Osmotic energy, existing between the seawater and river water, is a renewable energy source, which can be directly converted into electricity by ion-exchange membranes (IEM). In traditional IEMs, the ion transport channels are formed by nanophase separation of hydrophilic ion carriers and hydrophobic segments. It is difficult to realize high-density ion channels with controlled spatial arrangement and length scale of ion carriers. Herein, we construct high-density 1D ion wires as transmission channels. Through molecular design, hydrophilic imidazole groups and hydrophobic alkyl tails were introduced into the repeat units, which self-assembled into 1D ion transporting core and protecting shell along the main chains. The areal density of the ionic wire arrays is up to ~ 10¹² cm⁻², which is the highest value. The ionic wires ensure both high ion flux transport and high selectivity, achieving an ultrahigh-power density of 40.5 W m⁻² at a 500-fold salinity gradient. Besides, the ionic wire array membrane is well recyclable and antibacterial. The ionic wires provide novel concept for next generation of high-performance membranes.

An international research team has uncovered the next frontier in monitoring brain health, and the key is in technology that millions of people are already using every day – earbuds.

Israel E. Wachs, the G. Whitney Snyder Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest professional honors in the field of engineering. Wachs was recognized “for establishing fundamental structure–activity/selectivity rules governing molecular engineering of mixed oxide catalysts” that guide the rational design of solid catalysts (materials that accelerate and control chemical reactions) for air pollution remediation, sustainable energy, fuels, chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.

An international research collaboration co-led by UCLA has developed a nickel-iron battery, reviving a chemistry favored by Thomas Edison.

In the study, the team grew extremely tiny clusters of metal using proteins, then embedded them in an ultrathin carbon-based conductor to make electrodes.

The resulting battery charged in seconds and kept working after more than 12,000 cycles of draining and recharging, suggesting a potential application in storing renewable energy. 

Building on their groundbreaking 2018 research into how some of the body’s cells, such as neurons and cardiac tissue, communicate via ions that flow through cellular channels, chemists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst demonstrated a “leakiness” to a particularly mysterious type of channel, known as a “big potassium,” or BK channel. This leakiness is key to further study the body’s electrical infrastructure, which, when it goes haywire, can result in maladies like epilepsy and hypertension.

A team from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, uses a multi-model approach to improve climate modeling. Isotope analysis allows researchers to track the global water cycle and identify changes in atmospheric dynamics in a warming climate. Their simulation data, identification of parameter sensitivity, and discovery of ongoing challenges in understanding the behavior of atmospheric water vapor provide a baseline for better general climate models in the future.