Energy: Batteries
Published

X-rays reveal elusive chemistry for better EV batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists used high energy x-rays to investigate the solid-electrolyte interphase, a chemical layer in batteries that's key to stabilizing lithium metal anodes. Chemists unraveled this complex chemical mechanisms that is crucial for boosting energy density.

Energy: Batteries
Published

New manufacturing process produces better, cheaper cathodes for lithium-ion batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a new method for producing a key component of lithium-ion batteries. The result is a more affordable battery from a faster, less wasteful process that uses less toxic material.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

An exotic interplay of electrons      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Water that simply will not freeze, no matter how cold it gets -- a research group has discovered a quantum state that could be described in this way. Experts have managed to cool a special material to near absolute zero temperature. They found that a central property of atoms -- their alignment -- did not 'freeze', as usual, but remained in a 'liquid' state. The new quantum material could serve as a model system to develop novel, highly sensitive quantum sensors.

Energy: Batteries
Published

A self-powered ingestible sensor opens new avenues for gut research      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineering researchers have developed a battery-free, pill-shaped ingestible biosensing system designed to provide continuous monitoring in the intestinal environment. It gives scientists the ability to monitor gut metabolites in real time, which wasn't possible before. This could unlock a new understanding of intestinal metabolite composition, which significantly impacts human health overall.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Stabilizing lithium-ion batteries with microbially synthesized electrolyte additive      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Lithium-ion batteries with high-energy-density cathodes are necessary to meet the energy demands of next-generation electronics and electric vehicles. At high voltages, however, the battery electrolyte undergoes excessive decomposition, compromising cathode performance. To tackle this, researchers have now synthesized a bio-based, non-toxic additive material that stabilizes the cathode by forming a passivation layer on its surface and suppressing its decomposition. Eco-friendly and low-cost, the novel compound could promote a wider utilization of bio-based resources.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Nanoengineers develop a predictive database for materials      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Nanoengineers have developed an AI algorithm that predicts the structure and dynamic properties of any material -- whether existing or new -- almost instantaneously. Known as M3GNet, the algorithm was used to develop matterverse.ai, a database of more than 31 million yet-to-be-synthesized materials with properties predicted by machine learning algorithms. Matterverse.ai facilitates the discovery of new technological materials with exceptional properties.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Scientists convert waste paper into battery parts for smartphones and electric vehicles      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists 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 carbonisation which converts paper into pure carbon, the researchers turned the paper's fibers into electrodes, which can be made into rechargeable batteries that power mobile phones, medical equipment, and electric vehicles.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Engineers solve a mystery on the path to smaller, lighter batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new discovery could finally usher the development of solid-state lithium batteries, which would be more lightweight, compact, and safe than current lithium batteries. The growth of metallic filaments called dendrites within the solid electrolyte has been a longstanding obstacle, but the new study explains how dendrites form and how to divert them.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Understanding a cerium quirk could help advance grid-scale energy storage      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An explanation for why flow batteries using the metal cerium in a sulfuric acid electrolyte fall short on voltage could pave the way for better battery chemistry.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Wireless earphones as inexpensive hearing aids      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Some commercial earbuds can perform as well as hearing aids. The result could help a large proportion of people with hearing loss access more affordable sound amplification devices.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Putting the brakes on lithium-ion batteries to prevent fires      (via sciencedaily.com) 

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 offers a possible solution with a new technology that can swiftly put the brakes on a Li-ion battery, shutting it down when it gets too hot.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Previously unseen processes reveal path to better rechargeable battery performance      (via sciencedaily.com) 

To design better rechargeable ion batteries, engineers and chemists have collaborated to combine a powerful new electron microscopy technique and data mining to visually pinpoint areas of chemical and physical alteration within ion batteries.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Want to fire up the dance floor? Play low-frequency bass      (via sciencedaily.com) 

To find out how different aspects of music influence the body, researchers turned a live electronic music concert into a lab study. By introducing levels of bass over speakers that were too low to hear and monitoring the crowd's movements, scientists found that people danced 11.8 percent more when the very low frequency bass was present.

Engineering: Biometric Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Automatic speaker recognition technology outperforms human listeners in the courtroom      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The forensic-voice-comparison system, based on state-of-the-art automatic-speaker-recognition technology, outperformed all the listeners.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Water for drinking? Nope, water for batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team develops aqueous rechargeable batteries based on zinc anodes. Polymeric artificial interphase to improve battery stability.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Using sound to model the world      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a machine-learning technique that captures and models the underlying acoustics of a scene from a limited number of sound recordings. The system can accurately simulate what any sound, like a song, would sound like if a person were to walk around to different locations in a scene.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Capturing and analyzing subtle combination tones produced by violins      (via sciencedaily.com) 

When two musical notes are played simultaneously, the human ear can perceive weak additional tones called combination tones. While less perceivable, objective combination tones are also generated by some musical instruments. Researchers have now used violins to explore these rarely studied objective combination tones. They found that the combination tones produced by higher-quality violins were much stronger and clearly audible and powerful air resonance and violin sound quality are linked. The higher-quality violins produced a stronger air resonance due to several factors, including structural material and crafting techniques.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

How low-cost earbuds can make newborn hearing screening accessible      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have created a newborn hearing screening system that uses cheap earbuds and a smartphone instead of an expensive commercial device.

Energy: Batteries
Published

2D nanosheets as anodes in Li-ion batteries: The answer is in the sheets      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers use titanium diboride nanosheets as anode material in lithium-ion batteries to enable fast charging and extend battery life.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Batteries without critical raw materials      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The market for rechargeable batteries is growing rapidly, but the necessary raw materials are limited. Sodium-ion batteries, for example, could offer an alternative. Researchers have investigated new combinations of electrolyte solutions and electrode materials for this purpose.