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Category: energy

Atomic disorder strategy could help high-capacity batteries last longer

Researchers at UNIST, in collaboration with the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) and KAIST, have introduced a novel approach to stabilizing high-capacity battery materials. By intentionally inducing atomic-level disorder within lithium-rich layered oxide (LRLO) cathodes, the team has effectively minimized structural degradation and energy losses, paving the way for next-generation batteries with higher energy density and longer lifespan.

The findings of this research have been published online in ACS Energy Letters.

Lithium-rich layered oxides (LRLO) are among the most promising cathode materials for future energy storage solutions due to their exceptional capacity, which involves not only metal ions but also oxygen participating in electrochemical reactions. However, their practical application has been hindered by structural instability during repeated charge and discharge cycles, leading to capacity fade and voltage degradation.

Next-generation memory material has the surprising property of shrinking when heated

Most materials we use in everyday life expand slightly when heated and return to their original size when cooled. In addition to such thermal properties, materials can also have electrical properties or magnetic properties, and traditionally we have used these characteristics separately. However, some materials allow multiple properties to coexist within a single substance.

Research on such materials is expected to contribute to the development of next-generation memory devices that can store and retain information while consuming far less energy.

How multiferroics could transform memory A representative example is a class of materials known as multiferroics, which combine the properties of a capacitor (the ability to store electric charge) and a magnet. Among them, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) is one of the most intensively studied materials in the field. When an external voltage is applied, the direction of its stored electric polarization can be switched, and this change can also influence its magnetic properties.

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It’s about time we discussed an obscure concept in physics that may be more fundamental than energy and entropy and perhaps time itself. That’s right — the time has come for Action.

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Wearable thermoelectric technology uses thin films to generate electricity from body heat

Seoul National University College of Engineering has announced that a research team led by Prof. Jeonghun Kwak of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with co-first authors Dr. Juhyung Park and Dr. Sun Hong Kim, has developed a flexible and thin “pseudo-transverse thermoelectric generator” capable of producing electricity from body heat. The research findings appear in Science Advances.

Thermoelectric generators, which convert temperature differences into electricity, are attracting attention as a next-generation energy technology for wearable electronics because they can supply power without batteries. In particular, thin-film thermoelectric generators are lightweight and flexible, allowing them to be comfortably attached to skin or clothing.

However, this thin structure also presents a limitation. Thermoelectric generators require a temperature difference between hot and cold sides to generate electricity. When such a device is attached flat to the skin, body heat passes directly through the thin film and dissipates into the surrounding air—similar to heat passing through a sheet of paper. As a result, little to no temperature difference is formed across the device, making electricity generation difficult.

Redox regulation of the transcription factor HAT1 limits basal defenses and promotes responses to infection in Arabidopsis thaliana

A study in Science Signaling reveals a molecular “brake” in plants that fine-tunes the immune response to infection, casting light on the sophisticated and dynamic pathways that enable plants to balance energy between growth and immune defense.

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The redox status of cysteine residues in a transcription factor balances plant defense gene expression.

Physicists break longstanding high-temperature superconductivity record at ambient pressure

Researchers from the Texas Center for Superconductivity (TcSUH) and the department of physics at the University of Houston have broken the temperature record for superconductivity at ambient pressure—a breakthrough that could eventually lead to more efficient ways to generate, transmit, and store energy.

The UH team achieved a transition temperature (Tc) of 151 Kelvin (about minus 122 degrees Celsius) under ambient pressure—the highest ever recorded for all the reported superconductors at ambient pressure since the discovery of superconductivity in 1911. The transition temperature is the point below which a material becomes superconducting, meaning electricity can flow through it without resistance.

Raising this temperature has been a major goal in superconductivity research for decades. The closer scientists can push the Tc toward room temperature, the more practical and affordable superconducting technologies could become.

GlassWorm Attack Uses Stolen GitHub Tokens to Force-Push Malware Into Python Repos

The GlassWorm malware campaign is being used to fuel an ongoing attack that leverages the stolen GitHub tokens to inject malware into hundreds of Python repositories.

“The attack targets Python projects — including Django apps, ML research code, Streamlit dashboards, and PyPI packages — by appending obfuscated code to files like setup.py, main.py, and app.py,” StepSecurity said. “Anyone who runs pip install from a compromised repo or clones and executes the code will trigger the malware.”

According to the software supply chain security company, the earliest injections date back to March 8, 2026. The attackers, upon gaining access to the developer accounts, rebasing the latest legitimate commits on the default branch of the targeted repositories with malicious code, and then force-pushing the changes, while keeping the original commit’s message, author, and author date intact.

Scientists create slippery nanopores that supercharge blue energy

Scientists have found a way to significantly boost “blue energy,” which generates electricity from the mixing of saltwater and freshwater. By coating nanopores with lipid molecules that create a friction-reducing water layer, they enabled ions to pass through much more efficiently while keeping the process highly selective. Their prototype membrane produced about two to three times more power than current technologies. The discovery could help bring osmotic energy closer to becoming a practical renewable power source.

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