NEWS RELEASES

I• A protective coating technique using silver makes solid electrolytes five times more resistant to cracking and makes imperfections that exist better able to block lithium ions lodging themselves and then expanding inside the electrolyte, Stanford researchers have discovered.

• Lithium intrusion of the electrolyte, which can lead to battery failure, is a major obstacle in developing lithium metal batteries that could be safer, last longer, and charge faster than current lithium-ion batteries.

• While promising in lab tests, the technique still needs validation at commercial scale with full battery cells over thousands of charge cycles, which the researchers are working on. They are also exploring applications to different solid electrolytes, like those based on sulfur, and applications beyond lithium batteries, like sodium-based cells.

Researchers demonstrated a new method of cooling trapped ions using chip-based systems, which could enable more stable and scalable quantum computers and quantum sensors.

U.S. nuclear energy faces fuel supply chain vulnerabilities, with tight uranium supplies, geopolitical risks, and rising costs threatening both existing reactors costs and advanced reactor development.

The uranium conversion stage represents a major bottleneck, with only five large-scale facilities worldwide, shrinking stockpiles, and companies hesitant to expand capacity without long-term contracts that buyers are reluctant to sign at current high prices.

Next-generation reactors will require significantly more mined uranium per ton of fuel, potentially tightening supplies for the existing nuclear fleet, which is already facing high fuel costs.

Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new system that allows researchers to observe how plants “breathe” in real time under controlled environmental conditions. The tool, called Stomata In-Sight, integrates live confocal microscopy with leaf gas exchange measurements and precise environmental controls, enabling researchers to directly link microscopic stomatal movements with carbon dioxide uptake and water loss.

Stomata — tiny pores on leaf surfaces — play a critical role in plant growth and water use, but until now, scientists have had to choose between observing their structure or measuring their function. Stomata In-Sight overcomes this limitation, providing a dynamic view of how plants respond to changes in light, temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide.

The system could accelerate efforts to develop crops that use water more efficiently, an increasingly urgent need as drought and climate stress intensify. The research was published in Plant Physiology and was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and philanthropic funding.