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To convert heat into electricity, easily accessible materials from harmless raw materials open up new perspectives in the development of safe and inexpensive so-called "thermoelectric materials." A synthetic copper mineral acquires a complex structure and microstructure through simple changes in its composition, thereby laying the foundation for the desired properties, according to a study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The novel synthetic material is composed of copper, manganese, germanium, and sulfur, and it is produced in a rather simple process, explains materials scientist Emmanuel Guilmeau, CNRS researcher at CRISMAT laboratory, Caen, France, who is the corresponding author of the...

Credit: Journal of Power Sources (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.231339 Thermally regenerative ammonia batteries can produce electricity on demand from low-grade waste heat. A new process for creating these batteries improves their stability and affordability and may help address the country's growing grid-scale energy storage problem, according to a team led by Penn State researchers. "We can use ammonia as an energy carrier to harness waste heat and recharge some battery chemistries," said Derek Hall, assistant professor of energy engineering. "But previous battery chemistries used metallic zinc or copper electrodes, which had major setbacks in terms of electrode stability. What we did...