Less may be more in next-gen lithium-ion batteries
Rice engineers built full lithium-ion batteries with silicon anodes and an alumina layer to protect cathodes from degrading. By limiting their energy density, the...
Too much stress could quickly degrade batteries
Intentional defects in batteries have given Rice University scientists a window into the hazards of pushing lithium-ion cells too far. New simulations by Rice materials...
New method could improve performance of perovskite electronics
A new method could enable researchers to fabricate more efficient and longer lasting perovskite solar cells, LEDs and photodetectors. By growing thin perovskite films on...
Wearable air conditioning could keep you cool without electricity
An on-skin electronic device could one day provide personal, “wearable air conditioning” without needing electricity, researchers report. The device includes numerous human health care applications...
Scientists make breakthrough in ion-conducting composite membranes
Scientists under the direction of Profs. Li Xianfeng and Zhang Huamin from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of...
New on-skin electronic device could provide cooling without electricity
One day, soldiers could cool down on the military battlefield—preventing heat stroke or exhaustion—by using "wearable air conditioning," an on-skin device designed by engineers...
‘Detours’ might lead to better batteries
Here’s a case where detours speed up traffic. The result may be better batteries for transportation, electronics and solar energy storage. For a new study in...
How a few tweaks revived near-dead organic solar tech
New study reveals the counterintuitive tweaks to the chemistry of a solar cell material that have boosted its power output. A solar energy material that’s...
How a ‘vegetable ion’ helped scientists unlock theory behind transitions of materials
Breakthrough could lead to new ultrafast electronics, better batteries. A puddle freezing on the sidewalk, your humidifier pumping out water vapor, salt trucks melting icy...
This battery-free pacemaker has a size of a dime
In a new study, researchers have developed and tested for the first time in vivo a miniaturized, battery-free pacemaker that supports optical and electrical...