- 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.