[Image above] Credit: ACerS
ENERGY
Supercomputer finds lithium–titanium tweak to boost sodium-ion batteries for grids
The Expanse supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California School of Computing, Information, and Data Sciences helped researchers design a new sodium‑based battery cathode containing small amounts of lithium and titanium that stores more energy and lasts longer than earlier versions.
All-perovskite tandem solar cell with 30.2% efficiency
Researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan fabricated an all-perovskite tandem solar cell using a novel light-absorbing layer deposition technique based on formamidinium lead iodide nanoparticles. The four-terminal cell was found to achieve a maximum power conversion efficiency of 30.2% under standard illumination conditions.
Colored films enable patterns on PV modules
Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE created colored films with transparent cutouts, thereby producing realistic-looking designs on photovoltaic modules. The film cutout patterns utilize MorphoColor technology, an invention of Fraunhofer ISE that creates a color impression without significantly impairing the efficiency of a photovoltaic module.
ENVIRONMENT
Scientists pioneer faster, greener method to recycle lithium-ion batteries
Rice University researchers introduced a class of water-based solutions that can extract valuable metals from battery waste in minutes rather than hours. The work centers on aqueous solutions of amino chlorides, which mimic the performance of green solvents such as deep eutectics while avoiding their key limitations.
MANUFACTURING
New era of ‘light-written’ technology
Researchers from the XPANCEO Emerging Technologies Research Center, working with Nobel Laureate Prof. Konstantin Novoselov, showed that arsenic trisulfide can be permanently altered by light and even shaped at the nanoscale using simple continuous-wave light. This approach avoids the need for costly cleanroom fabrication or advanced femtosecond laser systems.
Vibration-based graphene production method increases production rates by six-fold
University of Birmingham researchers developed a novel vibration-based technique for producing graphene and other 2D materials that achieves production rates more than six times higher than current methods while functioning at concentrations up to 1,000 mg mL⁻¹.
OTHER STORIES
Team develops world’s first glass-free 3D display
Researchers from POSTECH and Samsung Electronics developed the world’s first display technology that, when attached like a film to a smartphone screen, switches between a 2D and 3D display without the need for glasses.
Foodways and culinary practices of Kura-Araxes communities
An international research team led by the Universities of Bonn and Bari analyzed ceramic vessels to determine what foodways and culinary practices prevailed in the South Caucasus during the Bronze Age.