New battery technology could lead to safer, high-energy electric vehicles

Researchers develop way to prevent damage that plagues next-gen lithium batteries

15-Nov-2023 - University of Maryland researchers studying how lithium batteries fail have developed a new technology that could enable next-generation electric vehicles (EVs) and other devices that are less prone to battery fires while increasing energy storage. The innovative method, presented in a paper ...

Affordable and available technologies can curb rising nitrous oxide emissions

07-Jul-2023 - Researchers from IIASA and the University of Maryland in the US have found that nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas and stratospheric ozone-depleting substance, could be readily abated with existing technology applied to industrial sources. When greenhouse gases are released into the ...

Better Than Cyclodextrins

Molecular Containers for the Sequestration of Neurotransmitter Drugs in Water

19-Jun-2020 - Molecular containers that remove drugs, toxins, or malodorous substances from the environment are called sequestering agents. Scientists have developed a class of molecular containers that specifically sequester neurotransmitter antagonists. The barrel-shaped molecules called Pillar[n]MaxQ bind ...

High-performance electrolyte solves battery puzzle

23-Apr-2020 - Lithium ion batteries have already become an integral part of our everyday life. However, our energy-hungry society demands longer life, faster charging, and lighter batteries for a variety of applications from electric vehicles to portable electronics, including lightening the load a soldier ...

Post-Lithium Technology

High-energy-density polymeric cathode for fast-charge sodium- and multivalent-ion batteries

06-Nov-2019 - Next-generation batteries will probably see the replacement of lithium ions by more abundant and environmentally benign alkali metal or multivalent ions. A major challenge, however, is the development of stable electrodes that combine high energy densities with fast charge and discharge rates. In ...

A different spin on superconductivity

Unusual particle interactions open up new possibilities in exotic materials

11-Apr-2018 - When you plug in an appliance or flip on a light switch, electricity seems to flow instantly through wires in the wall. But in fact, the electricity is carried by tiny particles called electrons that slowly drift through the wires. On their journey, electrons occasionally bump into the material's ...

Method for designing fusion experiments improved

Established method for shaping stellarator magnets receives critical update

14-Feb-2017 - "Measure twice, cut once" is an old carpenter's proverb--a reminder that careful planning can save time and materials in the long run. The concept also applies to the design of stellarators, which are complex nuclear fusion experiments meant to explore fusion's potential as an energy source. ...

Solar smart window could offer privacy and light control on demand

18-Nov-2016 - Smart windows get darker to filter out the sun's rays on bright days, and turn clear on cloudy days to let more light in. This feature can help control indoor temperatures and offers some privacy without resorting to aids such as mini-blinds. Now scientists report a new development in this ...

Hydrocarbon storage, fracking and lightning risk

16-Mar-2016 - Fires caused by lightning strikes on hydrocarbon storage plants are a century-old, yet to be addressed, problem. In the era of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, this is becoming an even more poignant issue for the fossil fuel industry. Sterling Rooke of X8 Inc in Crofton, Maryland, and Miroslaw ...

Discovery could enable portable particle accelerators

09-Nov-2015 - Conventional particle accelerators are typically big machines that occupy a lot of space. Even at more modest energies, such as that used for cancer therapy and medical imaging, accelerators need large rooms to accommodate the required hardware, power supplies and radiation shielding. A new ...