Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: energy – Page 56

Overcoming magnetic disorder: Toward low-energy topological electronics

Yet, the current flow along these topologically protected, one-dimensional edges has proven to be far from robust. With the QAHE breaking down in magnetically doped topological insulators at temperatures higher than 1 Kelvin, well below the temperatures predicted by theory.

A new class of materials, known as intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (MTIs), for example MnBi2Te4, possess both non-trivial topology and intrinsic magnetism and are predicted to offer more robust QAHE at higher temperatures than magnetically doped topological insulators.

In MnBi2Te4 it has been shown that the QAHE can survive up to 1.4 K, and interestingly, this can rise to 6.5 K with the application of stabilizing magnetic fields, providing hints at the mechanisms that are driving the breakdown of topological protection.

New Mo carbide catalysts show high stability and activity in CO₂ conversion

Molybdenum (Mo) carbides, known for their unique electronic and structural properties, are considered promising alternatives to noble metal catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis. However, traditional methods for preparing Mo carbides suffer from complex processes, stringent synthesis conditions, challenging crystal regulation, and high energy consumption. Additionally, Mo carbides are susceptible to oxidation and deactivation, which poses a significant barrier to their widespread application.

Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough

A team led by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory identified and successfully demonstrated a new method to process a plant-based material called nanocellulose that reduced energy needs by a whopping 21%. The approach was discovered using molecular simulations run on the lab’s supercomputers, followed by pilot testing and analysis.

The method, leveraging a solvent of sodium hydroxide and urea in water, can significantly lower the production cost of nanocellulosic fiber — a strong, lightweight biomaterial ideal as a composite for 3D-printing structures such as sustainable housing and vehicle assemblies. The findings support the development of a circular bioeconomy in which renewable, biodegradable materials replace petroleum-based resources, decarbonizing the economy and reducing waste.

Colleagues at ORNL, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the University of Maine’s Process Development Center collaborated on the project that targets a more efficient method of producing a highly desirable material. Nanocellulose is a form of the natural polymer cellulose found in plant cell walls that is up to eight times stronger than steel.

Catalyst design boosts performance of anion-exchange-membrane fuel cells

Fuel cells are energy-conversion solutions that generate electricity via electrochemical reactions without combustion, thus not contributing to the pollution of air on Earth. These cells could power various technologies, ranging from electric vehicles to portable chargers and industrial machines.

Despite their advantages, many fuel cell designs introduced to date rely on expensive materials and precious metal catalysts, which limits their widespread adoption. Anion-exchange-membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) could help to tackle these challenges, as they are based on Earth-abundant, low-cost catalysts and could thus be more affordable.

In recent years, many research groups worldwide have been designing and testing new AEMFCs. While some existing devices achieved promising results, most of the non-precious metals serving as catalysts were found to be prone to self-oxidation, which causes the irreversible failure of the cells.

New titanium-nickel alloy could enable shape-shifting aircraft

The material displays characteristics across a wide temperature range aiding versatile applications:

There is always a trade-off when balancing strength and flexibility. One is achieved at the cost of the other. While a flexible, shape-shifting aircraft can deliver benefits for higher energy efficiency and faster transportation, these cannot be achieved by risking the safety of the passengers using a material that lacks proper strength.

Researchers at the National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan may have just found a way to achieve both strength and flexibility in a material without making any sacrifices on either.

Previous research in this area has identified that an alloy made from titanium and nickel has special properties, like stretching to limits far higher than those of other metallic alloys while keeping its new form. When the alloy’s temperature is increased, it can also return to its original form.

From Shale Gas to Sustainable Water: New Methods for Recovering High-Demand Metals

Dr. Wencai Zhang: “Our goal is to contribute to the supply chain of these critical materials while also making a positive environmental impact. We specifically aim to reduce the environmental consequences that can be associated with produced water.”

How can lithium, one of the most demanded minerals for clean energy products like electric vehicles, be harvested without harming the environment? This is | Technology.

Researchers develop light-charged supercapacitor for self-powered devices

Researchers at the Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and collaborators have designed a new supercapacitor that can be charged by light shining on it. Such supercapacitors can be used in various devices, including streetlights and self-powered electronic devices such as sensors.

Capacitors are electrostatic devices that store energy as charges on two metal plates called electrodes. Supercapacitors are upgraded versions of capacitors—they exploit electrochemical phenomena to store more energy, explains Abha Misra, Professor at IAP and corresponding author of the study published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.

The electrodes of the new were made of (ZnO) nanorods grown directly on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), which is transparent. It was synthesized by Pankaj Singh Chauhan, first author and CV Raman postdoctoral fellow in Misra’s group at IISc.

Real-time control over a chemical reaction network by light

Self-assembled molecules are responsible for important cellular processes. Self-assembled structures such as microtubules or actin filaments are key to cell motility: change of shape, division or extension of membranes. These self-assembled entities have the peculiarity of being formed temporarily, since they require energy consumption. Inspired by nature, there is currently an active area of research that attempts to replicate this process of self-assembly artificially, using the so-called chemical reaction networks.

The control of self-assembly by means of chemical reaction networks is based on the activation of a monomer prone to self-assembly, which is then deactivated. In this way, the self-assembled structure requires a continuous energy consumption to perpetuate itself. From a chemical point of view, this energy is provided by a “fuel”, a chemical reagent. Depending on the availability of that energy source, the self-assembly process occurs or not.

Traditionally, highly reactive fuels have been used to carry out the activation, with little control over the deactivation process. This also implies that the activation and deactivation fuels tend to react with each other, making artificial dissipative self-assembly processes ineffective. In nature, these two processes are controlled by catalysts, which increases their efficiency. Thus, the introduction of catalysts in these processes and the control of their activity by external stimuli such as light are highly desirable, since they can limit part of these problems.