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Energy storage and batteries
Explore energy storage and battery research, covering innovative battery chemistries, materials design, device fabrication techniques, solutions to transition to clean energy, and applications including electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage, and portable electronics.
Coming soon: Battery week
Chemistry World is launching Battery week 2026 (11–15 May), a dedicated week of content exploring the fast-moving world of battery science and innovation. Find all the content here, and join us for a series of live interactive webinars:
- In conversation with – An exclusive in-depth conversation with renowned battery scientist Clare Grey, during which we will discuss her journey to become a leading figure in materials chemistry
- Sustainability – A panel of leading experts from industry and academia will discuss how the field is moving towards more sustainable technologies, from full battery recycling to the latest tech for material recovery
- The future of batteries – We will hear from battery researchers on the cusp of the latest advances in the field, including Li-S systems and solid-state batteries
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Email us at advertising@rsc.org to receive the sponsorship brochure and discuss opportunities to partner with this event.
Building better batteries
The next generation of battery technologies might pack significantly more power into the electric cars and mobile devices of the future. James Mitchell Crow reports
The lithium rush
Move over, gold; lithium is now the metal in global demand. Kit Chapman untangles the global politics around the sought-after resource
The long-term energy storage challenge
In a renewably powered future, how will the grid cope when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing? Rachel Brazil looks at the options
The elements of energy storage
Chemistry is a key component of clean energy
Battery recyclers race to increase capacity and efficiency
As battery demand grows, recycling needs to capture more of the valuable resources in each cell
ResearchLithium-free battery breaks voltage barrier for ultra-cheap energy storage
New chemistry overcomes drawbacks that have hampered this promising class of battery
ResearchWas the ‘Baghdad battery’ really two cells?
A new study suggests it had an ‘outer’ cell that reacted with air to supply a higher voltage. But was it a battery at all?
NewsHow safe is the next generation of battery chemistries?
Rapid advances mean researchers are struggling to understand these batteries’ safety and fire hazards
NewsGlobal cooperation essential to cut carbon emissions in lithium-ion battery supply chain
Emissions could be cut a third by 2060
ResearchElectron transfer plays an underappreciated role in battery charging cycles
Ion transfer alone does not explain charging and discharging rates of lithium-ion batteries
ResearchHydrogen battery relieves the pressure for clean energy storage
Researchers develop an electrolyte that overcomes the low-capacity high-operating-temperature issues of previous hydrogen storage setups
OpinionBuilding better batteries with chemistry’s toolbox
How organic chemistry powers the development of sustainable batteries
BusinessCongo’s cobalt conundrum
DRC government is intervening to revive prices and stabilise supply chains
NewsEurope and US face diminishing lithium supply for electric vehicle batteries
China will still dominate the market for the vital battery metal in 2030
ResearchCement-like building material doubles up as an electrolyte in rechargeable battery
Study explores how to integrate electrochemical energy storage into the built environment
OpinionPeering into the future of material characterisation
Operando analysis offers real-time data on what happens to devices at the atomic level
FeatureStudying materials in action
Experiments on battery electrodes and fuel cell catalysts while they’re being used – operando spectroscopy – can revolutionise our understanding of these crucial materials. Clare Sansom reports
NewsIs hydrogen the future for cars? Manufacturers haven’t given up on it yet
Zero-emissions cars are dominated by batteries but some carmakers think hydrogen still has a part to play
BusinessOpposition to lithium mines hampers green technology supply chain
Europe and US seek to escape Chinese dominance in critical minerals
BusinessNorthvolt bankruptcy dents European battery industry ambitions
Swedish startup aimed to challenge Asian producers, but stumbled in scaling production
ResearchThe race to commercialise nuclear-powered batteries
‘Radiovoltaic’ devices can deliver long-lasting power to pacemakers, planetary rovers and more
OpinionSodium-ion batteries could deliver India’s net zero ambitions
The promising energy storage alternative still faces a number of challenges
ResearchSunlight-powered device harvests lithium from salty water
Low-energy device is a ‘step forward’ for sustainable lithium mining
ResearchWater-splitting reaction reversal could extract lithium more sustainably and cheaply
Environmentally-friendly electrochemistry could cut extraction costs by 40%
ResearchSupramolecular crystals show promise for hydrogen storage
Porous catenated network is light weight and stores high volumes of hydrogen
ResearchThe world’s tiniest batteries could power robots the size of cells
Zinc–air microbattery packs the biggest punch yet for a power source with a volume of just two picolitres
BusinessElectrification of process heat stands to slash industry’s emissions
Technologies available now can decarbonise most heat demand, but cost and infrastructure barriers still exist
OpinionCan supercapacitors be the next energy superheroes?
Offering complementary properties to batteries, their time might be round the corner