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What if there were a battery that could release energy while trapping carbon dioxide? This isnt science fiction; its the promise of lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO) batteries, which are currently a hot research topic. Li-CO batteries could be a two-in-one solution to the current problems of storing renewable energy and taking carbon emissions out of the air. They absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into a white powder called lithium carbonate while discharging energy. These batteries could have profound implications for cutting emissions from vehicles and industryand might even enable long-duration missions on Mars, where the atmosphere is 95% CO. To make these batteries commercially viable, researchers have mainly been wrestling with problems related to recharging them. Now, our team at the University of Surrey has come up with a promising way forward. So how close are these CO-breathing batteries to becoming a practical reality? Like many great scientific breakthroughs, Li-CO batteries were a happy accident. Slightly over a decade ago, a U.S.-French team of researchers were trying to address problems with lithium air batteries, another frontier energy-storage technology. Whereas todays lithium-ion batteries generate power by moving and storing lithium ions within electrodes, lithium air batteries work by creating a chemical reaction between lithium and oxygen. The problem has been the air part, since even the tiny (0.04%) volume of CO that’s found in air is enough to disrupt this careful chemistry, producing unwanted lithium carbonate (LiCO). As many battery scientists will tell you, the presence of LiCO can also be a real pain in regular lithium-ion batteries, causing unhelpful side reactions and electrical resistance. Nonetheless the scientists noticed something interesting about this CO contamination: It improved the batterys amount of charge. From this point on, work began on intentionally adding CO gas to batteries to take advantage of this, and the lithium-CO battery was born. How it works Their great potential relates to the chemical reaction at the positive side of the battery, where small holes are cut in the casing to allow CO gas in. There it dissolves in the liquid electrolyte (which allows the charge to move between the two electrodes) and reacts with lithium that has already been dissolved there. During this reaction, its believed that four electrons are exchanged between lithium ions and carbon dioxide. This electron transfer determines the theoretical charge that can be stored in the battery. In a normal lithium-ion battery, the positive electrode exchanges just one electron per reaction. (In lithium air batteries, its two to four electrons.) The greater exchange of electrons in the lithium-carbon dioxide battery, combined with the high voltage of the reaction, explains their potential to greatly outperform todays lithium-ion batteries. However, the technology has a few issues. The batteries dont last very long. Commercial lithium-ion packs routinely survive 1,000 to 10,000 charging cycles; most LiCO prototypes fade after fewer than 100. Theyre also difficult to recharge. This requires breaking down the lithium carbonate to release lithium and CO, which can be energy intensive. This energy requirement is a little like a hill that must be cycled up before the reaction can coast, and is known as overpotential. You can reduce this requirement by printing the right catalyst material on the porous positive electrode. Yet these catalysts are typically expensive and rare noble metals, such as ruthenium and platinum, making for a significant barrier to commercial viability. Our team has found an alternative catalyst, caesium phosphomolybdate, which is far cheaper and easy to manufacture at room temperature. This material made the batteries stable for 107 cycles, while also storing 2.5 times as much charge as a lithium ion. And we significantly reduced the energy cost involved in breaking down lithium carbonate, for an overpotential of 0.67 volts, which is only about double what would be necessary in a commercial product. Our research team is now working to further reduce the cost of this technology by developing a catalyst that replaces caesium, since its the phosphomolybdate that is key. This could make the system more economically viable and scalable for widespread deployment. We also plan to study how the battery charges and discharges in real time. This will provide a clearer understanding of the internal mechanisms at work, helping to optimize performance and durability. A major focus of upcoming tests will be to evaluate how the battery performs under different CO pressures. So far, the system has only been tested under idealized conditions (1 bar). If it can work at 0.1 bar of pressure, it will be feasible for car exhausts and gas boiler flues, meaning you could capture CO while you drive or heat your home. Demonstrating that this works will be an important confirmation of commercial viability, albeit we would expect the batterys charge capacity to reduce at this pressure. By our rough calculations, 1kg of catalyst could absorb around 18.5kg of CO. Since a car driving 100 miles emits around 18kg to 20kg of CO, that means such a battery could potentially offset a days drive. If the batteries work at 0.006 bar, the pressure on the Martian atmosphere, they could power anything from an exploration rover to a colony. At 0.0004 bar, Earths ambient air pressure, they could capture CO from our atmosphere and store power anywhere. In all cases, the key question will be how it affects the batterys charge capacity. Meanwhile, to improve the batterys number of recharge cycles, we need to address the fact that the electrolyte dries out. Were currently investigating solutions, which probably involve developing casings that only CO can move into. As for reducing the energy required for the catalyst to work, its likely to require optimizing the batterys geometry to maximize the reaction rateand to introduce a flow of CO, comparable to how fuel cells work (typically by feeding in hydrogen and oxygen). If this continued work can push the batterys cycle life above 1,000 cycles, cut overpotential below 0.3 V, and replace scarce elements entirely, commercial Li-CO packs could become reality. Our experiments will determine just how versatile and far-reaching the batterys applications might be, from carbon capture on Earth to powering missions on Mars. Daniel Commandeur is a Surrey Future Fellow at theSchool of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey. Mahsa Masoudi is a PhD researcher of chemical engineering at the University of Surrey. Siddharth Gadkari is a lecturer in chemical process engineering at the University of Surrey. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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A year ago, I started reading again. I say again because, like the countless friends and colleagues I’ve spoken to who have also found themselves swept up in the reading renaissance thats currently reshaping the book industrythe U.S. market is projected to grow from $40.5 billion in 2024 to $51.5 billion by 2030, with audiobooks and ebooks seeing explosive growthId lost the habit somewhere between the demands of a growing career and the chaos of early parenthood. For too long, reading was relegated to vacationsand even then, I’d be lucky to get through a full book. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/Two-Truths-single.png","headline":"Subscribe to Two Truths...","description":"a newsletter that explores the many truths of motherhood through news round-ups, trend reports, and expert-backed deep dives on topics that matter to moms. To learn more visit twotruths.substack.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/twotruths.substack.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} But last year, something shifted. Twelve months later, Ive read over 100 books and listened to countless more on audio. I sleep better, stress less, have a better work/life balance, andfor the first time in yearshave an actual hobby thats purely for my personal enjoyment. Small but strategic changes Howd I do it? Call it a perfect storm: I stumbled into the world of BookTok, finally succumbed to the siren call of the Kindle, and I made a few small but strategic lifestyle changes that opened up a whole new world of reading. Below, Ive included five of the tactics that helped me make reading a priority (read the other ten on my Substack, Two Truths). My method wont apply to every person or be conducive to every career: Im primarily a stay-at-home parent of two young kids who works part-time in the margins of my free time as a writer. But its my hope that some of what worked for me will help you find more free time, toowhether its to read one book, 100 books, or do something else entirely. 1. I typically read three different books at once. This might sound chaotic, but hear me out. Heres how I break down my three-book method . . . One book is on my Kindle, which travels with me everywhere so I can fill any spare moments (waiting at the doctors office, sitting in the school pick-up lot, or standing in line at the grocery store) by sneaking in a few pages. This is also what I read at nighttime when my kids bedtime books are done and Im waiting for them to doze offthe tablets screen has a dark mode that doesnt disturb them, and its a nice way to wind down my day. One is a hard copy, either something from the library, or something I want to annotate (I appreciate the aesthetic nostalgia of highlighters and sticky tabs). This is how I read most of my nonfiction, which I prefer to hold in my hand. Since these books are often for work, research, or self-improvement, I often read them in the morning (more on that below), during naptime, or while both kids are playing independently. One is an audiobook, which I listen to while Im driving or doing work around my home. I regularly find myself cleaning out closets or reorganizing the pantry just so I have an excuse to keep listening to a book. I typically reserve my audiobooks for easier-to-follow, lighthearted reads.That way, if I get distracted and miss something, I wont be completely lost. 2. I stopped watching unintentional TV. There was a time when Id end the day by crashing on the couch and searching for something to watch before inevitably ending up on The Office (. . . again). Now, I only watch TV when I truly want to invest my time into a series, and I really cannot stress enough how much time this opened up for me in the evening. 3. I wake up early and read before the kids wake. I never thought Id say this (Ive never been a morning person), but having young kids trained my body to wake up at 5 a.m. These days, they usually sleep until 6but if the house is still quiet when I wake, I take the chance to read a few pages of my book before the day begins. Its a peaceful ritual that keeps me off my phoneand away from notifications and mindless scrollinguntil Im ready to address whatevers waiting. 4. I keep a running list in my Notes app with every book Ive read, plus a few emojis or keywords to represent how I felt about it. This helps me remember what I loved or didnt love about a book, which is crucial when someone asks me for a reading recommendation. I also like the sense of accomplishment that comes from scrolling through my list. 5. I chose to prioritize reading, and then built boundaries around it. Bottom line: I could certainly be doing a host of other things during the extra time Ive dug out of my days and nights; the unpacked boxes that have been sitting in my basement since our move two years ago would probably like a word. Maybe I’m missing out on some great series or films that I would have stumbled upon, and I could always tackle my overflowing inbox in that open hour at 5 a.m. But for me, reading offers a pretty effortless and accessible escape from the news, noise, and inevitable dilemmas that pop up dailyand those moments of peace are priceless. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/Two-Truths-single.png","headline":"Subscribe to Two Truths...","description":"a newsletter that explores the many truths of motherhood through news round-ups, trend reports, and expert-backed deep dives on topics that matter to moms. To learn more visit twotruths.substack.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/twotruths.substack.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
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One of the most notable features of President Donald Trumps big beautiful bill passed by the House early Thursday is a series of tax cuts exempting tips, overtime, and Social Security from taxes. The White House said no taxes on overtime and tips makes good on two of President Trumps cornerstone campaign promises and benefits hardworking Americans where they need it the mosttheir paychecks. The so-called populist tax measures have garnered headlines and won praise from Republican lawmakers, as well as unions representing police and firefighters. And lawmakers in 19 states from Massachusetts to Mississippi have proposed their own no tax on overtime bills this year, according to the Economic Policy Institute. What has received far less attention, aside from a legal blog or two, is that the Trump administration just made it more difficult for millions of American workers to earn overtimeand actually benefit from the tax measure. The U.S. Department of Labor has quietly paused its appeals of a ruling by a Texas judge that reversed the Biden administrations changes to the overtime rulewhich expanded the right to overtime pay for 4.3 million salaried American workers. The rule had increased the salary threshold for overtime exemption from $35,568 to $43,888 on July 1, 2024, and then to $58,656 on January 1, 2025. A spokesperson for the Department of Labor did not immediately return requests from Capital & Main for comment. The rule was spearheaded by Biden administration Secretary of Labor Julie Su, who noted the irony of Trumps tax proposal on overtime pay, telling Capital & Main: You cant benefit from no taxes on overtime if youre not even paid overtime. She added: When you work longer hours, you should be paid for it. Thats why we expanded overtime pay to 4 million more Americans. This administration has walked away from that rule, showing yet again that you cant have an administration of billionaires and depend on them to fight for working people. Cutting the number of workers eligible for overtime means less money in workers pockets. Judy Conti, government affairs director of the National Employment Law Project, called the tax measure a gimmick, noting that the Trump administration is already making it easier to classify people as independent contractors, rather than employees, and they arent entitled to overtime at all. Trumps allies in the House, including Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, have claimed that the measure could impact more than 80 million hourly workers. But in reality, only 8% of them are estimated to earn overtime pay on a regular basis, according to the Budget Lab at Yale. That Doesnt Help Me Among those workers is Terri, a cashier at a Dollar Tree store in Brooklyn, who was nonplussed when asked about no tax on overtime. So what? That doesnt help me. I dont even get overtime, no matter how many hours I work. The workers who would benefit from the exemption tend to be employed in sectors such as manufacturing, mining, and public safety. One of the most vocal supporters of the measure is the International Association of Fire Fighters, whose members often work many hours of overtime a month. Firefighters already work 53 hours a week before even qualifying for overtime pay. Thats 35% more hours a week than the average worker. The proposal to eliminate taxes on overtime would bring meaningful relief to firefighters, helping them keep more of what they earn while working long hours to keep their communities safe, Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said in a statement to NBC News. The measure is estimated to cost some $866 billion over the next 10 years, per the Budget Lab at Yale. And state measures could have a devastating impact on their budgets, hurting their ability to pay for essential services. In Alabama, which became the first state to exempt overtime pay from state taxes, the measure cost the state $230 million in the first nine months of 2024, cutting off millions in funding for the states Education Trust Fund, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In the end, exempting overtime from taxes is not a real pro-worker policy, write EPIs David Cooper and Nina Mast. Instead, it is a giveaway to businesses that would create new inequities in the tax code while expanding employer power and draining public budgets of resources for all the thingsschools, infrastructure, safety, healththat workers, their families, and their communities actually need to thrive. This piece was originally published by Capital & Main, which reports from California on economic, political, and social issues.
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