A new material called multiscale reduced graphene oxide could mean faster charging and power delivery than traditional batteries allow.
Category: energy – Page 5
Precessing magnetic jet engine model reveals power source of rare ‘heartbeat’ gamma-ray burst
Prof. An Tao from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has proposed a novel “precessing magnetic jet engine” model to explain the peculiar gamma-ray burst (GRB) 250702B, a rare cosmic explosion discovered on July 2, 2025.
This GRB exhibited periodic flares approximately every 47 minutes over more than three hours. The new model elucidates the physical origin of this “heartbeat” and resolves the mysteries surrounding its extremely hard spectrum and apparent excess energy. Results were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on December 2.
GRB 250702B was detected by high-energy observatories, including the Fermi satellite and Konus-Wind. Its uniqueness lies in its temporal structure. The entire burst lasted approximately 3.2 hours and included three distinct, intense gamma-ray pulses with intervals that were integer multiples of a base period of about 2,825 seconds. Interestingly, approximately one day prior to this event, China’s “Einstein Probe” satellite detected a softer X-ray burst at the same location, acting as a precursor to the main event. This combination of “early warm-up plus hour-scale heartbeat” is extremely rare in GRB observations.
Ultra-low power, fully biodegradable artificial synapse offers record-breaking memory
In Nature Communications, a research team affiliated with UNIST present a fully biodegradable, robust, and energy-efficient artificial synapse that holds great promise for sustainable neuromorphic technologies. Made entirely from eco-friendly materials sourced from nature—such as shells, beans, and plant fibers—this innovation could help address the growing problems of electronic waste and high energy use.
Traditional artificial synapses often struggle with high power consumption and limited lifespan. Led by Professor Hyunhyub Ko from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, the team aimed to address these issues by designing a device that mimics the brain’s synapses while being environmentally friendly.
Molecules as switches for sustainable light-driven technologies
Metal nanostructures can concentrate light so strongly that they can trigger chemical reactions. The key players in this process are plasmons—collective oscillations of free electrons in the metal that confine energy to extremely small volumes. A new study published in Science Advances now shows how crucial adsorbed molecules are in determining how quickly these plasmons lose their energy.
The team led by LMU nanophysicists Dr. Andrei Stefancu and Prof. Emiliano Cortés identified two fundamentally different mechanisms of so-called chemical interface damping (CID), the plasmon damping caused by adsorbed molecules. Which mechanism dominates depends on how the electronic states of the molecule align with those of the metal surface, gold in this case—and this alignment is even reflected in the material’s electrical resistance.
Research reinvents MXene synthesis at a fraction of the cost
MXenes (pronounced like the name “Maxine”) are a class of two-dimensional materials, first identified just 14 years ago, with remarkable potential for energy storage, catalysts, ultrastrong lightweight composites, and a variety of other purposes ranging from electromagnetic shielding to ink that can carry a current.
But manufacturing MXenes has been expensive, difficult and crude.
“MXenes have been made by a very elaborate, multi-step process that involved days of high-temperature work, followed by using dangerous chemicals like hydrofluoric acid and creating a lot of waste,” said Prof. Dmitri Talapin of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and Department of Chemistry. “That may have been okay for early-stage research and lab exploration, but became a big roadblock for taking the next step to large-scale applications.”
Putting the squeeze on dendrites: New strategy addresses persistent problem in next-generation solid-state batteries
New research by Brown University engineers identifies a simple strategy for combating a major stumbling block in the development of next-generation solid-state lithium batteries.
Solid-state batteries are considered the next frontier in energy storage, particularly for electric vehicles. Compared to current liquid electrolyte batteries, solid-state batteries have the potential for faster charging, longer range and safer operation due to decreased flammability. But there’s been a consistent problem holding back their commercialization: lithium dendrites.
Dendrites are filaments of lithium metal that can grow inside a battery’s electrolyte (the part of the battery that separates the anode from the cathode) during charging at high current. When they grow across the electrolyte, dendrites cause circuits between the battery’s anode and cathode, which destroy the battery. So while solid electrolytes can—in theory—enable faster charging than liquid electrolytes, the dendrite problem is one of the primary limitations that has to date prevented them from reaching that potential.