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Research News

Making magnetism appear in nonmagnetic materials

Researchers led by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona managed to modify the magnetic properties of a thin layer of cobalt nitride by applying electrical voltage without the use of wires. They placed the cobalt nitride in a liquid with ionic conductivity and applied voltage to the liquid via two platinum plates. This voltage generated an induced electric field that caused the nitrogen ions to leave the cobalt nitride and caused magnetism to appear in the sample, which changed from nonmagnetic to magnetic. Visit the website for more information.

3D-printed reactor core for efficient solar fuel production

In recent years, engineers at ETH Zurich developed the technology to produce liquid fuels from sunlight and air. At the heart of the production process is a solar reactor that contains a porous ceramic structure made of cerium oxide. Within this structure, a thermochemical cycle takes place for splitting water and CO₂ captured previously from the air. Using a new 3D printing technique, the engineers developed special ceramic structures for the reactor. Initial testing shows that these structures can boost the production yield of solar fuels. Visit the website for more information.

Cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries could be produced at low temperatures

Researchers at Hokkaido University and Kobe University developed a new method to synthesize lithium cobalt oxide at temperatures as low as 300°C and durations as short as 30 minutes. Lithium cobalt oxide can typically be synthesized in two forms: a layered rocksalt structure and a spinel-framework structure. The layered structure is used for the cathode in lithium-ion batteries. The new synthesis process relies on the discovery that the presence of water molecules in the starting materials significantly improves crystallinity of the end product. Visit the website for more information.