Scientists identify key bottlenecks slowing sodium-ion batteries
Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a promising alternative to today’s lithium-ion batteries.
While lithium-ion technology powers everything from smartphones to electric cars, lithium is relatively...
New compact device turns sunlight and waste heat into clean hydrogen at 28% efficiency
Hydrogen is often described as a fuel of the future because when it is used, it produces only water instead of harmful emissions.
But making...
How 3D printing is making energetic materials safer and more predictable
Making energetic materials—such as explosives, propellants, and fireworks—is a bit like baking a very sensitive cake.
The ingredients must be carefully measured, the mixing must...
Scientists turn desert sand into eco-friendly bricks to cut cement emissions
Cement is one of the most widely used building materials in the world, but it comes at a high environmental cost.
Portland cement alone is...
Edison’s lost battery idea gets a high-tech comeback for the renewable energy age
At the start of the 20th century, electric cars were more common on American roads than gasoline vehicles.
In 1900, many drivers relied on lead-acid...
Why liquid metal could be the key to affordable green hydrogen
Scientists have developed a new way to produce clean hydrogen using sunlight and liquid metal, offering a promising path toward greener energy made directly...
Life’s ingredients may have formed in frozen space, not warm water, asteroid study suggests
Scientists studying material from the asteroid Bennu have uncovered new clues about how some of life’s most basic ingredients may have formed long before...
Scientists discover a completely new type of magnetism in atom-thin materials
Scientists at University of Stuttgart have discovered a completely new type of magnetism in materials that are only a few atoms thick.
Working with international...
Batteries made from “rust” could be cleaner, cheaper, and surprisingly powerful
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from smartphones to electric cars, but they rely on materials that raise environmental and ethical concerns.
Metals like nickel and cobalt...
MIT engineers turn recycled plastic bottles into strong 3D-printed home frames
The plastic bottle you toss into the recycling bin today might one day help hold up the floor of a house.
Engineers at MIT are...