Argonne National Lab

Watching atoms move in hybrid perovskite crystals

A team of researchers has for the first time observed nanoscale changes deep inside hybrid perovskite crystals that could offer new insights into developing low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells.

Forget about it: A material that mimics the brain

Inspired by human forgetfulness - how our brains discard unnecessary data to make room for new information - scientists conducted a recent study that combined supercomputer simulation and X-ray characterization of a material that gradually 'forgets.' This could one day be used for advanced bio-inspired computing.

How some battery materials expand without cracking

When you charge a battery, or when you use it, it's not just electricity but also matter that moves around inside.

Compounds basis for devices that turn waste heat to electricity

Cage-like compounds called clathrates could be used for harvesting waste heat and turning it into electricity. Chemists just discovered a whole new class of clathrates, potentially opening new ways to make and apply these materials.

The growing demand for low cost environmental sensors in smart cities

Last week Paris experienced its worst spike in pollution since records began. Cars were banned from the streets and public transport made free in the city and surrounding areas. Such vehicle bans have only been introduced four times in the last two decades, and never before on consecutive days.

Researchers say 2D boron may be best for flexible electronics

Though they're touted as ideal for electronics, two-dimensional materials like graphene may be too flat and hard to stretch to serve in flexible, wearable devices. "Wavy" borophene might be better, according to scientists.

New 3D design for mobile microbatteries

A French-US team has succeeded in improving the energy density of a rechargeable battery without increasing its size (limited to a few square millimeters in mobile sensors).

New kind of supercapacitor made without carbon

Researchers have for the first time developed a supercapacitor that uses no conductive carbon at all, and that could potentially produce more power than existing versions of this technology.

Turning brewery wastewater into battery power

Engineers have developed an innovative bio-manufacturing process that uses a biological organism cultivated in brewery wastewater to create the carbon-based materials needed to make energy storage cells.

Wildcat Discovery Technologies granted three patents

Wildcat Discovery Technologies, a technology company using high throughput methods to develop improved battery materials, is pleased to announce that it has been granted three patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its groundbreaking copper fluoride cathode Wildcat calls "CM4".

New lithium-oxygen battery greatly improves energy efficiency

Lithium-air batteries are considered highly promising technologies for electric cars and portable electronic devices because of their potential for delivering a high energy output in proportion to their weight.

Hybrid and electric systems R&D at the U.S.-DOE

This paper first presented at EVS29 Montreal Canada provides an overview of the Fiscal Years 2015-2016 Hybrid and Electric Systems research and development activities - with emphasis on its advanced electric drive research -funded by the Vehicles Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Aztrong

AzTrong is a Taiwanese graphene company strong focused on end applications. It has so far raised $6m and is scaling up an rGO process and targets the energy storage, thermal interface material and e-textile applications.

CAFE Tenth Electric Aircraft Symposium Report: overview

This annual event by the delightful staff of the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation CAFE took place May 19-20 at San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront.

CAFE Tenth Electric Aircraft Symposium Report May 2016

IDTechEx attended the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation event in San Francisco on May 19-20. This article provides a fuller overview of what we learnt from the event.

Surprising chemistry inside a potential breakthrough battery

Researchers have helped prove that a new prototype is powered by a surprising chemical reaction that may solve the new battery's biggest drawback.

Scientists create atomically thin metallic boron

A team of scientists has, for the first time, created a two-dimensional sheet of boron, a material known as borophene.

InvenTek

InvenTek Corp., a company founded in 1999, invented large format Rolled-Ribbon lithium-ion battery cell technology with improved thermal property and superior power density.

A $14bn market for advanced and post lithium-ion batteries in 2026

Whilst existing battery technologies such as lead acid and lithium-ion batteries will dominate the battery market in the following 10 years, advanced and post lithium-ion batteries given the right conditions can potentially take a considerable dent of about 10% of whole battery market by 2026.