Three scientists pushing chemistry in new directions
-
-
Bluesky
-
-
-
-
-
X
From AI-powered approaches to light-based experimentation, these researchers are bringing fresh perspectives to long-standing challenges in chemistry. With a focus on sustainability and efficiency, their ideas show how small tweaks to a system can have profound impacts.
XIAONA LI: In full flow
Xiaona Li’s team aims to boost the conductivity of solid electrolytes.
Solid-state batteries offer many advantages over lithium-ion batteries: they’re lighter, they can store more energy, and because they use a stable solid material instead of a flammable liquid electrolyte, they’re safer. But for the technology to become more widespread, “there are many issues we need to solve”, says Xiaona Li, an inorganic chemist at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Ningbo, China.
In a battery, electrons flow from an anode to a cathode through an external circuit to deliver power, while charged ions move through the electrolyte between two electrodes to maintain charge balance. In lithium-ion batteries, ions move relatively easily through a liquid electrolyte; in solid-state designs, the ions move through a solid electrolyte, which is typically slower and can constrain performance.
Nature Index 2026 Chemistry