Far-UVC light can virtually eliminate airborne virus in an occupied room

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER

NEW YORK, NY--Far-UVC light is a promising new technology for reducing airborne virus levels in occupied indoor spaces, but its effectiveness has not been evaluated in real-life scenarios. 

A new study by Columbia researchers now shows that far-UVC light inactivated nearly all (>99%) of an airborne virus in an occupied work environment, showing that the technology can work as well in a real-life scenario as in the laboratory. 

“The results show that far-UVC is highly effective at reducing airborne pathogens in an ordinary occupied room, and so it’s practical to use far-UVC light in indoor areas where people are going about their business,” says David Brenner, PhD, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and senior author of the study. 

“If this virus had been a disease-causing virus, the far-UVC light would have provided far more protection against airborne-disease transmission than any ventilation system,” says Brenner. 

A new air disinfection technology 

Conventional germicidal UVC light is a well-known technology for killing viruses and bacteria and is frequently used by hospitals to sterilize rooms. However, direct exposure to conventional germicidal UVC light can potentially harm skin and eyes, so it can only be turned on when a room is empty.  

“You can decontaminate a room in the morning before people arrive, but it can quickly become contaminated again because people in the room are shedding viruses and other airborne pathogens,” Brenner says. “The goal is to be able to continuously decontaminate a room while people are in it.” 

Over the past few years, Brenner’s team has been developing far-UVC light, which has a shorter wavelength (222-nm) than conventional germicidal UVC light and cannot penetrate or damage living skin or eyes. Laboratory tests at Columbia and other centers have demonstrated that far-UVC quickly and efficiently inactivates airborne pathogens in both small and room-sized test chambers. 

A real-world test

In the new study, the researchers wanted to look at the impact of far-UVC light in a room where both people and high levels of virus in the air are present. For ethical and safety reasons, the virus had to be harmless to humans. 

At Columbia, a room where laboratory mouse cages are cleaned provided an ideal test setting. Most mice carry a form of norovirus that doesn’t make the animals—or humans—sick, but high concentrations of the virus become airborne when the cages are cleaned.  

The researchers installed four overhead far-UVC lamps in the cage cleaning room and collected daily air samples to compare infectious virus levels on days when the lamps were turned on and days when the lamps were turned off. (The lamps were in compliance with current regulatory guidance on far-UVC exposure limits.) 

Efficacy surpassed expectations 

"Based on our initial sensitivity tests, we expected to see a reduction in airborne virus of around 66%,” says Brenner. The result—a reduction in infectious airborne viruses of 99.8%—surpassed expectations and was far greater than what could be achieved by typical air filtration and ventilation.  

The study did not find any measurable difference in air quality (ozone or particulates) associated with far-UVC illumination.  

Next steps 

Far-UVC lamps are being installed in more public locations, with corresponding measurements of the reduction in airborne pathogens. 

Brenner’s team is also performing laboratory studies to directly quantify the effect of far-UVC light on airborne disease transmission. 

More information

The study, titled “222-nm far-UVC light markedly reduces the level of infectious airborne virus in an occupied room,” was published March 20 in Scientific Reports. 

Other authors (all from Columbia): Manuela Buonnano, Norman Kleiman, David Welch, Raabia Hashmi, and Igor Shuryak.  

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Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is a clinical, research, and educational campus located in New York City. Founded in 1928, CUIMC was one of the first academic medical centers established in the United States of America. CUIMC is home to four professional colleges and schools that provide global leadership in scientific research, health and medical education, and patient care including the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing. For more information, please visit cuimc.columbia.edu.

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JOURNAL

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-024-57441-z 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

222 nm far-UVC light markedly reduces the level of infectious airborne virus in an occupied room

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Mar-2024

COI STATEMENT

David Brenner and other coinventors have been granted a US patent, ‘Apparatus, method and system for selectively affecting and/or killing a virus.’ Columbia University has licensed aspects of filtered UV light technology to Ushio Inc and has received research support from Ushio Inc and Lumenlabs Inc, which produce far-UVC sources.

 

Chatbot guides women through post-prison challenges

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Most women leaving prison face profound disadvantages and rarely have access to the resources needed to settle back into the community. Seemingly simple tasks such as obtaining replacement identification documents or opening a bank account become tangled in complexities.

Now researchers at the University of South Australia are co-designing a chatbot to help formerly incarcerated women re-establish their lives on the outside, and reduce the risk of them returning to prison.

Led by a team of UniSA researchers in collaboration with advocacy group Seeds of Affinity, the tech-based solution aims to help women access trusted and authentic information gathered by other women who have navigated the same complex social services.

In 2023, almost 42,000 people were imprisoned in Australia, 3168 of them female. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of female prisoners increased by 6% last year.

UniSA researcher and senior lecturer in social work Dr Michele Jarldorn says inadequate support for women leaving prison often sets them up to fail, with a high percentage of women back behind bars within two years of their release.

“Women who have been to prison are among the most disadvantaged groups in society. Despite having completed their prison sentence, they’re rarely welcomed back into the community and for many, the only friendships they have are those made in prison,” she says.

“Upon release, women are incredibly vulnerable to homelessness and rather than experiencing release as freedom, it’s a scramble for support, resources and survival. The rates of suicide, poor mental and physical health and drug overdose are much higher than the generaL population. These women are unlikely to seek help from a mental health provider and if they do, they’re placed on a waiting list as demand for services outweighs capacity in Australia.”

Researchers are developing a prototype chatbot called LindaBot, a piece of software designed to process and resemble human conversation. Chatbots are commonly used on company websites to provide customer services and deal with a high volume of enquiries, at any time of the day or night. The information embedded within this chatbot has been sourced, created and developed by formerly incarcerated women who are working with researchers on the project.

Designed for access on mobile phones, LindaBot will be able to provide information and help with tasks that, on the surface seem simple but, are incredibly complex.

Game designer and UniSA lecturer of games design and digital media Dr Susannah Emery says the design of the chatbot must ensure the information communicated doesn’t create confusion or frustration in users. Providing emotional support is also a focus.

“When finished, LindaBot will ask the user if they are currently experiencing a crisis or serious mental health concern and if they are, the chatbot provides contact details for 24-hour crisis response services,” she says.

“The user is also asked if they need to speak to a ‘real person’ and if so, they’re invited to speak to someone at Seeds. Women are rarely asked how they are doing or offered emotional support, so with LindaBot, users are asked if they would like to receive daily check-in messages. They can also be sent something that other women from Seeds have found helpful in their journeys post-release, such as videos, sound files or links to music or other resources.”

Researchers are hoping to launch the finished product by early 2025.

Dr Jarldorn says once the project is complete and LindaBot is formally launched, they will simultaneously begin a campaign to seek donations of second-hand phones that women can use post-release. The project has been funded to completion by a Fay Fuller Foundation Discovery Grant.

Seeds of Affinity recently recruited people into paid positions to establish a LindaBot advisory group, assisting in workshop facilitation, data analysis and working alongside the tech development team.

“It costs more than $115,000 a year to imprison one woman, so ongoing funding and support to maintain LindaBot is a small investment with a significant return,” Dr Jarldorn says.

“This project seeks to involve and empower a community of women with very little social power but so much knowledge and lived experience. LindaBot has the potential to be incredibly meaningful for a cohort that tends to be marginalised and socially excluded, and usually told what they will get rather than asked that they want or need.”

For more information on LindaBot, read the research paper Jarldorn, Michele and Susannah Emery, “Using Radical Co-Design to Create and Develop a Technology-Based Solution to Improve Post-Release Outcomes for Formerly Incarcerated Women: LindaBot.” (2024) International Journal of Communication.

END

………………………………………………..

Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA, M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

Researcher contacts:

Dr Michele Jarldorn, researcher and senior lecturer in social work, UniSA, E: Michele.Jarldorn@unisa.edu.au

Dr Susannah Emery, Game designer and lecturer of games design and digital media, UniSA, E: Susannah.Emery@unisa.edu.au

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SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Using radical co-design to create and develop a technology-based solution to improve post-release outcomes for formerly incarcerated women: LindaBot.

E-cigarette users now more likely to quit traditional cigarettes

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS USA

A new paper in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, published by Oxford University Press, finds that smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes are now more likely to stop smoking regular cigarettes. In the past, smokers who began using electronic cigarettes mostly continued smoking.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems first emerged on the U.S. market in 2007. The first e-cigarettes resembled conventional cigarettes (in appearance) and used fixed low-voltage batteries. Beginning in 2016, manufacturers introduced e-liquids containing nicotine salt formulations. These new e-cigarettes became widely available. These nicotine salts are lower in pH than freebase formulations, which allow manufacturers to increase nicotine concentration while avoiding harshness and bitterness.

Past population-level research provided conflicting findings on whether vaping helps people who smoke combustible cigarettes to quit smoking. Some research suggests improved cigarette quitting-related outcomes with e-cigarette use, while other research suggests the opposite. Inconsistent findings may be due to differences in the samples and measures considered, differences in the analytic approaches of researchers used, the rapidly changing product environment, or policy contexts.

The researchers here examined differences in real-world trends in population-level cigarette discontinuation rates from 2013 to 2021, comparing U.S. adults who smoked combustible cigarettes and used e-cigarettes with U.S. adults who smoked combustible cigarettes and did not use e-cigarettes.

Using data from among adults (ages 21+) in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a national longitudinal study of tobacco use from people from all over the United States, the researchers found that between 2013 and 2016, rates of discontinuing cigarette smoking among adults in the U.S. population were statistically indistinguishable between those who used e-cigarettes and those who did not. Cigarette discontinuation rates were 15.5% for those who used e-cigarettes and 15.6% for those who did not.

But the quit rates changed in subsequent years; the researchers here found that between 2018 and 2021 only 20% of smokers who did not use e-cigarettes stopped smoking combustible cigarettes, but some 30.9% of smokers who used e-cigarettes stopped smoking combustible cigarettes.

The paper notes that the full study period spanned a time in the United States when the e-cigarette marketplace was expanding; salt-based nicotine formulations gained market share in 2016 and vaping products became available with increased nicotine yields over time. This was also a period in which state and federal governments restricted tobacco in various ways, including increasing the tobacco-purchase age to 21 and restricting flavored e-cigarettes.

“Our findings here suggest that the times have changed when it comes to vaping and smoking cessation for adults in the US,” notes study first author, Karin Kasza, an assistant professor of oncology in the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY. “While our study doesn’t give the answers as to why vaping is associated with cigarette quitting in the population today when it wasn’t associated with quitting years ago, design changes leading to e-cigarettes that deliver nicotine more effectively should be investigated. This work underscores the importance of using the most recent data to inform public health decisions.”

The paper, “Divergence in cigarette discontinuation rates by use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS): Longitudinal findings from the U.S. PATH Study Waves 1-6,” is available (at midnight on April 3rd) at https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae027.

To request a copy of the study, please contact:
Daniel Luzer 
daniel.luzer@oup.com

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JOURNAL

Nicotine & Tobacco Research

DOI

10.1093/ntr/ntae027. 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Divergence in cigarette discontinuation rates by use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS): Longitudinal findings from the U.S. PATH Study Waves 1-6

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

3-Apr-2024

 

Wound treatment gel fights the battle against antibacterial resistance

Hydrogel infused with amino acid kills bacteria naturally and promotes cell growth.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS

 

IMAGE: 

TO CREATE A NEW WOUND-CARE GEL, RESEARCHERS USED A COMMON HYDROGEL, GEL-MA, AND CREATED SEVERAL COMBINATIONS INFUSED WITH PLATELET-RICH BLOOD PLASMA (PRP) AND POLYLYSINE (PL). TO TEST THE GEL’S ABILITY TO BATTLE BACTERIA, THEY ADDED E. COLI AND S. AUREUS, THE BACTERIUM THAT CAUSES STAPH INFECTION, AND USED SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY AND PLATE COUNTS TO DETERMINE THE BEST COMBINATION. 

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CREDIT: PEIYU YAN

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2024 – Hydrogels are popular for use in skin ailments and tissue engineering. These polymer-based biocompatible materials are useful for their abilities to retain water, deliver drugs into wounds, and biodegrade. However, they are complicated to manufacture and not very resilient to external forces like rubbing against clothing, sheets, or wound dressings. They are also not inherently able to battle bacterial infections, so they are often infused with antimicrobial drugs or metal ions, which can cause antibiotic resistance and negative effects on cell growth.

In a paper published this week in APL Materials, by AIP Publishing, researchers created a hydrogel that is easier to synthesize, contains natural antibiotic properties, and promotes cell growth.

“A diabetic patient may have skin wounds that do not heal easily due to metabolic disease,” author Jing Sun said. “The patient may try to treat the wounds with topical medicines such as erythromycin, and it may be effective at first, but over a long period of time, it may fail to relieve symptoms. This could be due to antibiotic resistance.”

Using the common hydrogel Gel-MA, they added the amino acid polylysine and platelet-rich blood plasma to create properties that are well-suited to wound care. The result is a hydrogel that is stronger, expands in the wound, lasts longer, kills bacteria, and creates a healthy environment for new cells to grow.

“The hydrogel continuously releases polylysine on the wound surface and continuously inhibits bacterial growth,” Sun said. “We chose ε-polylysine because it can inhibit the growth of bacteria and solve the problem of antibiotic abuse, drug resistance, and does not affect the proliferation and development of cells. It can also conjugate with gelatin methacrylate, which plays an antimicrobial role and enhances the mechanical strength of the hydrogel.”

In tests with E. coli and S. aureus, the bacterium that causes staph infection, the hydrogel damaged bacteria cell membranes and led to bacterial cell death. For healthy cells, the inclusion of platelet-rich blood plasma resulted in a release of growth factors and an increase of viable cells.

“The most interesting and exciting moment for me was when we mixed the polylysine and platelet-rich plasma solutions to see if they could form a hydrogel under UV irradiation,” Sun said.

The experiment worked, and the hydrogel can be cured under a UV lamp for 30 seconds instead of curing by repeatedly freezing and thawing for up to 8 hours.

“As a clinician and researcher in dermatology, I have the obligation to provide better treatments for patients,” Sun said. “Patients with chronically infected wounds combined with metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, malnutrition, and other diseases, as well as long-term bedridden patients will be helped by this solution.”

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The article, "Methacrylated Gelatin Hydrogel Conjugated with ε-Polylysine and Enriched with Platelet-Rich Plasma for Chronically Infected Wounds," is authored by Peiyu Yan, Xiangru Chen, Xin He, Zhaoyang Liu, and Jing Sun.  It will appear in APL Materials on April 2, 2024 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0200159). After that date, it can be accessed at https://www.doi.org/10.1063/5.0200159.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

APL Materials is an open access journal that features original research on significant topical issues within all areas of materials science.  See https://aip.scitation.org/journal/apm

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JOURNAL

APL Materials

DOI

10.1063/5.0200159 

ARTICLE TITLE

Methacrylated Gelatin Hydrogel Conjugated with ε-Polylysine and Enriched with Platelet-Rich Plasma for Chronically Infected Wounds

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Apr-2024

 

Golfers’ risk from pesticides used on turfgrass is likely low, studies find

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

 

IMAGE: 

VOLUNTEER GOLFERS WORE COTTON SUITS WHILE PLAYING 18 HOLES OF GOLF FOR A STUDY INVESTIGATING THEIR LEVEL OF EXPOSURE TO COMMON TURFGRASS PESTICIDES.

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CREDIT: JOHN M. CLARK

For many, spring heralds fresh air and exercise on the golf course. But do players risk exposure to unsafe levels of pesticides used to beautify and maintain a golf course’s green grass? To find out, researchers asked volunteers to play 18 holes on a simulated course sprayed with common pesticides. They report the results in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, saying there is likely limited cause for concern over toxic exposure from pesticide-treated turf.

There are plenty of studies on pesticide exposure among people who tend and harvest crops grown in treated environments. But John M. Clark and colleagues couldn’t find much comparable information about individuals who play sports, including soccer and golf, in the great outdoors. So, his team designed a study to investigate golfers’ potential risks from four pesticides, which have low volatilities and relatively low toxicities for humans, and are commonly used on golf course turfgrass: cyfluthrin (insecticide), chlorothalonil (fungicide), MCPP-p (herbicide) and 2,4-D (herbicide).

For the study, the researchers created what they deemed a “worst-case-scenario” 18-hole course: All areas of a simulated golf course were treated with the manufacturers’ suggested maximum amount of all four pesticides. Then they recruited eight volunteer golfers to play a full round on the treated turf one hour after pesticide application and to remain on the course for four hours. To measure pesticide exposure, four of the volunteers wore cotton full-body suits with veils, socks and gloves that would pick up contact residues and personal air samplers that would capture airborne residues. The other four volunteers wore cut-off cotton suits over their own golfing clothes and submitted urine samples after the round.

After the volunteers finished golfing, Clark’s team measured pesticide residues on the dosimetry suits and air samplers and found that the hand and lower leg segments picked up the most residue while airborne residues contributed little to exposure. The researchers also measured the volunteers’ exposure risk from the levels of pesticides found on the suits and in the urine samples by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ). The team found that the HQ values from the golfers’ exposure indicated little risk to the four pesticides used in this study.

Finally, Clark and colleagues compared the insecticide cyfluthrin results to their 2008 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study with older, neurotoxic insecticides at the same simulated golf course site — and using the same protocols. Both studies’ HQ values were well below 1.0, the level that indicates potentially unsafe exposure. However, in the prior work, the volunteers’ urinalysis HQ values of 0.0318 and 0.054 for chlorpyrifos and carbaryl, respectively, were an order of magnitude greater than the volunteers’ urinalysis HQ of 0.0043 from this 2024 study with the insecticide cyfluthrin. The researchers say this comparison shows the potential benefit of using modern, lower volatility and less toxic pesticides, which could further reduce golfers’ risk of adverse effects from exposure.  

The authors acknowledge funding from the United States Golf Association and the New England Regional Turf Foundation.

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note: ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies.

Follow us: X, formerly Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

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JOURNAL

ACS Agricultural Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acsagscitech.3c00419 

ARTICLE TITLE

“Golfer Exposure to Traditional Pesticides Following Application to Turfgrass”

 

New materials discovered for safe, high-performance solid-state lithium-ion batteries

Scientists have discovered a stable and highly conductive lithium-ion conductor for use as solid electrolytes for solid-state lithium-ion batteries.

TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

 

IMAGE: 

RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED A PYROCHLORE-TYPE OXYFLUORIDE AS A STABLE, LITHIUM-ION CONDUCTOR WITH EXCELLENT CONDUCTIVITY, SUITABLE FOR USE AS SOLID ELECTROLYTES IN ALL-SOLID-STATE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES.

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CREDIT: SCALESPEEDER FROM OPENVERSE HTTPS://OPENVERSE.ORG/IMAGE/C36DDC53-7809-49C4-9EC6-B701163FF100

All-solid-state lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries with solid electrolytes are non-flammable and have higher energy density and transference numbers than those with liquid electrolytes. They are expected to take a share of the market for conventional liquid electrolyte Li-ion batteries, such as electric vehicles. However, despite these advantages, solid electrolytes have lower Li-ion conductivity and pose challenges in achieving adequate electrode-solid electrolyte contact. While sulfide-based solid electrolytes are conductive, they react with moisture to form toxic hydrogen disulfide. Therefore, there's a need for non-sulfide solid electrolytes that are both conductive and stable in air to make safe, high-performance, and fast-charging solid-state Li-ion batteries.

In a recent study published in Chemistry of Materials on 28 March 2024, a research team led by Professor Kenjiro Fujimoto, Professor Akihisa Aimi from Tokyo University of Science, and Dr. Shuhei Yoshida from DENSO CORPORATION, discovered a stable and highly conductive Li-ion conductor in the form of a pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride.

According to Prof. Fujimoto, “Making all-solid-state lithium-ion secondary batteries has been a long-held dream of many battery researchers. We have discovered an oxide solid electrolyte that is a key component of all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries, which have both high energy density and safety. In addition to being stable in air, the material exhibits higher ionic conductivity than previously reported oxide solid electrolytes.”

The pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride studied in this work can be denoted as Li2-xLa(1+x)/3M2O6F (M = Nb, Ta). It underwent structural and compositional analysis using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Rietveld analysis, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and selected-area electron diffraction. Specifically, Li1.25La0.58Nb2O6F was developed, demonstrating a bulk ionic conductivity of 7.0 mS cm⁻¹ and a total ionic conductivity of 3.9 mS cm⁻¹ at room temperature. It was found to be higher than the lithium-ion conductivity of known oxide solid electrolytes. The activation energy of ionic conduction of this material is extremely low, and the ionic conductivity of this material at low temperature is one of the highest among known solid electrolytes, including sulfide-based materials.

Exactly, even at –10°C, the new material has the same conductivity as conventional oxide-based solid electrolytes at room temperature. Furthermore, since conductivity above 100 °C has also been verified, the operating range of this solid electrolyte is –10 °C to 100 °C. Conventional lithium-ion batteries cannot be used at temperatures below freezing. Therefore, the operating conditions of lithium-ion batteries for commonly used mobile phones are 0 °C to 45 °C.

The Li-ion conduction mechanism in this material was investigated. The conduction path of pyrochlore-type structure cover the F ions located in the tunnels created by MO6 octahedra. The conduction mechanism is the sequential movement of Li-ions while changing bonds with F ions. Li ions move to the nearest Li position always passing through metastable positions. Immobile La3+ bonded to F ion inhibits the Li-ion conduction by blocking the conduction path and vanishing the surrounding metastable positions.

Unlike existing lithium-ion secondary batteries, oxide-based all solid-state batteries have no risk of electrolyte leakage due to damage and no risk of toxic gas generation as with sulfide-based batteries. Therefore, this new innovation is anticipated to lead future research. “The newly discovered material is safe and exhibits higher ionic conductivity than previously reported oxide-based solid electrolytes. The application of this material is promising for the development of revolutionary batteries that can operate in a wide range of temperatures, from low to high,” envisions Prof. Fujimoto. “We believe that the performance required for the application of solid electrolytes for electric vehicles is satisfied.”

Notably, the new material is highly stable and will not ignite if damaged. It is suitable for airplanes and other places where safety is critical. It is also suitable for high-capacity applications, such as electric vehicles, because it can be used under high temperatures and supports rapid recharging. Moreover, it is also a promising material for miniaturization of batteries, home appliances, and medical devices.

In summary, researchers have not only discovered a Li-ion conductor with high conductivity and air stability but also introduced a new type of superionic conductor with a pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride. Exploring the local structure around lithium, their dynamic changes during conduction, and their potential as solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries are important areas for future research!

 

***

Reference                    

Title of original paper: High Li-ion conductivity in pyrochlore-type solid electrolyte Li2-xLa(1+x)/3M2O6F (M = Nb, Ta)

Journal:  Chemistry of Materials

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c03288

 

About The Tokyo University of Science

Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of “Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society," TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/

 

About Professor Kenjiro Fujimoto from Tokyo University of Science

Dr. Kenjiro Fujimoto is a Professor at Tokyo University of Science's Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry. He received his Ph.D. in 2001 from Tokyo University of Science. His research interests include Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Solid State Chemistry, Combinatorial Technology, and Materials Informatics. He has over 98 referred papers and 14 Japan patents and two U.S.A patents in these subjects. He is currently involved in the development of combinatorial technology for high-throughput exploration of multi-component inorganic materials and their application for energy/environmental materials and materials informatics.
Laboratory website 
Official TUS website 

 

Funding information

No funding source supports this research.

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JOURNAL

Chemistry of Materials

DOI

10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c03288 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

High Li-ion conductivity in pyrochlore-type solid electrolyte Li2-xLa(1+x)/3M2O6F (M = Nb, Ta)

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

28-Mar-2024

Hannover Messe: Elastocaloric cooling – Refrigerator cools by flexing artificial muscles

SAARLAND UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: 

MINI-FRIDGE: THERE IS ROOM FOR JUST ONE SMALL BOTTLE IN THE WORLD’S FIRST REFRIGERATOR THAT IS COOLED WITH ARTIFICIAL MUSCLES MADE OF NITINOL, A NICKEL-TITANIUM ALLOY. STUDENT NICOLAS SCHERER (LEFT) AND PHD STUDENT LUKAS EHL (RIGHT) ARE WORKING ON THE NEW COOLING SYSTEM IN THE TEAM LED BY PROFESSORS STEFAN SEELECKE AND PAUL MOTZKI.

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CREDIT: CREDIT: OLIVER DIETZE

There is room for just one small bottle in the world’s first refrigerator that is cooled with artificial muscles made of nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy. But the mini-prototype that the team led by professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki will be presenting at the Hannover Messe from 22 to 26 April is groundbreaking: it shows that elastocalorics is becoming a viable solution for practical applications. This climate-friendly cooling and heating technology is far more energy-efficient and sustainable than current methods. The research team is developing the new heating and cooling technology in multiple research projects at Saarland University and the Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology (ZeMa).

The new technology, which is now integrated into a small, compact refrigerator prototype, is based on an incredibly simple principle: heat is removed from a space by stretching wires and releasing them again. Known as ‘artificial muscles’, the shape-memory wires made of super-elastic nitinol absorb heat in the cooling chamber and release it to the outer environment. 'Our elastocaloric process enables us to achieve temperature differences of around 20 degrees Celsius without using climate-damaging refrigerants in a far more energy-efficient manner than today’s conventional technologies,' explains Professor Stefan Seelecke, who conducts research at Saarland University and the Saarbrücken Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology (ZeMa).

The efficiency of elastocaloric materials is more than ten times that of today’s air conditioning systems or refrigerators. The U.S. Department of Energy and the EU Commission have declared the cooling technology developed in Saarbrücken to be the most promising alternative to existing processes. It can extract heat from much larger spaces than the small cooling chamber which the engineers are now using to demonstrate elastocalorics at the Hannover Messe. And it can also supply heat to much larger spaces. Heat transfer via the superelastic wires also works for heating applications. In view of climate change, energy shortages and the growing demand for cooling and heating, the process represents a highly promising solution for the future.
 
To transport heat, the researchers use the special ‘superpower’ of the artificial muscles made of nitinol: shape memory. Wires made of this alloy remember their original shape and revert to it after they have been deformed or stretched. Like muscles flexing, they can become long and then short again, and are also able to tense and relax. The reason for this lies deep inside the nitinol, which has two crystal lattices – two phases that can transform into each other. Unlike water, whose phases are solid, liquid and gaseous, the two phases of nitinol are both solid. During these phase transitions of the crystalline structure, the wires absorb heat and release it again: 'The shape-memory material releases heat when it is stretched in a superelastic state and absorbs heat when it is released,' explains Professor Paul Motzki, who holds a cross-institutional professorship at Saarland University and ZeMa, where he heads the Smart Material Systems research group. The effect is intensified if numerous wires are bundled together – due to their larger surface area, they absorb and release more heat.

Although the principle may at first seem very simple, the research questions that need to be addressed to construct a cooling circuit are highly complex. In the mini-fridge that the research team is currently presenting in Hanover, a specially designed, patented cam drive continuously rotates bundles of 200 micron-thin nitinol wires around a circular cooling chamber: 'As they move in a circle, they are mechanically loaded on one side, i.e. stretched, and unloaded on the other,' explains PhD student Lukas Ehl, who is working on the cooling system. Air is channelled past the rotating bundles into the cooling chamber, where the wires are unloaded and absorb heat from the air. The air then circulates continuously around unloaded wires in the cooling chamber. As they continue to rotate, the wires transport heat out of the cooling chamber and release it when stretched outside the cooling chamber. 'The cooling chamber cools to around 10-12 degrees Celsius using this method,' says student Nicolas Scherer, who is conducting research in the project as part of his Master’s thesis.

The engineers in Saarbrücken are researching how the drive keeps the wires permanently in motion, what the air flows look like, in what way the processes are most efficient, how many wires they need to bundle, how strongly they should ideally be stretched for a certain cooling level and much more. They have also developed software that enables them to adjust the heating and cooling technology for different applications and to simulate and plan cooling systems. And they are researching the entire cycle from material production and recycling through to production.

Refrigerators are only just the start. 'We want to leverage the innovative potential of elastocalorics in a wide range of applications, such as industrial cooling, electric vehicle cooling to advance e-mobility and also household appliances,' explains Paul Motzki.

The new technology is the result of over a decade of research in several million-euro research projects and multiple award-winning doctoral dissertation projects. Project funding has come in part from the EU and the German Research Foundation (DFG). The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is investing more than 17 million euros in the DEPART!Saar project, in which the researchers are collaborating with other research institutions and industrial partners. The aim is to give rise to new technology transfer formats and accelerate the path to the market. In several research projects and doctoral dissertation projects, the engineers have also developed a cooling and heating demonstrator that runs continuously and shows how elastocalorics can cool and heat air.

At the Hannover Messe, the Saarbrücken-based experts for smart material systems will also be demonstrating the versatility of their shape memory technology in the form of smart miniature drives, energy-efficient robotic grippers and soft robotic arms in the shape of elephant trunks.

Hannover Messe, Halle 2 Stand B10

Background
The research team led by Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki uses shape memory technology for a wide range of applications, from innovative cooling and heating systems to robot grippers, valves and pumps. The technology continues to be developed by PhD students who are conducting research as part of their doctoral dissertation projects as well as by students. It is the subject of numerous publications in scientific journals and is being funded in several major research projects. To develop this and other smart material systems for commercial and industrial applications, the team founded the spin-off company ‘mateligent GmbH’.