Research Laboratory news

Lithium-ion batteries are an advanced battery technology that uses lithium ions as a key component of its electrochemistry. During a discharge cycle, lithium atoms in the anode are ionised and separated from their electrons. The lithium ions move from the anode and pass through the electrolyte until they reach the cathode, where they recombine with their electrons and electrically neutralise. The lithium ions are small enough to be...

Platinum group metals are among the most widely used catalysts in catalytic reactions, including, for example, water gas shift reactions or gas phase oxidation. All six of the platinum group elements have good catalytic properties; however, platinum, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium are the most active in reactions of this kind. Platinum group metals are more expensive in initial cost than base metal ones, but often prove to be more...

Grid-connected energy storing systems will play an increasingly important role in the near future, as intermittent renewable energy sources are expanding and the demand for improved power quality and energy management is rising. One of the most promising technologies in this respect is electrochemical storage systems because they are flexible, efficient, and scalable. Among them redox flow batteries have high potential and many...

Gaining a better understanding of how tough fibres and complex sugars can be converted into biofuels and industrial products could mean taking an important step towards developing smarter materials and petroleum-free fuels. Making use of the chemical properties stored in plants, however, is no easy feat because whenever we eat vegetables the microbes in our bodies carry out elaborate chemical reactions to convert plant matter into...

Denmark is among the countries with the most active development in wind energy and was one of the first to build an offshore wind farm. The country is also home to many experienced offshore wind companies which benefit from the country’s suitable location for exploiting this technology. Now, the government and the industry are planning a cooperation to launch a truly impressive project. In 2021, following the Climate Agreement for...

In view of the ongoing energy transition, expanding electricity grids has become an increasingly important task. This task comprises, first and foremost, connecting renewable plants as well as energy storage systems to the grid – no mean feat considering that the power electronics of the existing grid infrastructure must now also perform additional grid-supporting tasks, alongside the mere feed-in or feed-back of electrical energy. To...

Modern life relies heavily on the efficient functioning of catalysts. They can improve chemical reactions, are indispensable in many industrial manufacturing processes, and can even contribute to reducing emissions. They are also an integral part in battery design and transportation. It is all the more astonishing, therefore, that the exact mechanisms of a catalyst are still not entirely understood by science. Now (2021), scientists...

Hydrogen is counted among the cleanest and most sustainable energy sources as it does not release harmful emissions into the atmosphere and can be employed in many industry sectors, including transportation and power generation. Effective technologies for transporting and storing hydrogen are paramount to a well-functioning hydrogen economy, but contemporary means to do so are expensive and susceptible to contamination. Therefore,...

In the past few years, solar panels have made vast improvements in terms of costs and efficiency so that nowadays many homes can afford to install them on rooftops and save money. However, when the sky is overcast or other circumstances prevent sunlight from reaching the surface of the earth, this otherwise valuable energy source cannot be harnessed properly. Now (2020), a way to circumvent the intermittency of solar energy has been...

For quite some time global climate change, linked to the accumulation of greenhouse gases, has caused concerns regarding the use of fossil fuels as the major energy source. To mitigate climate change while ensuring sufficient energy supply, one solution is to rely on the ability of microorganisms to use renewable resources for biofuel synthesis using either plants or the waste that they produce. Now (2020), researchers at the Lawrence...