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Silicon has long been viewed as one of the most promising materials for building the next generation of lithium-ion batteries. It can store far more lithium than the graphite used in most commercial battery anodes, potentially allowing batteries to hold much more energy without dramatically increasing their size. But silicon has a major weakness: it expands and contracts dramatically every time a battery is charged and discharged . This repeated movement can damage the material, break electrical connections and destabilize the protective layer around the electrode. Eventually, the battery loses capacity and performance. Now, researchers led by Qiangfeng Xiao have developed a new type of silicon structure designed to solve this problem. Their hierarchically porous silicon nanospheres (hp-SiNSs) contain both a porous outer shell and a hollow interior. Instead of expanding outward like conventional silicon particles, these structures can accommodate lithium by expanding mainly inward . ...

Lithium-ion batteries have transformed modern technology, powering smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, energy-storage systems and many other devices. Yet behind their impressive performance lies a serious safety challenge: internal short circuits . An internal short circuit (ISC) occurs when electrical contact is unintentionally created between parts of a battery that are normally separated. Because the event happens inside the cell, it can be extremely difficult to detect or stop. In severe cases, the resulting heat can trigger thermal runaway , a rapid chain reaction that may lead to smoke, fire and even violent battery failure. A research team led by Shanhai Ge has now provided important insights into one of the most dangerous forms of battery failure: single-layer internal shorting in multilayer batteries . Their work also raises important questions about the safety of next-generation lithium-metal and all-solid-state batteries. Why Internal Short Circuits Are So Dangerous A ...

Scientists have developed a new type of air filter that can be charged using sunlight or ordinary indoor LED lights , offering a promising alternative to conventional air-purification systems. The technology could reduce the need for continuous electricity, lower maintenance requirements, and potentially make reusable air filters more practical. The new system, described in a 2026 study published in Chem , uses light to create an electrostatic charge on the surface of a filter. This charge helps the filter capture tiny airborne particles, including particles similar in size to those found in smoke, dust, and some biological aerosols. Researchers say the technology could eventually be incorporated into reusable face masks, indoor air-cleaning systems, outdoor filtration screens, and biological equipment . A New Approach to Air Filtration Most modern air purifiers rely on filters that physically trap particles as air passes through them. Some advanced systems also use an electrical proce...

Far beyond Neptune, at the cold and distant edge of our Solar System, two worlds travel together in an extraordinary partnership. Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, are so closely connected that scientists often describe them as a binary system rather than simply a planet and its moon. Now, numerical simulations of their possible formation suggest a remarkable story: Pluto and Charon may have been created through a giant collision in which the two worlds briefly touched, avoided merging, and eventually settled into orbit around each other. Researchers describe this unusual process as a “kiss-and-capture” scenario. The idea could also explain why Charon appears to have retained much of its original interior—and raises the possibility that the moon is nearly as old as Pluto itself. A Very Unusual Pair Pluto and Charon are the largest known binary system among trans-Neptunian objects. They are located in the distant region beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt , where numerous icy b...

A sudden shock from the Sun can send powerful disturbances racing through space and directly affect Earth’s magnetic environment. When these interplanetary (IP) shocks reach Earth, they can rapidly compress the planet’s magnetosphere—the vast region controlled by Earth’s magnetic field—and trigger spectacular changes in the aurora. A new study by Motoba, Ebihara and Ogawa provides an important clue about how one such phenomenon, known as shock aurora , is produced. Using observations from the ground and the THEMIS spacecraft , researchers were able to connect activity in the outer magnetosphere with rapidly changing auroral emissions observed over Antarctica. The observations were made during the beginning of the powerful May 2024 superstorm , when the spacecraft happened to be positioned in a particularly useful region of space, about 8–10 Earth radii (RE) from Earth. What happens when an interplanetary shock reaches Earth? Interplanetary shocks are abrupt disturbances travelling t...

The Sun may look like a calm, glowing sphere from Earth, but its atmosphere is an extremely dynamic environment filled with powerful magnetic fields and superheated plasma. Among the most important processes driving this activity is magnetic reconnection —a phenomenon that can suddenly release enormous amounts of stored magnetic energy and trigger powerful solar eruptions. A recent observation by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP) has provided an unusually close look at this process. Researchers led by Patel used data collected by the spacecraft during a major solar eruption on 5–6 September 2022 . The spacecraft passed directly through a region where magnetic field lines were reconnecting in the solar corona, allowing scientists to measure the plasma involved in the process. The observations offer a rare opportunity to connect theoretical models of magnetic reconnection with actual measurements from the Sun’s atmosphere. What Is Magnetic Reconnection? Magnetic reconnection occurs in hig...

The Sun can unleash enormous clouds of magnetized plasma that travel through space and, when they reach Earth, trigger powerful geomagnetic storms. These events can interfere with satellites, navigation systems, radio communications, power grids and other technologies that modern society increasingly depends on. Yet one of the biggest challenges in space-weather forecasting remains largely unsolved: knowing how strong a solar storm will actually be before it reaches Earth . A new study by Weiler and colleagues offers an important step toward solving this problem. By analyzing the powerful geomagnetic superstorm of 10–12 May 2024 , the researchers showed that a spacecraft positioned slightly closer to the Sun than the usual monitoring point could have provided about 2 hours and 34 minutes of additional warning . The result could influence how future space-weather monitoring missions are designed. The challenge of predicting solar storms The most powerful geomagnetic storms are usually c...