Liquid transforms into an energy-rich gel that stores power for months

5 hours ago

Northwestern University scientists have created a liquid material that merges energy harvesting, storage, and use into a single system, drawing inspiration from the dynamic cytoskeleton of cells.
The material transforms from a yellow liquid to a black gel after absorbing energy from sources like sunlight, electricity, or X-rays, storing energy for months, and resets to liquid when exposed to air, enabling repeated recharge cycles.
It enables 'dark photocatalysis' by using stored energy to drive chemical reactions without an immediate energy source, with potential applications in renewable energy storage, environmental remediation, and adaptive soft electronics.

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