https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Starting just outside Charlotte, North Carolina, a vast underground deposit of lithium stretches south for 25 miles. A key component of rechargeable batteries and energy grid storage systems, the soft, silvery metal is a global commodity, making this subterranean cache a geopolitically important and potentially lucrative resource. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-exploring-quality-impacts-legacy-lithium.html Environment Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:02:28 EST news689878921 An orange solid with a camphor-like odor has helped aqueous zinc-iodide batteries move a large step closer to supplying safe and economic grid and household energy storage. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-orange-camphor-solid-key-generation.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:20:04 EST news689420845 Solid-state batteries are widely viewed as a key technology for the future of energy storage, particularly for electric vehicles and large-scale renewable energy systems. Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, which rely on flammable liquid electrolytes, solid-state batteries use solid electrolytes to transport ions. This shift offers major advantages in safety, energy density, and long-term reliability. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-agents-discovery-safer-efficient.html Materials Science Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:40:01 EST news688660423 Space agencies are no longer talking about visiting the moon, they're planning on living on it. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-lunar-nights-martian-storms-batteries.html Space Exploration Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:14:34 EST news688385641 Recent research published in Science introduces a promising solid electrolyte material that could improve the performance of next-generation lithium batteries, particularly at lower temperatures. Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) Research Professor of Chemistry James Kaduk, who co-authored the paper, contributed a key finding to the research: identifying where lithium atoms reside within the crystalline structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-lithium-ions-reside-solid-state.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:42:26 EST news687188521 Researchers from Skoltech, MIPT, and the RAS Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics have achieved a five-fold increase in the capacitance of carbon nanowalls, a material used in the electrodes of supercapacitors. These are auxiliary energy storage devices used in conjunction with conventional accumulators in electric cars, trains, port cranes, and other systems. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-argon-ion-treatment-carbon-nanowall.html Nanophysics Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:10:31 EST news683813402 Graphite, the primary anode material in lithium-ion batteries, has become central to energy storage technologies and a growing focus of supply chain concerns. Even as graphite demand is rising faster than lithium demand, global production remains highly concentrated and carbon-intensive. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-experts-outline-cleaner-resilient-options.html Materials Science Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:58:55 EST news681746319 Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are currently the most widely used rechargeable batteries worldwide, powering countless portable electronics, as well as hybrid and electric vehicles. While they are known to have notable advantages over other rechargeable batteries, particularly high energy densities, engineers have been trying to further improve their stability, safety and durability. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-solvent-relay-strategy-electrolytes-lithium.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 05 Nov 2025 06:50:02 EST news681471841 Modern energy technologies are essential for meeting the growing global demand for electricity, driven by rapid industrialization and the global transition toward renewable energy. Among these technologies, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play a crucial role, powering devices from portable electronics to electric vehicles. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-advanced-electron-microscopy-reveals-nanoscale.html Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Oct 2025 10:16:22 EDT news680865372 Carbon emissions from the lithium-ion battery supply chain could be cut by up to around 35% using a circular economy strategy that encompasses global cooperation, according to a paper published in Nature. The study analyzes the carbon emissions of each step of the battery supply chain to identify points that could potentially cut emissions. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-circular-economy-strategy-slash-lithium.html Environment Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:30:07 EDT news680369044 Lithium is a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, grid storage, and a host of personal electronics. It is also relatively scarce, so being able to efficiently isolate it from various host minerals is very important. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-optimizing-recovery-lithium-ph.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:15:03 EDT news679670101 One of the biggest obstacles on the road to a low-carbon energy future is caused by the rare-earth element lithium, a critical component for the batteries that can store the abundant and sustainable energy from renewable sources. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-density-key-sustainable-lithium-reveals.html Earth Sciences Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:47:04 EDT news677328421 Heat affects not only our well-being, but also the performance and lifespan of systems and devices. However, it is often difficult to measure these effects accurately. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-reveals-hidden.html General Physics Mon, 08 Sep 2025 13:50:00 EDT news676558197 Lithium is considered a key ingredient in the future commercial fusion power plants known as tokamaks, and there are several ways to use this metal to enhance the process. But a key question remained: How much does it impact the amount of fuel trapped in the walls of tokamaks? https://phys.org/news/2025-07-lithium-walls-tritium-fusion-reactors.html Plasma Physics Tue, 29 Jul 2025 09:35:22 EDT news673000515 As technology advances, photonic systems are gaining ground over traditional electronics, using light to transmit and process information more efficiently. One such optical system is laser beam scanning (LBS), where laser beams are rapidly steered to scan, sense, or display information. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-rgb-multiplexer-based-lithium-niobate.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:01:17 EDT news672937273 Humanity has an insatiable appetite for ammonia: This substance is used to make fertilizer, which in turn is used in most modern agriculture. Until now, the Haber-Bosch process has been the method of choice for extracting nitrogen from the seemingly inexhaustible atmosphere and binding it in the form of ammonia. However, this method requires an extremely large amount of methane gas and energy. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-climate-friendly-nitrogen-fertilizer.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:30:09 EDT news672924596 Using a cutting-edge magnetic wave detection technique, a new study in Nature Communications has identified lithium in Mercury's exosphere for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-scientists-lithium-mercury-exosphere-magnetic.html Planetary Sciences Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:18:30 EDT news672056303 Dark matter is one of nature's most confounding mysteries. It keeps particle physicists up at night and cosmologists glued to their supercomputer simulations. We know it's real because its mass prevents galaxies from falling apart. But we don't know what it is. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-dark-dwarfs-center-milky.html Astronomy Sat, 12 Jul 2025 12:50:01 EDT news671284163 Described as "Earth's kryptonite twin," jadarite is a rare and fascinating mineral that quickly caught the attention of scientists and Superman fans alike. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-jadarite-real-life-kryptonite-super.html Earth Sciences Wed, 09 Jul 2025 07:30:03 EDT news671265002 Researchers from the Illinois Grainger College of Engineering are the first to demonstrate a simple and tunable method for realizing asymmetric couplings in integrated photonics. Their findings, published in Physical Review Letters and selected as an Editor's Pick, provide insight into topological physics while introducing a new approach for optical non-reciprocity and photonic gyration. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-giant-photonic-isolation-gyration.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:19:03 EDT news670234741 When phones or computers are recycled, small amounts of important materials get discarded. Those minute amounts of cobalt, nickel and lithium add up quickly, and separating and recovering these "critical materials" for reuse is a dirty, energy intensive job. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-ferritin-protein-critical-metals-electronic.html Materials Science Thu, 26 Jun 2025 13:23:54 EDT news670163028 Electric e-bikes make cycling easier, faster and more accessible. They are already playing an important role in reducing the environmental impact of transport, particularly when they replace a trip in a private car. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-bikes-environmental.html Environment Thu, 12 Jun 2025 10:52:05 EDT news668944322 Much of the world's lithium occurs in salty waters with fundamentally different chemistry than other naturally saline waters like the ocean, according to a study published on May 23 in Science Advances. The finding has implications for lithium mining technologies and wastewater assessment and management. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-unique-chemistry-critical-lithium-deposits.html Earth Sciences Fri, 23 May 2025 14:00:01 EDT news667147921 A lithium mine could contribute to the extinction of a fish species in southwestern Nevada, the federal government acknowledged on May 20 in a document recommending its protection. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-nevada-fish-species-slated-trump.html Ecology Wed, 21 May 2025 07:10:01 EDT news667029697 Artisanal lead mining in Nigeria is responsible for airborne lead exposures that are 10 times the U.S. Permissible Exposure Limit according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-growth-contributing-widespread-poisoning.html Environment Tue, 13 May 2025 14:17:03 EDT news666364621 A research team has developed an innovative membrane that mimics biological ion channels to achieve highly selective lithium ion separation from complex brines. Their study is published in Nature Communications, and the researchers were led by Prof. Gao Jun from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from Qingdao University. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-biomimetic-cof-membrane-enables-precise.html Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:08:03 EDT news665226481 The ocean's deep-sea bed is scattered with ancient rocks, each about the size of a closed fist, called "polymetallic nodules." Elsewhere, along active and inactive hydrothermal vents and the deep ocean's ridges, volcanic arcs, and tectonic plate boundaries, and on the flanks of seamounts, lie other types of mineral-rich deposits containing high-demand minerals. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-exploration-mineral-enable-impact-deep.html Earth Sciences Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:39:04 EDT news665163541 As the demand continues to grow for batteries capable of ultra-fast charging and high energy density in various sectors—from electric vehicles to large-scale energy storage systems (ESS)—a joint research team from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has developed a promising next-generation anode material that may address these critical needs. The research is published in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-hard-carbon-tin-nano-composite.html Nanomaterials Fri, 18 Apr 2025 12:14:03 EDT news664197242 Skoltech researchers have theoretically investigated the wide range of molecules that oxygen and carbon atoms can form in addition to the well-known carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Compounds of oxygen and carbon are of interest for space research, battery technology, biochemical studies, and—surprisingly—for the development of industrial explosives and rocket fuel. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-bizarre-compounds-oxygen-carbon-explosive.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:09:03 EDT news662288941 New research into lithium mining in the "Lithium Triangle" of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia—source of more than half of the world's lithium resources—shows that the commonly accepted models used to estimate how much water is available for lithium extraction and what the environmental effects may be are off by more than an order of magnitude. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-amount-fresh-lithium-vastly-overestimated.html Earth Sciences Wed, 26 Mar 2025 06:00:01 EDT news662110861