https://techxplore.com/ en-us Tech Xplore internet news portal provides the latest news on electronics, technology, and engineering. Conventional lithium-ion batteries contain problematic substances such as nickel and cobalt, and the solvents used to coat the electrode materials are also toxic. Materials scientists at Saarland University are therefore working to develop environmentally friendly alternatives. By introducing finely dispersed iron oxide into tiny, highly porous, hollow carbon spheres developed by Professor Michael Elsaesser at the University of Salzburg, the Saarbrücken team has achieved some very promising results: higher storage capacities using materials that are both readily available and environmentally far less problematic. These results have now been published in Chemistry of Materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-batteries-rust-carbon-spheres-iron.html Engineering Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:20:03 EST news689503894 University of Texas at Dallas researchers and their collaborators have developed and patented a wood-based material that can store and discharge heat to help make building temperatures more comfortable without using electricity. "Our material acts as a thermal battery that charges as it absorbs heat," said Dr. Shuang (Cynthia) Cui, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-mechanical-wood-based-material-energy.html Engineering Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:31:39 EST news689243462 Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining unprecedented popularity across the globe, with their number reaching 26 million in 2022 and expected to grow eightfold by the end of the decade. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-boosting-consumer-ev-batteries.html Business Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:20:31 EST news688317601 Abe Silverman, an assistant research scholar with the Ralph O'Connor Sustainable Energy Institute and attorney, studies and advises academics, industry, and state and federal regulators on barriers to the clean energy transition, including the impacts of data centers on both power grids and on consumers, with a focus on the mid-Atlantic region. Silverman facilitates the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, made up of representatives from 10 states who are working collaboratively on their transmission grid expansion efforts, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-qa-expert-discusses-center-growth.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:15:12 EST news688212722 Traditional techniques of converting fossil fuels for heat and power generation and chemical production increase the carbon footprint, harming society and the environment. To mitigate this problem, carbon capture and storage technologies aimed at lowering carbon dioxide emissions and encompassing renewable energy utilization, circular economy, and green chemical synthesis are promising. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-highlight-advancements-chemical-looping-fluidized.html Engineering Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:15:27 EST news687626102 In numerous scientific fields, high-throughput experimentation methods combined with artificial intelligence (AI) show great promise to accelerate innovation and scientific discovery. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-ai-high-throughput-reveal-stability.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:17:22 EST news687622621 Solar power has a dark side: panels are still built to be thrown away, and we risk creating a mountain of waste that locks away valuable minerals. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-solar-boom-dirty-secret-mountain.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:11:24 EST news687521402 Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed an innovative energy storage system design that introduces a safer, more efficient method for electrical charge transfer. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-ionogel-power-safe-energy-storage.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 10 Jan 2026 16:00:04 EST news687085052 Could an electric vehicle travel from Seoul to Busan and back on a single charge? Could drivers stop worrying about battery performance even in winter? A Korean research team has taken a major step toward answering these questions by developing an anode-free lithium metal battery that can deliver nearly double driving range using the same battery volume. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-anode-free-battery-electric-vehicle.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:00:01 EST news685709689 What's the cheapest way to power Australia? Every year, CSIRO researchers and modelers seek to answer this very large question in their GenCost report. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-solar-onshore-gas-backup-cheapest.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:12:41 EST news685192321 Researchers at Boise State University have developed a breakthrough in wearable electronics: a multifunctional electronic tattoo (e‑tattoo) that integrates energy harvesting, energy storage, and real‑time biometric sensing into a single, skin‑conformal platform. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-mxene-based-tattoos-harvest-energy.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:44:49 EST news685122242 FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers are applying fuel cell technology to new applications like sustainable energy and water treatment. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-membrane-magic-repurpose-fuel-cell.html Engineering Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:26:36 EST news685121159 New research from Argonne National Laboratory and the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) has solved a major battery mystery that has led to capacity degradation, shortened lifespan and, in some cases, fire. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-assumptions-battery-failure-crystal-materials.html Engineering Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:10:08 EST news685116228 Amazon.com Inc.'s business ties with Israel's military and the US Department of Homeland Security are the focus of a shareholder proposal demanding that the company investigate whether such contracts comply with its responsible AI policies. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-amazon-shareholder-resolution-ai-israel.html Business Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:40:01 EST news685103863 Australia's electricity grids are undergoing a profound transformation. Solar and wind have provided 99% of new generating capacity since 2015. Last month, renewables hit parity with fossil fuels for the first time. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-big-batteries-outcompeting-gas-grid.html Energy & Green Tech Sun, 14 Dec 2025 13:10:02 EST news684756127 Electronic gifts are very popular, and in recent years, retailers have been offering significant discounts on smartphones, e-readers and other electronics labeled as "pre-owned." Research I have co-led finds that these pre-owned options are becoming increasingly viable, thanks in part to laws and policies that encourage recycling and reuse of devices that might previously have been thrown away. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-industry-standards-tech-advances-pre.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:25:11 EST news684606302 Skoltech scientists conducted a study that advances research on future batteries. Their paper, published in Small, sheds light on recent advances in designing multilayered structures of alkali metals, such as lithium, sodium, and potassium, within carbon anode materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-safe-fast-batteries-multilayered-alkali.html Engineering Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:54:45 EST news684593641 A team of Korean scientists has developed a separator technology that dramatically reduces the explosion risk of lithium batteries while doubling their lifespan. Like an ultra-thin bulletproof vest protecting both sides, this molecularly engineered membrane stabilizes both the anode and cathode in next-generation lithium-metal batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-molecular-membrane-lithium-batteries-safer.html Engineering Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:21:36 EST news683824861 By adding silicon to battery anodes, energy storage can be doubled or even tripled. Ph.D. student Ali Abo Hamad at FSCN Research Center has developed a sustainable method to make silicon suitable for next-generation batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-silicon-power-generation-lithiumion-batteries.html Engineering Wed, 26 Nov 2025 10:01:38 EST news683373662 Heavy industries can achieve 24/7 renewable power through the smart use of solar and battery storage, according to a new study published in Solar Energy by The Australian National University (ANU) and the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Center (HILT CRC). https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-smarter-path-renewable-power-heavy.html Business Wed, 19 Nov 2025 06:47:03 EST news682757221 Silicon, aluminum and lithium are the most critical raw materials on Earth. Their scarcity and the complexity of extracting them could hinder the development of technologies that are key to the green transition. This is one of the main conclusions of a study by the INGENIO Institute, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), in collaboration with the University of Rome, the Universitat de València and the University of London. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-silicon-aluminum-lithium-scarcity-threaten.html Business Tue, 18 Nov 2025 19:10:03 EST news682702831 A research team led by Prof. Hu Weijin from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with partners, has developed a one-second fabrication method for wafer-scale energy storage capacitors that achieves astonishing heating and cooling rates of up to 1,000°C per second. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-ice-forge-crafts-wafer-scale.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:37:03 EST news682681021 Due to the intense global impact of fossil fuel overuse on air quality and climate, the search for advanced clean energy solutions has become critical. Metal–air batteries offer a game-changing alternative, holding the potential to replace combustion engines in various applications. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-plasma-based-method-efficient-catalysts.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:50:05 EST news682613402 California added 1,200 megawatts of battery energy storage to its electrical grid over the last six months, further building on its nation-leading capacity and pushing the state closer to its clean energy goals, officials said on Nov. 13. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-newsom-touts-california-battery-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 15 Nov 2025 10:40:02 EST news682335244 Picture dusk falling somewhere in the Solomon Islands. A fisher's skiff glides home using a whisper-quiet electric outboard motor. In the Cook Islands, a big battery steadies the island grid. In Papua New Guinea's highlands, solar kits bring electric light to homes for the first time. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-pacific-nations-gdp-fossil-fuels.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 13 Nov 2025 21:50:01 EST news682263625 Lithium-metal batteries are among the most promising technologies for energy storage. They offer significantly more energy in less space—and at a lower weight. However, one phenomenon slows down their development: tiny, needle-like metal structures called dendrites, made of lithium. They can grow uncontrollably inside the battery and cause devastating short circuits. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-dangerous-short-circuits-lithium-batteries.html Engineering Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:04:03 EST news681566641 Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have fabricated ultra-thin memtransistor arrays from two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) with controllable Schottky barriers. These arrays are highly uniform, demonstrating low device-to-device variation and provide high performance for image recognition tasks. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-scalable-memtransistor-arrays-potential-energy.html Hardware Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:09:03 EST news681563341 Researchers have created a more energy dense storage material for iron-based batteries. The breakthrough could also improve applications in MRI technology and magnetic levitation. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-iron-based-battery-material-higher.html Electronics & Semiconductors Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:25:04 EDT news681125101 3D printing is extremely practical when you want to produce small quantities of customized components. However, this technology has always had one major problem: 3D printers can only process a single material at a time. Until now, objects with different material properties in different areas could only be 3D-printed at great expense, if at all. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-secret-qr-codes-hidden-3d.html Engineering Thu, 23 Oct 2025 01:57:18 EDT news680403427 When Snowy 2.0 is in the news, it's usually about money. The cost of the huge project has gone well beyond the initial A$6 billion estimate and will now cost more than $12 billion. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-white-elephant-snowy-years-batteries.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:40:01 EDT news680348381