Tag: Peking University

  • “Rapid 1-Minute Charge: Durable LiS Solid-State Battery Development”

    “Rapid 1-Minute Charge: Durable LiS Solid-State Battery Development”

    Solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries boast a significant energy density and consist of materials that are easy to find. Nevertheless, their stability over many charge cycles and the slow exchange of electrons have hindered their practical use so far.

    New Electrolyte Breakthrough

    Recently, a new electrolyte has been developed that speeds up the chemical reactions in these solid-state batteries, addressing their issues and offering performance that outshines existing battery technologies. This solid electrolyte is composed of boron, sulfur, lithium, phosphorus, and iodine, resembling glass. It lacks a crystalline structure, yet it maintains a solid form while exhibiting liquid-like properties.

    Collaborative Research Efforts

    Researchers from China and Germany, particularly from Peking University, the University of Giessen, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, have demonstrated that this innovative battery can endure up to 25,000 charging cycles, depending on how fast it is charged. After this extensive use, the battery retains just under 80 percent of its capacity, which is quite typical.

    In optimal conditions, the energy density can be nearly three times higher than that of conventional lithium-ion batteries. The study also highlights an impressive charging speed, suggesting that full charging can be achieved in less than 1 minute. More specifically, under certain conditions, a charging time of 24 seconds is feasible, while still achieving an energy density comparable to what current batteries offer.

    Long-term Charge Cycles

    On the flip side, to ensure the battery’s longevity, a complete charge cycle should ideally take 12 minutes. This means the solid-state battery could potentially be charged seven times a day for over a decade.

    All these findings indicates that there remains a substantial amount of unexplored potential in battery research. However, it’s important to note that these results are based on lab experiments conducted on prototypes using experimental materials. It might take some time before this technology becomes available in a practical and, crucially, cost-effective manner.

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  • DNA Data Storage Breakthrough: Using Natural Cell Processes

    DNA Data Storage Breakthrough: Using Natural Cell Processes

    Researchers have come up with a smart new technique for keeping digital information in DNA without the need to create custom DNA sequences from the ground up. A recent paper in Nature discusses how they utilized a natural epigenetic method called methylation to essentially "print" information onto existing DNA strands.

    The Traditional Approach

    Typically, storing data in DNA involves transforming digital information into sequences of nucleotide bases: A, C, T, and G. Then, these sequences are chemically created in the lab through a process known as de novo synthesis to make the data-rich DNA. Although there have been major advancements in this field, the process remains slow, expensive, and prone to errors—far from ideal for large-scale data storage.

    A New Technique

    Nonetheless, the research team from Peking University and other institutions tackled these challenges by employing methylation to modify naturally existing DNA. Methylation is an epigenetic change that living organisms generally use to turn genes on or off without altering the genetic code itself.

    They created 700 distinct DNA "movable type" fragments to serve as components for their storage technique. By carefully assembling these movable types onto a primary DNA template, the researchers encoded digital information. An enzyme then attaches methyl groups at specific locations, chemically marking the DNA with the desired sequences of 1s and 0s.

    Impressive Results

    In their trials, they successfully stored and retrieved high-resolution images of a panda and an ancient Chinese artwork, achieving an accuracy rate of up to 97.47 percent. The researchers recorded a data writing speed of nearly 350 bits per DNA synthesis reaction, which is quicker than traditional de novo synthesis. This methylation-based approach is theoretically much more cost-effective since it utilizes existing DNA templates rather than generating new ones from scratch.

    Although it’s still not as fast or economical as electronic storage, this epigenetic twist on DNA data storage represents a significant advancement in managing the rapid increase of digital information using nature’s own medium. With additional adjustments, DNA storage systems that use methylation could evolve into a practical solution for archiving global data in a low-energy, durable, and more budget-friendly manner than creating DNA from the beginning.

    The researchers remarked, "With DNA data storage entering the dawn of commercialization, the epi-bit framework shows potential pathways for parallel molecular information storage with prefabricated modularity."