This study presents a metamaterial-inspired design to develop negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) structural electrodes using a directional freezing 3D printing-assisted strategy. This approach incorporates both macroscopic NPR structures and microscopic directional porous structures, which enhances ion transport, improves compressibility and provides impact resistance, effectively preventing package bulges during compression. Consequently, the electrodes demonstrate a high 50% compressible deformation and recover their original state even after 50 cycles of 25% compression. The 3D-printed lithium iron phosphate cathodes deliver a high average specific capacity of 153 mAh/g over 100 cycles and exhibit outstanding rate capability. Furthermore, the assembled full cell maintains both excellent compressibility and impact-buffered resistance, highlighting its potential applications. This innovative design of NPR metamaterial-structured electrodes provides a universal platform for developing the next generation of impact-buffered, compressible structural batteries.

Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have made a significant discovery regarding quantum entanglement. This phenomenon, which has long been viewed as a significant obstacle in classical quantum simulations, actually enhances the speed of quantum simulations and acts as a valuable resource. The groundbreaking findings have been featured as the Cover Story in the prestigious journal Nature Physics in an article titled “Entanglement accelerates quantum simulation”.

Milan, 13^th January 2025  - The Politecnico di Milano has created the first integrated and fully tunable device based on spin waves, opening up new possibilities for the telecommunications of the future, far beyond current 5G and 6G standards. The study, published in the journal Advanced Materials, was conducted by a research group led by Riccardo Bertacco of the Department of Physics of the Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with Philipp Pirro of Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität and Silvia Tacchi of Istituto Officina dei Materiali - CNR-IOM.

A MOF-derived hollow tubular g-C₃N₄/ZnIn₂S₄ S-scheme heterojunction has been developed for efficient photocatalytic nitric oxide (NO) conversion, achieving a high removal rate of 67.29% and superior selectivity toward non-toxic nitrate.

With the development of renewable energy technologies, the recovery and utilization of low-grade energy based on hydroelectric effect have drawn much attention owing to its environmental friendliness. Herein, a novel hydroelectric generator utilizing sodium alginate-graphene oxide (SA-GO) fibers is proposed, which is ecofriendly and low-cost. These fibers with a length of 5 cm and a diameter of 0.15 mm can generate an open circuit voltage (Voc) of approximately 0.25 V and a short circuit current (Isc) of 4 µA. By connecting SA-GO fibers in either series or parallel, this combination can power some electronic devices. Furthermore, these fibers enable the recovery of low-grade energy from the atmosphere or around the human body. Both experimental and theoretical analysis confirm that the directional flow of protons driven by water molecules is the main mechanism for power generation of SA-GO fibers. This study not only presents a simple energy transformation method that is expected to be applied to our daily life, but also provides a novel idea for the design of humidity electricity-generation devices.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed an innovative energy storage system design that introduces a safer, more efficient method for electrical charge transfer. This study advances fundamental understanding of how functional groups impact the mechanical and electrochemical performance of highly charged polyelectrolyte membranes — thin, charged polymer sheets that help control the movement of ions in energy devices.