Berkeley Lab researchers developed a method to increase the efficiency of LED devices by applying mechanical strain to thin semiconductor films. This approach reduces exciton annihilation, allowing for high-performance LEDs even at high brightness levels.
The new alkali metal-chlorine batteries can cycle up to 200 times and achieve a capacity of 1,200 milliamp hours per gram, significantly outperforming commercial lithium-ion batteries. Researchers envision their batteries being used in satellites and remote sensors where frequent recharging is not practical.
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed liquid-sulfur/sulfide composite cathodes enabling high-rate magnesium batteries. The material shows high capacity, potential, cyclability, and rate capability, with a discharge capacity of ~900 mAh/g and stable performance for over 50 cycles.
A new membrane design reduces dendrite issues in zinc-based batteries, achieving high areal capacity and current density. The study demonstrates improved energy efficiency and stability at high current densities.
A Hebrew University study reveals that as worldwide lead production increases, so do rates of lead absorption in people, leading to toxic effects. The research uses ancient human bones to show the close relationship between lead production and human exposure.
Researchers at Nagoya City University find a fourfold increase in surface deuterium atoms on nanocrystalline silicon, paving the way for sustainable deuterium enrichment protocols. The efficient exchange reaction could lead to more durable semiconductor technology and potentially purify tritium contaminated water.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have made significant breakthroughs in developing a highly effective COVID-19 antibody therapy and an efficient thermoelectric system that can convert waste heat to electricity. The new antibody, S309, has been shown to neutralize all known SARS-CoV-2 strains and may be more difficult for new mutants to escape.
NTU scientists create soft and stretchable battery powered by human perspiration, suitable for wearable devices. The battery generates electricity in the presence of sweat, providing a sustainable alternative to conventional batteries.
A UK team developed a portable ventilator to treat COVID-19 patients in developing countries. The Field Ventilator can be used beyond COVID-19 to treat various respiratory diseases and patients needing respiratory support.
Researchers developed a novel method to visualize and understand the structural and chemical evolution of silicon and its interface with the electrolyte. This breakthrough could lead to more robust lithium batteries with improved performance and longer cycle life.
Researchers have designed a novel material that combines the desirable characteristics of chloride solid electrolytes, including high ionic conductivity and deformability. The new electrolyte, Li2ZrCl6, offers a significantly lower raw material cost and improved humidity tolerance than existing alternatives.
The UK has invested £10 million in the Faraday Battery Challenge to develop innovative battery technologies. Four projects, including Power-UP, GENESIS, HIPERCARB, and SABRE, aim to create high-performance batteries for electric vehicles, with applications in energy density, cost optimization, and fast charging.
A leading nano-technologist argues that there are no excuses left to justify the use of fossil fuels. Significant innovations in advanced batteries and energy storage technologies are needed to meet the goal of a carbon net-zero planet by 2050.
Scientists have long struggled to make reliable lithium-metal batteries due to high failure rates and safety issues. New nanoscale images reveal a hard buildup of solid electrolyte interphase, which tears holes in the separator and allows metal deposits to form a short, leading to catastrophic device failure.
A study from University of Michigan researchers found that electric delivery vehicle charging practices can greatly impact their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Optimizing charging strategies can lower emissions by up to 37% and protect investment. Charging from a cleaner energy source, such as renewables, is key.
A new study suggests that collective battery storage can significantly reduce the cost of providing load smoothing and peak shaving services to households. By sharing batteries or having one per 20 houses, households can provide essential grid services while reducing individual costs, a key finding published in Energy & Buildings.
Researchers at UC Berkeley created an insect-scale robot using electrostatic adhesion, allowing it to traverse complex terrain and make sharp turns with unprecedented speed and control. The robot can survive being stepped on by a human and operate for up to 19 minutes on battery power.
Engineers at UC Berkeley created an insect-scale robot using electrostatic adhesion to traverse complex terrain and avoid obstacles with incredible agility. The robot's design allows it to swerve, pivot, and make sharp turns with unprecedented speed and control.
The KAUST team's solution involves a layer of hierarchically porous graphene that significantly suppresses polysulfide shuttling in Li-S batteries. This innovation improves the capacity and recharging ability of Li-S battery technologies, making them suitable for large-scale commercial applications.
A new study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers suggests that storing both oil and gas on-site at power plants can reduce dependence on gas grids and mitigate fuel shortages. This could reduce costs for electric customers in New England, where gas supply constraints have led to frequent power plant outages.
The CSEM innovation enables devices to run independently for over a year, reducing installation and maintenance costs. The system's two-tiered data processing approach drastically reduces power requirement, with most applications using only the first accelerator.
Researchers developed semiconducting passivation layers to inhibit dendrite formation, enhancing battery stability and safety. The new technology improved battery capacity by up to 81% compared to conventional Li electrodes.
A newly developed LDH-based composite membrane enhances AZIFB performance by improving selectivity and hydroxide ion conductivity. The study achieved an operating current density of 200 mA cm‒‒, along with high energy efficiency of 82.36%.
A new study presents a high-efficiency battery system that can be charged using indoor lighting, showcasing an overall energy efficiency of 13.2%. The research team developed a novel electrode material that significantly enhances charging efficiency under dim light conditions.
Researchers at NUS successfully demonstrated a system that wirelessly powers wearables by harnessing energy from the environment and transmitting it through the human body. The technology can power up to 10 wearable devices for over 10 hours, paving the way for battery-less wearables.
A team of scientists has observed direct atomic evidence of the anionic redox mechanism in lithium-rich cathodes, which could lead to breakthroughs in battery technology. The discovery provides conclusive evidence for this mechanism, nearly doubling the energy storage capacity compared to conventional cathodes.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have made a groundbreaking discovery in charge storage mechanisms for calcium-air batteries. The new finding, known as trapped interfacial redox, introduces a novel mechanism that can be harnessed to create highly sustainable battery technologies.
Researchers discovered that a valence gradient can serve as a new approach for stabilizing high-nickel-content cathode materials against degradation and safety issues. By isolating the valence gradient from concentration gradient, they confirmed its critical role in battery performance.
Researchers developed a biodegradable supercapacitor that can store electricity for hours, withstand thousands of charge cycles, and degrade naturally. The device uses a combination of cellulose nanofibers, carbon, and glycerin to achieve its capabilities.
Researchers review biopolymer-based electrolytes for lithium batteries, highlighting polysaccharides and proteins with unique properties. The study aims to improve interfacial stability and mechanical strength of membranes, enabling the design of zero-pollution batteries.
Researchers from Heriot-Watt University developed AI algorithms to optimize community energy assets, using multi-agent systems and cooperative game theory. The models provide fair ways to share joint gains among community members, considering individual contributions and needs.
A ban on new fossil-fuel car sales could lead to a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, but the effect will depend on factors like battery manufacturing. By 2045, electric cars can reduce life-cycle emissions by 3-5 million tonnes of CO2.
Researchers from Skoltech developed a simple redox-active polyimide with promising features in various energy storage devices. The new material showed high specific capacities, relatively high redox potentials, and decent cycling stability.
Scientists at PNNL have demonstrated the potential of low-cost organic compounds for storing massive amounts of energy to be fed into the electric grid. The researchers showed that fluorenone, a common compound found in candles, can operate continuously for 120 days and lose less than 3% of its energy capacity after 1,111 full cycles.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have made significant breakthroughs in solid-state battery technology by controlling atomic alignment of materials to improve cathode-solid electrolyte interface stability. This enables more efficient charging and discharging cycles, leading to increased energy density and improved cycle life.
A new class of molecules has been engineered to provide energy storage for aqueous organic redox flow batteries. The approach delivers a high energy efficiency even after four months of cycling at elevated temperatures.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have created a prototype for a rechargeable cement-based battery with an average energy density of 7 Wh/m2. The concept has vast potential for energy storage and monitoring applications in buildings, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional materials.
Researchers found that older lithium-based batteries are safer due to reduced energy potential, leading to more efficient designs and improved safety. The study's results will aid in deriving safety factors for subsequent use of used batteries.
Scientists at Texas A&M University designed a new type of battery that eliminates the need for metals and flammable electrolytes. The metal-free, water-based battery shows improved energy storage performance despite lower capacity compared to traditional Li-ion batteries.
The study reveals two competing theories on lithium metal dendrite growth through ceramic electrolytes, proposing a new mechanism for solid-state battery failure. The researchers used X-ray computed tomography and spatially mapped X-ray diffraction to visualize and characterize crack growth and dendrite propagation.
Researchers analyzed a database of over 3 million urban electric vehicles in China to understand energy consumption patterns. They found that energy consumption changes by up to 21% during winter-to-spring seasonal transitions.
Scientists identified depletion of liquid electrolyte as primary cause of failure in high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries. The study used high-energy x-rays to map performance variations and calculate cathode material state, enabling the discovery of dominant failure mechanism.
Researchers developed an AI framework to estimate battery health without interrupting operation, considering operating conditions and chemistry. The model can quantify uncertainty in predictions, supporting operating decisions.
A recent X-ray study clarifies the reaction mechanism of lithium manganese oxide (Li2MnO3) and finds it suitable as a catalyst for high-energy electrode materials. The discovery paves the way for exploring alternative battery technologies, including lithium-air and lithium-carbon dioxide batteries.
Researchers designed a polymer membrane with molecular cages that increase lithium ion flow by an order of magnitude, improving battery power and efficiency. The solvation cages selectively capture and transport lithium ions faster than their counter anions, enabling high-voltage battery cells to operate more efficiently.
Researchers at Skoltech have designed and synthesized new compounds that can serve as catholytes and anolytes for organic redox flow batteries, offering high cell voltage, solubility, and electrochemical properties. The materials have been tested for scalability and performance in large-scale energy storage applications.
Scientists from Tohoku University have developed a new fluorine-free calcium electrolyte that shows improved electrochemical performances. This breakthrough could lead to cost-effective and high-performance rechargeable calcium batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
Researchers used X-ray microscopy to analyze lithium batteries and employed machine learning to speed up the learning curve about process that shortens battery life. Infrared microscopy also goes off-grid with new technique, enabling time-sensitive experiments and broadening biological spectromicroscopy scope.
The study provides direct visualization of SEI shell evolution during Li deposition/stripping, revealing anode degradation mechanisms. The work reveals the importance of in-situ characterization for understanding SEI properties and improving battery performance.
Researchers have developed a technology that enables robots to navigate and forage for energy sources in their environment, eliminating the need for batteries or computers. The system uses oxidation reactions with surrounding air to power the robot, allowing it to sense and respond to changes in chemical concentrations.
Researchers have discovered fossilized samples of bony armor from ancient fish species, revealing a complex network of cavities and channels in the bones. The findings suggest that early vertebrates had internal structures similar to those found in modern vertebrates, with bone cells capable of dissolving and restoring bone minerals.
Georgia Tech inventors create a flexible Rotman lens-based rectenna system capable of millimeter-wave harvesting in the 28-GHz band, enabling large antenna operation with wide angle coverage. The technology achieved a 21-fold increase in harvested power compared to a referenced counterpart.
A UC Riverside study analyzed fourth-generation electronic cigarette pod atomizer design features, identifying toxic elements such as nickel, chromium, and iron. The findings suggest that these elements may accumulate in the environment and contribute to chemical pollution, highlighting the need for further research on e-cigarette safety.
Researchers found that without battery storage, homeowners only use 30-40% of their solar PV electricity, while the rest is exported to the grid. With a home battery, self-consumption doubles and grid reliance reduces by up to 84%. Innovative energy policies can make PV-batteries profitable, even in low-solar irradiation countries.
Researchers have developed smart buoys using seawater batteries to monitor various marine data, including salinity, pH, and water temperature. The buoys utilize a naturally-abundant sodium source in seawater to charge and discharge electricity, enabling scalable energy storage.
A recent study has unveiled a novel membrane-free CO2 battery that can produce hydrogen and electricity while sequestering carbon dioxide emissions. The new battery exhibits high faradaic efficiency of 92.0% and offers significant benefits for sustainable human life.
Researchers from Berkeley Lab analyze total cost of ownership of electric and diesel long-haul trucks, finding electric trucks have a 13% per mile lower total cost of ownership. The study also shows future reductions in battery costs could reduce the difference to 50% per mile by 2030.
Scientists have identified a statistical relationship between city growth and paved surfaces' impact on water cycles and climates. They also demonstrated a method to heal dendrites in solid-state batteries, and created high-performance thermoplastic composites using additive manufacturing and conventional compression molding.
A patented technology combines two subsystems of an AC-DC converter into one, creating a more compact battery charger while maintaining full functionality. This innovation supports the goal of developing sustainable and economically sound electrified transportation.
COSMIC, a multipurpose X-ray instrument at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source, has made groundbreaking contributions in fields ranging from batteries to biominerals. It offers world-leading soft X-ray microscopy resolution below 10 nanometers and extreme chemical sensitivity.