Research announcements from universities, hospitals and scientific institutions. Explore the stories, people and discoveries behind the headlines.
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A machine learning pipeline can predict Raman spectra for solid battery electrolytes at near-quantum accuracy and a fraction of the computational cost, revealing that low-frequency Raman features reliably flag the liquid-like ion motion needed for high performance.
Read the releaseA nitrogen-doped graphene cathode resists chloride corrosion, stays flexible when bent to 120 degrees, and outperforms platinum-based designs. The work points toward cheaper, safer rechargeable batteries that don't depend on scarce metals.
Read the releaseZhen Huang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, argues in ENGINEERING Energy that the global transition to wind and solar power is not merely a fuel swap but a structural transformation requiring new frameworks for energy efficiency, grid security, and electricity pricing - including recognition that abundant 'zero marginal cost' renewable energy makes traditional efficiency metrics obsolete.
Read the releaseChinese researchers built a composite solid electrolyte using aligned LiMPS nanosheets in a flexible PEO matrix, reaching liquid-electrolyte-level conductivity and enabling solid-state pouch cells that operate without external clamping pressure.
Read the releaseA pilot randomized clinical trial of low-dose lithium in mild cognitive impairment confirmed feasibility and safety but none of the coprimary outcomes reached the prespecified significance threshold, warranting a larger powered trial.
Read the releaseA two-year pilot trial at the University of Pittsburgh found low-dose lithium was safe and associated with slower verbal memory decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, particularly those positive for amyloid beta. The results justify a larger, more definitive trial.
Read the releaseSouthwest Research Institute's MST 8x8 probe attaches externally to storage tanks, using guided ultrasonic waves to generate 2D corrosion maps without the costly process of emptying, cleaning, and manually inspecting the vessel.
Read the releaseTohoku University researchers used interfacial orbital engineering to suppress Jahn-Teller distortions in lithium-manganese-rich oxide cathodes, producing a cobalt-free battery material with near-perfect cycling stability over 500 charge cycles.
Read the releaseA University of Michigan-led methodology using ion beams to simulate radiation damage in nuclear reactor materials - achieving in days what test reactors require over a decade - is advancing through ASTM industry standards approval as QUICC (Qualification under Ion irradiation of Core Components), with potential to dramatically accelerate materials testing for advanced reactor designs.
Read the releaseA comprehensive review by researchers at Jeonbuk National University and Korea Institute of Materials Science examines how pyrochlore oxide dielectrics - engineered for high entropy and structural flexibility - outperform conventional ceramic capacitors in energy density, thermal stability, and reliability for automotive and power electronics applications.
Read the releaseKAIST researchers added thiophene to lithium-metal battery electrolyte to form a protective interfacial layer whose electronic structure rearranges dynamically during cycling, suppressing dendrites at 8 mA/cm2 current density and enabling full-cell charging in 12 minutes.
Read the releaseMarine microalgae cultivated in nickel-containing medium accumulate nickel naturally; pyrolysis converts them into a porous carbon with uniformly embedded nickel nanoparticles that detect hydrogen peroxide at 0.39 micromolar with a two-second response and no enzymes required.
Read the releaseLab experiments using real Arabian Gulf oxygen profiles show that Gulf blenny reef fish use about 3% more energy per day when exposed to nighttime low-oxygen events. Those events occur on more than half of all summer nights - and the region's extreme heat makes fish especially vulnerable to compounding stress.
Read the releaseWith just 82 pediatricians per 100,000 children nationally compared with 348 adult physicians per 100,000 adults, UC San Francisco launched Peds-START in January 2025 to recruit and train medical students committed to pediatric careers through structured mentorship and a guaranteed residency pathway.
Read the releaseEngineers at EPFL's Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technology built a hexagonal silicon nanopillar device that generates continuous electricity as water evaporates across its charged surfaces. The hydrovoltaic effect it exploits could enable passive energy harvesting in environments where solar and wind power are impractical.
Read the releaseFlow batteries are promising candidates for large-scale grid storage, but conventional electrolytes are either volatile and flammable or too viscous to conduct ions efficiently. A Case Western Reserve team demonstrated a new electrolyte in which protons hop between molecular bonds - conducting electricity without the fire risks of liquid lithium-ion systems while maintaining high viscosity for safety.
Read the releaseGlobal copper demand is projected to rise from 23 million tons per year in 2025 to 37 million tons by 2050 under standard growth, and to 91.7 million tons under a full clean energy transition. A University of Michigan study finds the current price of 13000 per ton falls well short of the 22000 to 31000 per ton it costs to develop new mines.
Read the releaseUniversity of Oxford researchers developed a staining technique using silver and bromine markers to make polymer binders - which make up less than 5% of battery electrode weight but critically affect performance - visible by electron microscopy. Using the method, they reduced internal ionic resistance by 40% in test electrodes by adjusting mixing and drying protocols, and captured the fragmentation of nanoscale cellulose coatings during electrode processing.
Read the releaseScientists have isolated a previously undescribed sulfate-reducing bacterium, Fundidesulfovibrio terrae, from paddy soil that can perform bidirectional extracellular electron transfer - pushing electrons out to and pulling electrons in from solid surfaces like electrodes and iron minerals. When supplied with electricity and carbon dioxide as its only carbon source, the bacterium converts the greenhouse gas into acetate via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, reaching concentrations above 11 millimolar. The findings appear in Energy and Environment Nexus.
Read the releaseA City University of Hong Kong team led by Professor Liu Qi has developed techniques to stabilize lithium-rich layered oxide cathode materials, which offer over 30% higher energy density than current lithium-ion battery cathodes but have long suffered from voltage and capacity decay. Published in Nature Energy in 2023 and now backed by RAISe+ Scheme funding, the work is scaling toward a 1,000-ton annual production facility.
Read the releaseCalcium is the fifth most abundant element on Earth and has an electrochemical window comparable to lithium. A new electrolyte design from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology allows calcium ions to move efficiently through a battery cell, reaching 155.9 mAh/g capacity with 74.6% retention after 1,000 cycles.
Read the releaseAs the global demand for clean and renewable energy continues to rise, harvesting low-grade energy sources such as salinity gradients has attracted increasing attention. However, achieving both high ion selectivity and high ionic conductivity in ion-exchange membranes remains a major challenge, limiting practical power output. Now, researchers from Qingdao University, Beihang University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by Professor Xin Sui, Professor Lilong Gao, Professor Longcheng Gao, and Professor Kunyan Sui, report a breakthrough strategy based on high-density ...
Read the releaseAt present global energy transition is characterized by the development trend of “centering on renewable energy power, emphasizing both security and resilience, and pursuing multi-pathway coordination”. In China, the energy revolution has also entered a critical stage of system reconstruction. Notably, relying solely on large-scale expansion of single type of energy is no longer feasible to address the systemic challenges posed by high proportions of renewable energy consumption, energy distribution across time and space, and diversified energy needs. Against ...
Read the releaseA little-known fact: In the year 1900, electric cars outnumbered gas-powered ones on the American road. The lead-acid auto battery of the time, courtesy of Thomas Edison, was expensive and had a range of only about 30 miles. Seeking to improve on this, Edison believed the nickel-iron battery was the future, with the promise of a 100-mile range, a long life and a recharge time of seven hours, fast for that era. Alas, that promise never reached fruition. Early electric car batteries still suffered from serious limitations, and advances in ...
Read the releaseAMHERST, Mass. — Building on their groundbreaking 2018 research into how some of the body’s cells, such as neurons and cardiac tissue, communicate via ions that flow through cellular channels, chemists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst demonstrated a “leakiness” to a particularly mysterious type of channel, known as a “big potassium,” or BK channel. This leakiness is key to further study the body’s electrical infrastructure, which, when it goes haywire, can result in maladies like epilepsy and hypertension. Instead of electron-carrying wires, electricity flows through our bodies in ion-carrying cellular ...
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