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1. Redox-active polymer-grafted particles as redox mediators for enhanced charge transport in solution-state electrochemical systems

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SC00051C  

   Avais, Mohd; Thakur, Ratul Mitra; Fox, Evan; Lutkenhaus, Jodie L; Pentzer, Emily B (May 2025, Chemical Science)

   Efficient charge transport pathways in solutions of redox-active polymers are essential for advancing next-generation energy storage systems. 

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2. Redox‐Active Oxide/molten Salt Composites for Hybrid Thermal‐Chemical Energy Storage

   https://doi.org/10.1002/aesr.202500196  

   Cai, Runxia; Bektas, Hilal; Raza, Saqlain; Massey, Jackson; Tian, Yuan; Liu, Jun; Li, Fanxing (September 2025, Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research)

   Structurally stabilized composites are promising for using phase change materials in high‐temperature thermal energy storage (TES). However, conventional skeleton materials, which typically comprise 30–50 wt% of the composite, mainly provide sensible heat storage and contribute minimally to overall energy density. This study introduces a new class of redox‐active oxide‐molten salt (ROMS) composites that overcome this limitation by combining sensible, latent, and thermochemical heat storage in a single particle. Specifically, porous, redox‐active Ca₂AlMnO_5+δ(CAM) complex oxide particles were demonstrated as a suitable support matrix, with the pores filled by eutectic NaCl/CaCl₂salt. X‐ray diffraction confirms excellent phase compatibility between CAM and the salt. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and nano X‐ray tomography show good salt infiltration and wettability within the CAM pores. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that a 60 wt% CAM/40 wt% salt composite achieves an energy density of 267 kJ kg⁻¹over a narrow 150 °C window, with ≈50 kJ kg⁻¹from thermochemical storage. Additionally, the composite shows higher thermal conductivity than salt alone, enabling faster energy storage and release. ROMS composites thus represent a novel and efficient solution for high‐performance TES. 

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3. Modeling energy depletion in rat livers using Nash equilibrium metabolic pathway analysis

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06966-2  

   Lucia, Angelo; Ferrarese, Emily; Uygun, Korkut (December 2022, Scientific Reports)

   Abstract The current gold standard of Static Cold Storage (SCS), which is static cold storage on ice (about + 4 °C) in a specialized media such as the University of Wisconsin solution (UW), limits storage to few hours for vascular and metabolically active tissues such as the liver and the heart. The liver is arguably the pinnacle of metabolism in human body and therefore metabolic pathway analysis immediately becomes very relevant. In this article, a Nash Equilibrium (NE) approach, which is a first principles approach, is used to model and simulate the static cold storage and warm ischemia of a proposed model of liver cells. Simulations of energy depletion in the liver in static cold storage measured by ATP content and energy charge are presented along with comparisons to experimental data. In addition, conversion of Nash Equilibrium iterations to time are described along with an uncertainty analysis for the parameters in the model. Results in this work show that the Nash Equilibrium approach provides a good match to experimental data for energy depletion and that the uncertainty in model parameters is very small with percent variances less than 0.1%. 

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4. Photochemical Fuel Carrier Molecules for Robotic Embodied Energy

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202520447  

   Huang, Chuqi; Jeong, Songah; Kim, Ji Woo; Mantala, Kanyarat; Zhang, Zenghao; Kim, Hyungwoo; Pena‐Francesch, Abdon (April 2026, Advanced Materials)

   ABSTRACT The downsizing of mobile robots faces obstacles in power and control as conventional electromechanical systems do not scale favorably with mass and size. Despite recent advancements in functional materials, enabling efficient energy storage, structural integration, and on‐demand energy release in small‐scale robots remains a challenge. Inspired by metabolic strategies in animals, we designed a fuel carrier molecule for embodied energy in small‐scale swimming robots. We integrated an ultralow surface tension unit into a photolabileo‐nitrobenzyl derivative to yield a novel photoresponsive molecule for fuel storage and controlled release. Combining these two properties, carrier molecules undergo bond scission under UV light to release fuel and locally manipulate surface tension to generate Marangoni flows. We incorporated this fuel carrier into an easily processable polymer composite to enable its application as a structural component with embodied energy and control. We implemented this approach in Marangoni micropump systems, surface‐tension‐active particle transportation, and untethered hybrid microrobots that combine photochemical on–off propulsion with magnetic control. This materials platform serves as a versatile solution to store fuel and energy in structural components and release it on demand with precision, opening new opportunities for embodied energy design in microrobots, soft devices, and active matter systems. 

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5. A bioinspired and degradable riboflavin-containing polypeptide as a sustainable material for energy storage

   https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2509325122  

   Li, Shih-Guo; Mohanty, Khirabdhi T; Easley, Alexandra D; Rezenom, Yohannes H; Lim, Soon-Mi; Gillett, Leyla P; Naquin, Stone D; Tran, David K; Nguyen, Tan P; Lutkenhaus, Jodie L; et al (July 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

   Inspired by Nature, we present a polypeptide-based organic redox-active material constructed from renewable feedstocks, L-glutamic acid (an amino acid) and riboflavin (vitamin B₂), to address challenges with start-to-end-of-life management in energy storage systems (ESSs). The amino acid was utilized to establish a degradable polymer backbone, along which many copies of riboflavin were incorporated to serve as the redox-active pendant groups that enabled energy storage. The overall synthesis involved the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of anl-glutamic acid-derivedN-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomer, followed by side chain activation with azides and, finally, click coupling to achieve installation of alkyne-functionalized riboflavin moieties. The steric bulkiness and rich chemical functionality of riboflavin resulted in synthetic complexities that required reaction optimization to achieve the desired polymer structure. Electrochemical characterization of the resultant riboflavin polypeptide, in organic electrolyte, showed quasireversible redox activity with a half-wave potential (E_1/2) ofca.−1.10 Vvs.ferrocene/ferrocenium (Fc/Fc⁺). Cell viability assays revealed biocompatibility, as indicated by negligible cytotoxicity for fibroblast cells. The polypeptide design, consisting of labile amide backbone linkages and side-chain ester functionalities that tethered the riboflavin units to the backbone, enabled hydrolytic degradation to recover building blocks for future upcycling or recycling. This bioinspired strategy advances the development of degradable redox-active polymers and promotes sustainable materials design for circular energy storage technologies. 

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