Researchers have developed a new tool that could lead to more efficient and cheaper technologies for capturing heat-trapping gases from the atmosphere and converting them into beneficial substances, like fuel or building materials.
The intermittent supply of green electricity requires large-scale storage to keep our power grids stable. Since normal batteries do not scale very well, the idea of using flow batteries, which store electricity in a fluid is attractive. However, these batteries contain rare metals and are expensive. Scientists have designed a flow battery electrolyte that may solve both problems.
Scientists have described the exceptional strength and toughness of novel polymers made from sugars, and the chemistry underpinning their characteristics.
