A prototype glucose battery inspired by the body’s metabolism

“Using non-toxic components... this system offers a promising pathway toward safer and more affordable residential energy storage”

21-Oct-2025 - Researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have devised a battery powered by vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and glucose. Inspired by how human bodies break down glucose for energy using enzymes, the team incorporated riboflavin into a prototype flow cell battery. The riboflavin mediator helped shuttle ...

New design makes aluminum batteries last longer

“This new Al-ion battery design shows the potential for a long-lasting, cost-effective and high-safety energy storage system”

29-Jan-2025 - Large batteries for long-term storage of solar and wind power are key to integrating abundant and renewable energy sources into the U.S. power grid. However, there is a lack of safe and reliable battery technologies to support the push toward sustainable, clean energy. Now, researchers reporting ...

Weaving a net or fabric battery for use in seawater

Flexible, yarn-like batteries can be knit or woven into various shapes

28-Jan-2025 - Most batteries are rigid and incompatible with water. But people work and play in oceans and estuaries, and they could benefit from flexible and saltwater-safe power sources. Now, researchers report in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces a yarn-like battery prototype that works when immersed in ...

Folded or cut, this lithium-sulfur battery keeps going

19-Sep-2024 - Most rechargeable batteries that power portable devices, such as toys, handheld vacuums and e-bikes, use lithium-ion technology. But these batteries can have short lifetimes and may catch fire when damaged. To address stability and safety issues, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have ...

Completely stretchy lithium-ion battery for flexible electronics

This new way of creating fully stretchable, solid batteries could be a promising step forward for wearable or implantable devices that flex and move with the body

19-Jul-2024 - When you think of a battery, you probably don’t think stretchy. But batteries will need this shape-shifting quality to be incorporated into flexible electronics, which are gaining traction for wearable health monitors. Now, researchers in ACS Energy Letters report a lithium-ion battery with ...

Scientists convert chicken fat into energy storage devices

Cost-effective method for converting waste chicken fat into electrically conductive nanostructures

14-May-2024 - The global move toward more sustainable, green energy has increased power reserves and the demand for energy storage devices. Unfortunately, some materials for these devices can be expensive and environmentally problematic. Producing alternative energy storage devices from things that are usually ...

This salt battery harvests osmotic energy where the river meets the sea

26-Apr-2024 - Estuaries — where freshwater rivers meet the salty sea — are great locations for birdwatching and kayaking. In these areas, waters containing different salt concentrations mix and may be sources of sustainable, “blue” osmotic energy. Researchers in ACS Energy Letters report creating a ...

Next-generation batteries could go organic, cobalt-free for long-lasting power

22-Jan-2024 - In the switch to “greener” energy sources, the demand for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is surging. However, their cathodes typically contain cobalt — a metal whose extraction has high environmental and societal costs. Now, researchers in ACS Central Science report evaluating an ...

Crab shells could help power the next generation of rechargeable batteries

This work could help develop more sustainable battery technologies

15-Mar-2023 - Anybody who has ever enjoyed fresh crab legs or lobster tails can attest to how difficult it is to get through their tough shells. But instead of just throwing them away, researchers are “upcycling” these shells into porous, carbon-filled materials with a wide variety of uses. Now, a team ...

Putting the brakes on lithium-ion batteries to prevent fires

New technology could make Li-ion batteries safer without having to sacrifice their performance

17-Nov-2022 - Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are used to power everything from smart watches to electric vehicles, thanks to the large amounts of energy they can store in small spaces. When overheated, however, they’re prone to catching fire or even exploding. But recent research published in ACS’ Nano Letters ...