Water-based battery breakthrough offers 2,000-cycle stability, could boost electric aviation
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
A research team has achieved new milestones in the field of aqueous battery electrolytes as their novel electrolyte system eliminates long-standing technical barriers in aqueous energy storage.
Developed by researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD), the innovation could bridge the gap between today's commercial aqueous batteries—such as lead-acid and nickel-metal hydride—and cutting-edge non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries.
The research team led by Chinese researcher Wang Chunsheng, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UMD, revealed that their novel electrolyte system is capable of operating at an unprecedented voltage of 0.0-4.9 V.
Long-standing reduction potential limit of aqueous electrolytes
This innovation successfully overcomes the long-standing reduction potential limit of aqueous electrolytes—extending it from 1.3 V down to 0.0 V—and opens the door to truly high-energy-density aqueous batteries.
Researchers also underlined that their model battery incorporating the new electrolyte system retained stable performance after more than 2,000 cycles, demonstrating exceptional long-term durability during testing.
"We developed membrane-free aqueous/organic bi-layer electrolytes and reduced interface resistance and mixing between the aqueous and organic phases by adding super-lithophilic ionophores," said Xiyue Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher in Wang's lab and first author of the paper.
Safety and eco-friendly nature
The safety and eco-friendly nature of water-based electrolytes offer a major advantage over traditional electrolytes used in batteries. These offer better prospects for next-generation energy storage.
However, the challenge remains in a narrow electrochemical stability window that caps the working voltage of aqueous batteries, limiting their energy density and application scope, according to a press release by UMD.
Technology holds potential for broad range of applications
Now, the latest method overcomes the challenge, and researchers claim that their technology holds exciting potential for a broad range of applications, from electric aviation to large-scale low-carbon grid storage—and even lithium extraction from seawater.
Published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the research reveals that the aqueous/non-aqueous electrolytes suffer from biphasic mixing and high impedance when Li ions cross the biphasic interface.
Latest innovation overcomes the interface challenges in biphasic electrolytes
"Here we propose the use of 12-crown-4 (12C4) and tetraglyme (G4) as lithium ionophores to form Li+(ionophore) nanoclusters in both non-aqueous and aqueous phases to overcome the interface challenges in biphasic electrolytes," said researchers in the study.
Researchers also highlighted that earlier water-in-salt aqueous electrolytes offered a 3.0V stability window; they were not compatible with high-energy lithium metal or graphite anodes, another key component of the high-energy battery. This voltage mismatch became a bottleneck in pushing aqueous batteries to higher energy densities.
However, the innovation successfully overcomes the long-standing reduction potential limit of aqueous electrolytes—extending it from 1.3 V down to 0.0 V—and could lead to high-energy-density aqueous energy devices.
Researchers also stressed that the results of the study not only push the frontier of aqueous electrolyte development but also offer a theoretical and technological foundation for building next-generation energy storage systems that are both safe and high in energy density.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Sam Altman says OpenAI is delaying its open-weight model — again
Developers eager to try ChatGPT 's latest open-weight model will have to wait — again. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, wrote on X Friday that his company would delay the launch to run extra safety tests. Originally set to debut next week, the open-weight model is in limbo indefinitely, Altman said. we planned to launch our open-weight model next week. we are delaying it; we need time to run additional safety tests and review high-risk areas. we are not yet sure how long it will take us. while we trust the community will build great things with this model, once weights are… — Sam Altman (@sama) July 12, 2025 In March, Altman first said an open-weight model would arrive "in the coming months." The target slipped from June to "later this summer" in mid-June. we are going to take a little more time with our open-weights model, i.e. expect it later this summer but not june. our research team did something unexpected and quite amazing and we think it will be very very worth the wait, but needs a bit longer. — Sam Altman (@sama) June 10, 2025 Friday's announcement marks at least the second delay in four weeks. "Once weights are out, they can't be pulled back," Altman added. Open weights differ from fully open-source code. By receiving the neural network's learned parameters, developers can fine-tune or deploy the model locally, but not the entire training stack. That makes the release more flexible than a closed Application Programming Interface, yet still harder to patch once copies are shared.  The hold-up comes as rival xAI grapples with its own safety crisis. Business Insider reported this week that xAI's Grok chatbot posted antisemitic rants on X, prompting internal backlash and a temporary posting ban. OpenAI did not mention Grok, and there is no evidence the two events are linked, but the episode highlights the reputational risk of releasing powerful models without robust guardrails. Elon Musk's Grok 4 was launched on Wednesday. Developers say an open-weight GPT-4-class system from OpenAI could reshape an ecosystem now dominated by Meta's Llama series and a wave of Chinese entrants. For now, they will have to keep waiting while OpenAI runs what Altman called "the new, extra-careful process" to verify its model meets the company's safety bar.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
China Could Beat US Back to the Moon, Former Astronaut Warns
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Colonel Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut and commander of the International Space Station (ISS), has told Newsweek he think's China could "absolutely" win the "second space race" by landing another human on the moon before the United States does. Newsweek contacted NASA for comment via email on Friday outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters In 1969 the U.S. became the first country in history to land astronauts on the moon in a major boost for American prestige worldwide. This took place against the backdrop of the "space race" against the Soviet Union, America's main geopolitical rival at the time, which had successfully put the first astronaut into orbit during in 1961. China has emerged as America's new chief rival, with the duelling superpowers currently clashing over trade, human rights and the sovereignty of both Taiwan and the South China Sea. Beating the U.S. back to the moon would give Beijing a big status boost across the globe. What To Know Asked by Newsweek whether there is "a serious chance China might win the second space race," meaning getting an astronaut to the moon before the U.S. does, Virts replied: "Absolutely. Have you seen America's political system recently? They absolutely might." He later added: "If China wins that race to the moon, if they send the next astronauts to the moon, the whole world is going to say, wow, America had a great century. The 20th century was a great American century. The 21st century is the Chinese century." China has said it plans to land three astronauts on the Moon by 2030. In January, Virts will attempt to secure the Democratic nomination for the Texas Senate seat currently occupied by Republican John Cornyn, with the final contest in November 2026. Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts has warned China could beat the U.S. back to the moon. Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts has warned China could beat the U.S. back to the moon. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty The former astronaut, who served as commander of the ISS in 2015, also hit out at NASA funding cuts, with a proposed 2026 White House budget slashing the agency's funding by 25 percent and reducing its workforce to the lowest level since the early 1960s. He said: "They're cancelling important undergraduate and graduate research at universities, tens of thousands. I just saw we had 90,000 research positions, which is getting cut down to 20,000. "That destroys the American science institution for medicine, for space, for weather, for all kinds of science. This administration and the Republican Party hate science. They hate knowledge. They hate education. They're doing all they can to destroy it. That needs to stop." What People Are Saying During the interview Virts said: "The moon program is a real problem. Do we want to go there and build a big village that just stays in one place and we have a moon base? Or do we want to go there with a small crew, small vehicles, that we can land on the moon and use that as a testing ground to go onto Mars? I don't know. We don't have that as our national vision." Speaking in December 2024 then NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: "Space is demanding. And we, and our industry and international partners, need this time to make sure that the Orion capsule is ready to safely deliver our astronauts to deep space and back to Earth." During his inauguration speech on January 20 President Donald Trump said: "We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars." What Happens Next NASA hopes to return American astronauts to the moon in the next few years, though the deadline has already slipped significantly. In December 2024 NASA said its planned date for Artemis 2 moon mission, which would take astronauts around the moon, had been delayed from September 2025 to April 2026, while a planned landing with Artemis 3 went from late 2026 to mid-2027.
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
US senators warn Nvidia CEO about upcoming China trip
A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators sent a letter to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Friday about an upcoming trip to China, warning the CEO to refrain from meeting with companies that are suspected of undermining U.S. chip export controls. The letter from Republican Senator Jim Banks and Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren asked Huang to also abstain from meeting with representatives of companies that are working with the People's Republic of China's military or intelligence bodies. The senators also asked Huang to refrain from meeting with entities named on the U.S. restricted export list. "We are worried that your trip to the PRC could legitimize companies that cooperate closely with the Chinese military or involve discussing exploitable gaps in U.S. export controls," the senators wrote. Huang planned to visit China on Friday. An Nvidia spokesperson said, "American wins" when its technology sets "the global standard," and that China has one of the largest bodies of software developers in the world. AI software "should run best on the U.S. technology stack, encouraging nations worldwide to choose America," the spokesperson said. In May at the Computex trade show in Taipei, Huang praised President Donald Trump's decision to scrap some artificial intelligence chip export controls and described the prior diffusion rules as a failure. U.S. restrictions in April on AI chips Nvidia modified to comply with export controls to China would reduce Nvidia's revenue by $15 billion, the CEO said. The hardware necessary to power advanced AI is now subject to a bipartisan consensus related to the free export of such hardware, the senators wrote. Advanced AI hardware could "accelerate the PRC's effort to modernize its military," the letter reads. U.S. lawmakers have grown increasingly concerned about efforts to circumvent export controls to China and proposed a law that would force AI chip companies to verify the location of their products. Last month, Reuters reported that a senior U.S. official said the AI firm DeepSeek is aiding China's military and intelligence operations, and sought to use shell companies to circumvent U.S. AI chip export controls to China. Nvidia is planning to launch a cheaper version of its flagship Blackwell AI chips for China, Reuters reported in May. The senators said in the letter they had previously expressed concern that Nvidia's actions could support the AI and chip industries in China and cited Nvidia's new research facility in Shanghai as an example.
