Energy
press releases.

Energy12 Mar 2025

Chinese scientists explain energy transfer mechanism in chloroplasts and its evolution

A recent study by Chinese scientists has revealed the intricate molecular machinery driving energy exchange within chloroplasts, shedding light on a key event in the evolution of plant life. Led by FAN Minrui from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the research elucidates the structure and function of the ATP/ADP translocator—a crucial member of the nucleotide transporter (NTT) family of proteins—which facilitates the transfer of energy across chloroplast membranes. Their findings were published online in ...

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Energy12 Mar 2025

New membrane discovery makes possible cleaner lithium extraction

Researchers have developed a new process for sustainable lithium extraction, which could help to address the growing global demand for the metals used in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage. Current ways of getting lithium are bad for the environment and more sustainable approaches are hard to perform on a large scale, but scientists have developed new membranes to pull lithium directly out of salty lake water using electricity, leaving other metal ions behind. Publishing their findings in Nature Water today (12 Mar), the international group of researchers from the UK, France, ...

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Energy12 Mar 2025

Signs of ‘tipping point’ to electric vehicles in UK used car market

Second-hand electric cars may be close to a “tipping point” where they become more popular than equivalent petrol and diesel cars in the UK, new research shows. Researchers analysed data from car sales website Auto Trader, comparing daily views of adverts for electric vehicles (EVs) with petrol/diesel cars. Interest in second-hand EVs grew rapidly, doubling from 3.5% of advert views in 2022 to 7% in 2023. Importantly, interest in EVs became more “sticky”. Events such as petrol price increases drove extra EV views – and over time these spikes of attention lasted longer and longer. “To identify ...

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Energy11 Mar 2025

Water movement on surfaces makes more electric charge than expected

Researchers from RMIT University and the University of Melbourne have discovered that water generates an electrical charge up to 10 times greater than previously understood when it moves across a surface. The team, led by Dr Joe Berry, Dr Peter Sherrell and Professor Amanda Ellis, observed when a water droplet became stuck on a tiny bump or rough spot, the force built up until it “jumped or slipped” past an obstacle, creating an irreversible charge that had not been reported before. The new understanding of this “stick-slip” motion of water over a surface paves the way for surface design with controlled electrification, with ...

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Energy7 Mar 2025

Revolutionizing surface science: Visualization of local dielectric properties of surfaces

Researchers from the University of Electro-Communications (Akira Sumiyoshi and Jun Nakamura) and Tohoku University (Kohei Yamasue and Yasuo Cho) have made a significant advancement in visualizing the local dipole moments at the semiconductor surface. This study offers unprecedented insights into the atomic-scale charge distribution and dipole configuration using a combination of the scanning nonlinear dielectric microscope (SNDM) and advanced density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The ...

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Energy7 Mar 2025

LearningEMS: A new framework for electric vehicle energy management

A new study published in Engineering introduces LearningEMS, a unified framework and open-source benchmark designed to revolutionize the development and assessment of energy management strategies (EMS) for electric vehicles (EVs). The automotive industry has recently undergone a transformative shift fueled by the growing global emphasis on sustainability and environmental conservation. EVs have become a crucial part of the future of transportation. However, effectively managing the energy in EVs, especially those with complex power ...

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Energy6 Mar 2025

Phosphorus doping stabilizes high-energy polymeric nitrogen at ambient pressure

Using first-principles calculations, a research group led by Prof. WANG Xianlong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that phosphorus doping is an effective way to achieve high-energy polymeric nitrogen with black-phosphorus structure (BP-N) stable at ambient pressure. The research results were published in Matter and Radiation at Extremes. Cubic gauche nitrogen with diamond-like structure and BP-N with black phosphorus structure, represented by polymeric all-nitrogen materials, are a class of high-energy density materials composed entirely of N-N single bonds, but their samples ...

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Energy5 Mar 2025

New method improves catalyst performance for hydrogenation reactions

Recently, the research team led by Researcher WANG Guozhong from the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a method to precisely control the size of nickel particles in catalysts, improving their performance in hydrogenation reactions. The related research results were published in Advanced Functional Materials. Catalysts are essential in speeding up chemical reactions without being consumed, and the size of the metal particles in them plays a key role in their effectiveness. Larger particles have more high-coordination sites, while smaller ones are dominated ...

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Energy4 Mar 2025

Researchers see breakthrough with biofuel

One limitation of producing biofuel is that the alcohol created by fermentation is toxic to the microbes that produce it. Now scientists are closer to overcoming this obstacle. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory achieved a breakthrough in understanding the vulnerability of microbes to the alcohols they produce during fermentation of plant biomass. With the national lab’s neutron scattering and simulation equipment, the team ...

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Energy4 Mar 2025

Breakthrough in clean energy: Palladium nanosheets pave way for affordable hydrogen

Hydrogen energy is emerging as a key driver of a clean, sustainable future, offering a zero-emission alternative to fossil fuels. Although it is promising, the large-scale production of hydrogen relies heavily on expensive platinum-based catalysts, and hence affordability remains a major challenge for the industry. To surpass this, researchers from the Tokyo University of Science (TUS) have developed a novel hydrogen evolution catalyst, bis(diimino)palladium coordination nanosheets (PdDI), that offers platinum-like efficiency at a fraction of the cost. Their groundbreaking study, which was published on November ...

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Energy4 Mar 2025

Researchers develop high-water-soluble pyrene tetraone derivative to boost energy density of aqueous organic flow batteries

Aqueous organic flow batteries (AOFBs) hold promise for renewable energy integration and electricity grid storage due to their inherent safety, as well as the availability of naturally abundant and synthetically tunable organic redox-active molecules (ORAMs). However, challenges such as low energy density, poor stability at high concentrations, and high synthesis costs hinder their commercial viability. Developing ORAMs that offer both high energy density and ultra-stable cycling performance is essential for advancing stationary energy storage ...

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Energy3 Mar 2025

Study links intense energy bursts to ventilator-induced lung injury

A new study from Tulane University suggests that repeated collapse and reopening of tiny alveoli—air sacs in the lungs essential for breathing—during mechanical ventilation may cause microscopic tissue damage, playing a key role in ventilator-related injuries that contribute to thousands of deaths annually. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study sheds light on ventilator-induced lung injury, a complication that gained increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a surge in patients requiring ...

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Energy28 Feb 2025

Virginia Tech to lead $10 million critical mineral research coalition in Appalachia

Virginia Tech is spearheading a research coalition to reveal the untapped potential of the greater Appalachian Mountains region. This coalition aims to accelerate the identification and characterization of unconventional critical mineral resources throughout the area. It brings together academic institutions, research laboratories, federal and state natural resource offices, and consultancies, all collaborating with the end goal of boosting regional economic growth and creating new jobs. The research team, led by Richard Bishop, professor of practice in ...

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Energy26 Feb 2025

Novel molten metal catalysts for CO2-free hydrogen production

Researchers in South Korea have developed an advanced liquid metal catalyst incorporating selenium (Se) to enhance the efficiency of turquoise hydrogen production. Turquoise hydrogen is generated via methane (CH₄) pyrolysis, producing hydrogen while yielding solid carbon as a byproduct, without emitting carbon dioxide (CO₂). A research team led by Dr. Seung Ju Han at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has introduced selenium-doped molten metal catalysts (NiBi, CuBi) to significantly enhance methane pyrolysis efficiency. The technology demonstrates ...

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Energy25 Feb 2025

Rethinking equity in electric vehicle infrastructure

As electric vehicles (EVs) gain momentum in the fight against climate change, the conversation around public charging infrastructure is growing increasingly complex. Xinwu Qian , assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, is spearheading research that reimagines how and where charging stations should be deployed — ensuring that alignment with people’s daily routine and activities, beyond mere accessibility, are at the forefront. “Charging an electric vehicle isn’t just about plugging it in and waiting — it takes 30 minutes to an hour even with the fastest charger ...

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Energy21 Feb 2025

The future of geothermal for reliable clean energy

Historically, access to geothermal energy has hinged on real estate’s famously three most important factors: location, location, and location. Because conventional geothermal power plants require hot, permeable rocks and plenty of underground fluid, use of the technology has been limited mostly to places with recent volcanism, such as Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Kenya, El Salvador, Iceland, and the western United States. Over the past 50 years, however, techniques originally developed for oilfields and adapted for “enhanced geothermal systems” (EGS) have offered the promise ...

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Energy21 Feb 2025

University of Vaasa, Finland, conducts research on utilizing buildings as energy sources

The University of Vaasa has received funding from Business Finland for the FlexiPower research and development project, which focuses on developing and commercializing the "Building as a Battery" (BaaB) solution. The project aims to find solutions that utilize existing building infrastructure as flexible energy sources. The goal of the FlexiPower project is to develop and commercialize a solution that enables the dynamic response of building heating and cooling systems to the needs of the power system. This innovation offers a cost-effective and scalable solution for balancing the power grid without significant initial ...

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Energy21 Feb 2025

Mechanochemistry strikes again – A facile means for generating organolithium molecules

Mechanochemistry using a ball mill demonstrates versatility for generating academically and industrially significant organolithium compounds. Organolithium compounds, molecules containing a carbon–lithium bond, are excellent precursors for building new carbon–carbon and other carbon–heteroatom bonds. They are widely utilized in both academia and industry for their applications in polymer synthesis, pharmaceuticals, and general organic synthesis. A conventional method for generating organolithiums is done ...

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Energy19 Feb 2025

Revealing the double-edged role of oxygen vacancy on ZrO2 catalysts in propane dehydrogenation

Propane dehydrogenation (PDH), as an efficient catalytic production process to obtain propylene, has developed rapidly in recent years. Previous studies have shown that zirconia exhibited excellent performance in the PDH, with the coordination-unsaturated zirconium (Zrcus) around the oxygen vacancy being the active site in the reaction. However, the critical role of oxygen vacancy is still remaining elusive, and lacked a rationale to establish a relation between structure and performance. Moreover, the strong binding of propene and hydrogen molecules shadowed ...

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Energy19 Feb 2025

Revolutionizing energy-efficient smart windows: A flexible dual-band electrochromic device with energy storage

As global energy consumption continues to rise, buildings account for approximately 40% of total energy use, with nearly half of that dedicated to indoor thermal regulation (heating and cooling). Windows, being the primary pathway for energy exchange between the interior and exterior of buildings, contribute to 20-40% of energy loss. Developing energy-efficient smart windows that reduce energy consumption while maintaining natural lighting and aesthetic appeal has become a key strategy in sustainable building development. Researchers from Nanjing University of ...

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Energy14 Feb 2025

Mini flow battery speeds energy storage research

RICHLAND, Wash.—Sometimes, in order to go big, you first have to go small. That’s what researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have done with their latest innovation in energy storage. With a goal to speed the time to discovery of new grid energy storage technology, the team designed a compact, high-efficiency flow battery test system that requires an order of magnitude less starting material while delivering results equal to the standard lab-scale ...

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Energy11 Feb 2025

From photons to protons: Argonne team makes breakthrough in high-energy particle detection

Particle detectors play a crucial role in our understanding of the fundamental building blocks of the universe. They allow scientists to study the behavior and properties of the particles produced in high-energy collisions. Such particles are boosted to near the speed of light in large accelerators and then smashed into targets or other particles where they are then analyzed with detectors. Traditional detectors, however, lack the needed sensitivity and precision for certain types of research. Researchers at the U.S. Department of ...

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Energy7 Feb 2025

Metal ion implantation and laser direct writing dance together: constructing never-fading physical colors on lithium niobate crystals

A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances; DOI 10.29026/oea.2025.240193 , discusses a novel approach towards robust construction of physical colors on lithium niobate crystal. Color has a profound impact on the way humans observe, perceive and understand the world. It is like a silent language, subtly shaping our perception and response to the surrounding environment. From the first ray of sunshine in the morning to the twinkling stars in the night sky, colors are everywhere. They are not only a visual ...

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Energy5 Feb 2025

Shut the nano gate! Electrical control of nanopore diameter

Osaka, Japan—A gate that can be open or shut to allow or block the passing of species on one or both sides applies not only on the macroscale, for example a farm gate used to control stock movement, but also at the nanoscale, where a gate can control the translocation of single molecules. A collaboration headed by researchers at Osaka University has developed a nanogate that can be open or shut by applying electricity. The nanogate shows various behaviors depending on the materials in the solutions on both sides of the gate and the applied voltage, making it attractive for different applications including sensing and controlled chemical reactions. The ...

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Energy5 Feb 2025

By studying neutron ‘starquakes’, scientists hope to transform their understanding of nuclear matter

The study of ‘starquakes’ (like earthquakes, but in stars) promises to give us important new insights into the properties of neutron stars (the collapsed remnants of massive stars), according to new research led by the University of Bath in the UK. Such explorations have the potential to challenge our current approaches to studying nuclear matter, with important impacts for the future of both nuclear physics and astronomy. Longer term, there may also be implications in the fields of health, security and energy. The value of studying asteroseismology – as these vibrations and flares are known – has emerged from research carried ...

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