New membrane extracts lithium with minimal environmental impact
Custom electrodialysis setup. Credit: Jorge Vidal/Rice University A new membrane marks an important step toward more efficient extraction of lithium which is needed for reusable batteries. The design...
View ArticleNew zinc electrolyte enables safe, sustainable energy storage
Guanjie Li with the aqueous zinc batteries and the decoupled dual-salt electrolyte. Credit: University of Adelaide Chemical engineers in Australia have designed a new kind of electrolyte which...
View ArticleMajor energy savings with new memory chip breakthrough
The novel, atomically thin material is seen as clusters of golden dots on the top of the chip. Credit: Chalmers / Roselle Ngaloy The amount of data being stored, processed and transmitted around the...
View ArticleChemists construct first solid-state hydride ion battery
Schematic diagram of the first hydride ion prototype battery. Credit: DICP Hydride ions, which consist of 2 electrons and 1 proton, are promising negative charge carriers for next-generation...
View ArticleGraphene supercapacitor shows promise for high energy and fast power delivery
Engineers in Australia have created a new carbon-based material which allows supercapacitors to store as much energy as traditional lead-acid batteries and deliver charge much faster. The new graphene...
View ArticleMore efficient solar cells a step closer to industrialisation
An image of a perovskite silicon tandem solar cell made by the researchers. A new type of solar power cell with a higher ‘conversion efficiency rate’ is one step closer to being produced at an...
View ArticleSolar-powered evaporators extract in-demand lithium from water
a) Schematic diagram of λ-MnO2 bandgap modulation. b) MnPE enables selective lithium ions capture and freshwater extraction simultaneously. Credit: Yang et al 2025 With the global demand for lithium...
View ArticleNew electrolyte could make EV batteries easier to recycle
Credit: Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Researchers have developed a new electrolyte that can break apart easily at the end of a battery’s life, which they believe will make recycling electric vehicles...
View ArticleOnline calculator estimates vehicles greenhouse gas emissions
A free online calculator based on new data could help people estimate and compare the greenhouse gas emissions based on what vehicle they drive, how they drive and where they live. Researchers from...
View ArticleSpace-based solar panels could make a big difference by 2050
A new cost-benefit analysis based on current NASA designs for space-based solar panels shows they could remove the need for up to 80% of ground-based solar and wind in Europe. The concept of...
View ArticleSweat-activated yarn batteries: the next big thing for workout wear?
Soft, breathable and skin-conformable electronic textiles could one day provide wearable device users with the ability to monitor their health and physical activity with unparalleled ease. Stable...
View ArticleLow temperature fuel cell breaks hydrogen power ‘bottleneck’
Digital image of the formation of proton transfer pathways in BaSnO₃ and BaTiO₃ thanks to high concentrations of scandium substitutions. Credit: Kyushu University/Yoshihiro Yamazaki One of the...
View ArticleDreaming of solar electric sheep
We might call them solar farms, but there’s often no farming going on under solar panels. That’s a real shame. But as Rachel Williamson reports, with some hard work and planning, a solar harvest...
View ArticleQuantum leaps: 7 recent breakthroughs from CSIRO
This piece was originally published by CSIRO on its research news website. You’ve probably heard the term ‘quantum leap’, meaning a ‘sudden, significant, or very evident (usually large) increase or...
View ArticleHow to use lunar soil to live on the Moon
Researchers from China have developed a new technology which they say could produce water, oxygen and fuel from lunar soil. The equipment may allow for cheaper, more sustainable space exploration. A...
View ArticleAustralian scientists design record-breaking quantum batteries
Quantum batteries may not be as well-known as other quantum machinery like quantum computing, but they could become a key part of future technologies. Daniel Tibben holding the device. Credit: RMIT....
View ArticleBreakthrough improves stability of zinc batteries
Researchers in Australia have now addressed what they call a “critical bottleneck” in the manufacture of cathodes for aqueous zinc-iodine batteries, which are seen as a promising candidate for...
View ArticleNew approach plans land use for Australia’s net-zero energy transition
Credit: Bumper DeJesus/Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment New research from The US and Queensland shows Australia can fully decarbonise its domestic and energy export economies while also...
View ArticleA 10-fold increase in rocket launches would start harming the ozone layer –...
The international space industry is on a growth trajectory, but new research shows a rapid increase in rocket launches would damage the ozone layer. Several hundred rockets are launched globally each...
View ArticleChina’s support for Bougainville copper mine could pave the way to independence
Bougainville, an autonomous archipelago currently part of Papua New Guinea, is determined to become the world’s newest country. To support this process, it’s offering foreign investors access to a...
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