Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

An international team of researchers are hoping that a new, low-cost battery which holds 4X the energy capacity of lithium-ion batteries and is far cheaper to produce will significantly reduce the cost of transitioning to a decarbonised economy.

Led by Dr Shenlong Zhao from the University’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the battery has been made using sodium-sulphur — a type of molten salt that can be processed from seawater — costing much less to produce than lithium-ion.

Although sodium-sulphur (Na-S) batteries have existed for more than half a century, they have been an inferior alternative and their widespread use has been limited by low energy capacity and short life...

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a technique to convert waste paper, from single-use packaging and bags, and cardboard boxes, into a crucial component of lithium-ion batteries.

Through a process called carbonization which converts paper into pure carbon, the NTU researchers turned the paper’s fibers into electrodes, which can be made into rechargeable batteries that power mobile phones, medical equipment, and electric vehicles.

To carbonize the paper, the team exposed the paper to high temperatures, which reduces it to pure carbon, water vapor and oils that can be used for biofuel...

Can we survive three minutes without air or three days without water? How about without batteries? Imagine not having a battery for three hours.

Lightweight, high-capacity lithium-ion batteries are widely used in mobile phones, laptops, and other necessities in today’s world. However, the organic electrolytes in conventional lithium-ion batteries are highly flammable, leading to fatal fires or explosions. As lithium-ion batteries are widely used in our lives, such accidents can cause direct damage to users, which has led to a demand for a safer battery system.

Professor Soojin Park and Gyujin Song (Post-doc fellow) in the Department of Chemistry and Ph.D...

Engineering researchers have developed a new self-healing composite that allows structures to repair themselves in place, without having to be removed from service. This latest technology resolves two longstanding challenges for self-healing materials, and can significantly extend the lifespan of structural components such as wind-turbine blades and aircraft wings.

“Researchers have developed a variety of self-healing materials, but previous strategies for self-healing composites have faced two practical challenges,” says Jason Patrick, corresponding author of the research paper and an assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University.

“First, the materials ofte...