Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that uses light to tune the optical properties of quantum dots – making the process faster, more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable – without compromising material quality.

Researchers at the University of Oxford, together with colleagues at the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and at several other laboratories, have announced results from a new search at the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (European XFEL) Facility at Hamburg for a hypothetical particle that may make up the dark matter of the Universe. The experiment is described in a study published in Physical Review Letters.

Lithium is an important raw material for new energy vehicles, and ensuring its supply is of great significance for global green sustainable development. Salt lake brine is the main lithium resource, but the separation of Li⁺ from coexisting metals poses a major challenge. The Authors designed a lithium-storage metal oxide SnO₂ nanoparticle island-modified LiMn₂O₄ electrode material with higher lithium extraction capacity and cycle stability. Their work is published in the journal Industrial Chemistry & Materials on 31 Jan 2025.