminated challenges associated with mold storage and enabled rapid production of both thermoplastic and thermoset composites.

The technology has the potential to expand design flexibility for industries requiring strong, lightweight parts, such as aerospace, automotive, and construction. Flat printing followed by folding supports efficient transport and on-site assembly, potentially transforming how large-scale components are manufactured.

ORNL has filed a patent for the innovation and is preparing it for licensing to manufacturers. Next, the research team aims to scale the process for broader industrial adoption. They hope it will unlock whole new design possibilities.

“Our goal is to make this innovation scalable so manufacturers across industries can harness its potential,” Guzorek said. “By broadening access to mold-free hybrid composites, we’re empowering manufacturers to explore new design possibilities and unlock entirely new applications for this transformative technology.”

As industries seek lighter and more adaptable materials, ORNL’s origami-inspired method could accelerate innovation in high-performance applications.

Cameras have long been limited to capturing images exactly as the human eye perceives them, but a collaborative research breakthrough is fundamentally changing that dynamic.

Researchers from Zhejiang University, in collaboration with RMIT University, have successfully developed a tiny, integrated chip that gives imaging hardware the ability to analyze light wavelengths directly, unlocking capabilities far beyond standard color photography.

Standard imaging systems excel at capturing high-resolution photos but often struggle with specialized tasks such as automated industrial inspection, precise material classification, and granular environmental monitoring.

These applications require the ability to detect subtle differences in light wavelengths—data that reveals the hidden chemical composition or specific surface conditions of an object, even if it looks identical to the human eye. Historically, extracting this level of detail required bulky, external laboratory equipment, making it difficult to deploy in real-world or portable scenarios.

Embedding light analysis into Hardware

The new device solves this by embedding light-analysis capability into the hardware itself. The research effort combined expertise in nanomanufacturing and applied photonics from RMIT’s Centre for Atomaterials and Nanomanufacturing (CAN), led by Distinguished Professor Baohua Jia, and the team at Zhejiang University, led by Professor Jianrong Qiu.

The collaboration relied on highly specialized nanofabrication lab equipment at RMIT, which is capable of building and imaging structures roughly 1,000 times smaller than a human hair in real time. This unique synergy between ultrafast laser fabrication and applied photonics was instrumental in transforming the physical concept into a functional prototype.

How micro-vortices sort light

The core innovation lies in how the researchers manipulate light at the micro-scale. Using ultrafast laser pulses, the team created precise, spiral-shaped structures within transparent materials. These structures act as microscopic “light sorters,” breaking incoming light into distinct patterns that a standard image sensor can interpret.

By separating light very close to the sensor, the device functions as an integrated microspectrometer. This approach works effectively across both visible and near-infrared light spectra and, crucially, remains largely unaffected by viewing angles—a common limitation in many existing microscale optical technologies.

From prototype to future sensing

To prove the feasibility of this strategy, the researchers integrated the spiral structure with a commercial image sensor. This successful integration demonstrated that the chip could capture spectral information and support microscopic spectral imaging without the need for additional bulky equipment or moving parts.

While the project is currently in the development phase, the team views this chip-level success as a critical milestone. It validates that complex sensing tools can be realistically miniaturized for future consumer and industrial electronics.

The corresponding authors, including Professors Jianrong Qiu, Bo Zhang, and Zhuo Wang from Zhejiang University, alongside co-author Dr. Han Lin from RMIT, noted that the current work establishes a robust new strategy for compact sensing technology.

Future development steps for the team include scaling up the fabrication processes, testing different materials to expand the sensor’s range, and refining the software algorithms required to reconstruct light information.

As fabrication techniques improve, this technology could move from a laboratory prototype to a fundamental component in the next generation of smart vision systems.

The research was first published in the journal Nature Electronic.

Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are pioneering a new approach to one of the most complicated challenges in drone technology: enabling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to transition seamlessly from underwater to aerial flight.

Supported by a grant from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM Army Research Office), the UCF team’s nine-month study could unlock game-changing advances for both defense and civilian applications.

How drones exit water

Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Samik Bhattacharya and graduate student Dominic Polidoro ’25 are at the forefront of this research. Their focus is on “egress”—the split-second process in which a drone’s wing emerges from water into the air. While nature makes this look easy—think of birds or rays leaping from the ocean—the dynamics for machines are far more complex.

Using a combination of mathematical modeling and hands-on experimentation, the team is analyzing how the forces acting on a UAV’s wing change during this transition.

Their experiments rely on 3D-printed wings and a specialized water tank in UCF’s Experimental Fluid Mechanics Lab, capturing high-speed interactions as the wings break the water’s surface.

Lift instability: A critical obstacle for amphibious drones

Initial findings highlight a major technical challenge: as the wing leaves the water, the lift generated doesn’t just increase smoothly. Instead, it spikes—what researchers call a “lift overshoot”—then abruptly drops before stabilizing. This rapid fluctuation can destabilize the UAV, threatening control and reliability in real-world missions.

Dr. Bhattacharya points out, “The sudden changes in lift as a UAV transitions from water to air can lead to instability and loss of control. Understanding and eventually mitigating these forces are essential steps for creating robust amphibious drones.”

Potential impact beyond military use

While the U.S. Army’s interest is clear—amphibious UAVs could provide new capabilities in reconnaissance and rapid deployment—the research has wide-ranging implications. These drones could revolutionize search-and-rescue operations along coasts, assist in disaster response, and enhance ocean monitoring by moving easily between aquatic and aerial environments.

Bhattacharya envisions a future where “in 10 years, amphibious UAVs will operate reliably in both air and water, with improved payload capacity and autonomous capabilities, far surpassing current technology.”

Technical approach and future directions

The UCF team’s research involves detailed analysis of surface deformation, wave generation, and vortex shedding—all phenomena occurring in milliseconds as a drone exits water. Their work was recently presented at the 2026 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Forum, drawing attention from experts in fluid dynamics and UAV design.

As the research progresses, the new mathematical models and experimental data are expected to guide the next generation of amphibious drones, making stable, controlled transitions from water to air a practical reality.

Researchers in Australia have developed a neuromorphic vision chip that can see, process, and store visual information in a single device, mimicking how the human eye and brain work together. The small chip, built using doped indium oxide, is designed to reduce reliance on external processors and enable faster decision-making in applications such as autonomous systems.

The work was led by engineers at RMIT University, with contributions from Deakin University and the University of Melbourne. The team says the device combines sensing, processing, and memory functions in one platform, removing the need for separate hardware components that typically slow down machine vision systems.

Unlike conventional imaging systems that capture data and send it to external processors, the new chip performs computation directly where the light is detected. The sensing layer, which is thousands of times thinner than a human hair, is engineered to respond to light and retain information over time, allowing it to function more like a biological visual system.

The researchers say this integrated approach could reduce energy consumption and improve response speed in real-time environments. The device was tested using ultraviolet light, and the team is now working to extend its capabilities to visible and infrared light for broader applications.

Brain-like vision system

The chip is designed to mimic the way the human eye captures light and how the brain processes and stores visual input. It performs multiple tasks on a single platform, including sensing incoming light, processing signals, and storing visual information for later use.

Team leader Professor Sumeet Walia said the goal was to remove the delay and energy cost of transferring data between separate systems. “We’ve made real-time decision making a possibility with our invention, because it doesn’t need to process large amounts of irrelevant data and it’s not being slowed down by data transfer to separate processors.”

The device also showed the ability to retain visual information for longer periods without frequent electrical refresh signals, which reduces energy use and improves efficiency.

First author and RMIT PhD researcher Aishani Mazumder said the system draws inspiration from how the brain processes information. “Neuromorphic vision systems are designed to use similar analog processing to the human brain, which can greatly reduce the amount of energy needed to perform complex visual tasks compared with today’s technologies.”

Toward autonomous machines

The researchers say the technology could be used in self-driving cars, autonomous robots, and monitoring systems that operate in dangerous environments. Possible applications include object recognition in vehicles, detection systems in remote or hazardous areas, and advanced imaging for forensics and industrial inspection.

Because the chip integrates multiple functions into a single element, it could also support longer-term autonomous operation without heavy computational infrastructure. The team says this makes it suitable for systems that need to adapt quickly to changing environments.

The device mimics the retina’s ability to capture an entire image and the brain’s ability to interpret and store it, enabling a more compact and efficient approach to machine vision. The researchers believe this could eventually lead to vision systems that improve with experience, similar to biological systems.

The team used specialized nanofabrication and microscopy facilities at RMIT University, with support from the Australian Research Council and the National Computational Infrastructure.

The study appears in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

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China is turning the massive environmental liabilities of its coal-mining history into the raw materials for its next generation of infrastructure.

In the southeastern county of Gaoping, located deep within China’s premier coal province of Shanxi, a massive new recycling facility has quietly begun operations. It transforms the waste into high-value industrial and building materials.

Reportedly, its daily output sounds like a standard quarry operation: 1,000 tonnes of sand, gravel, and unburnt bricks destined for the country’s endless appetite for concrete.

But these construction materials did not come from a riverbed or a mountain quarry. The material was extracted from coal gangue, which is the ultra-hard, toxic rock waste left behind after mining and washing coal. 

Specialized facility

China’s coal gangue is expected to be around 7 billion tonnes. Left unmanaged, coal waste routinely triggers water contamination, airborne dust pollution, and spontaneous fires.

Less than 60 percent of this mountain of rock was ever reused. The rest stayed behind as a permanent ecological tax on resource-dependent cities. Now, technology is cracking that stubborn bone to turn the waste into an industrial resource. 

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the Gaoping facility consists of automated systems that sort the incoming waste using X-ray separation equipment. From there, the material is crushed, screened, and stripped of impurities. The result is a stream of manufactured aggregates and eco-friendly unburnt bricks that skip the high-emission firing process entirely.

Local authorities say the applications reach far beyond basic roads. The refined waste is finding its way into ceramics and even high-tech spacecraft coatings. 

Broader circular economy

Beyond recycling coal waste, China is eyeing a broader circular economy to overhaul its construction material supply. 

China uses nearly half of the world’s construction sand and gravel, a habit that has severely degraded fragile river ecosystems. Replacing natural sand with coal waste solves two environmental headaches at once.

Research also suggests that recycling construction and demolition waste could meet half of China’s aggregate demand by 2050.

The industry is scaling up at breakneck speed. While attempts to recycle gangue date back to the 1950s, the economic incentive shifted after 2010 as natural sand supplies tightened and Beijing locked in its national carbon targets. 

Last year, a milestone 10-million-tonne utilization project was launched in Datong. 

The strategy is not without its speed bumps. Industry experts caution that aggregates derived from coal waste currently represent only a tiny sliver of China’s annual consumption. 

Due to the material’s structural limitations, it cannot be used for high-strength or critical load-bearing structures like skyscraper pillars or major bridges. Strict toxicity testing is also mandatory to ensure heavy metals do not leach out of the residential walls of the future.

This strategy operates alongside efforts to harvest industrial value from existing fossil fuel liabilities—such as extracting critical technology metals like lithium, gallium, and germanium from mining byproducts. Furthermore, trapping power plant emissions to manufacture affordable agricultural fertilizer.

The development shows that a zero-waste future might actually be possible simply by turning a toxic liability into literal building blocks.

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A home machinist and microscopy enthusiast has documented a detailed technical conversion of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) into a transmission electron microscope (TEM), demonstrating that sub-nanometer resolution imaging is not strictly confined to professional laboratory settings.

The project walks through the mechanical, electronic, and optical modifications required to redirect the SEM’s focused electron beam through an ultrathin specimen rather than bouncing it off a surface.

SEM versus TEM

In a conventional SEM, a focused electron beam rasters across the surface of a sample and detectors collect secondary and backscattered electrons to construct a three-dimensional surface image.

A TEM, by contrast, accelerates electrons through a thin specimen—typically below 100 nanometers—and a detector or phosphor screen on the far side captures the transmitted beam, yielding internal structural information at atomic or near-atomic resolution.

The two modalities require fundamentally different sample preparation, detector geometry, and beam alignment strategies, which makes the conversion non-trivial.

The modification involved fabricating a custom specimen holder stage capable of holding electron-transparent samples, repositioning a scintillator-based detector beneath the sample plane, and carefully adjusting beam convergence angles to suit transmission geometry.

Beam energy in the converted system reportedly remained in the range typical of low-voltage SEMs—roughly 5 to 30 kiloelectron volts—which is lower than the 80–300 keV found in dedicated TEMs.

That energy gap has direct consequences for penetration depth and contrast, meaning the converted instrument is better suited to very thin biological or polymer films than to hard crystalline materials.

Specimen preparation constraints

At 30 keV, electron penetration through matter is substantially reduced compared to a 200 keV research-grade TEM. Specimens must be prepared to thicknesses well below 50 nanometers to achieve meaningful transmission contrast, which demands either focused ion beam (FIB) thinning or careful ultramicrotome sectioning.

The project does not sidestep this limitation; the builder acknowledges that sample preparation remains the most labor-intensive part of the workflow and that certain dense or thick materials will simply block the beam entirely at these voltages.

Achieving proper alignment in a converted system also presents practical difficulties. Commercial TEMs incorporate sophisticated electromagnetic lens alignment systems, stigmators, and beam-tilt controls that are absent in most SEMs. The DIY conversion relies on mechanical stage adjustment and iterative beam tuning to compensate, which increases setup time per sample significantly.

Detector configuration and image acquisition

The transmitted electron signal was captured using a scintillator coupled to a camera placed below the sample stage. This configuration is conceptually similar to a bright-field TEM detector arrangement, where areas of the specimen that scatter or absorb electrons appear darker against a bright background.

The resolution achievable with this setup is constrained not only by beam energy but also by the point spread function of the scintillator material and the pixel pitch of the camera sensor used.

For engineers interested in electron optics at the amateur level, projects like this one sit alongside other low-cost electron beam experiments that have appeared in the maker community.

DIY scanning electron microscope builds have previously demonstrated that fundamental vacuum and high-voltage engineering skills can be acquired outside institutional settings, though always with serious attention to X-ray shielding and high-voltage safety protocols.

Safety and practical risk factors

Operating any electron beam instrument outside a certified laboratory introduces real hazards. Bremsstrahlung X-ray emission is an inherent byproduct of electron deceleration in the target and chamber walls.

SEMs are shielded from the factory, but any modification to the chamber geometry—including cutting ports for a transmission detector—requires careful verification that shielding integrity is maintained. The builder’s documentation should be read with this in mind by anyone considering replication.

The conversion represents a technically detailed exercise in applied electron optics and vacuum engineering, and it offers a practical reference point for understanding the design constraints that separate entry-level and research-grade electron microscopy instruments.

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