Wages in the U.K. are rising at a record high rate amid stubbornly high inflation

Officials in Colorado and Montana have issued air quality alerts due to smoke from dozens of wildfires in Canada that has drifted south into the United States

Top officials from the campaigns of Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis made their case Friday to major Republican donors, as the two compete to position themselves as the most viable alternative to former President Donald Trump.

SEOUL South Korea's housing market climbed for a second straight month in August, data showed on Friday, with

The key to longer-lasting batteries may lie in soap, according to a new study. Scientists have developed a new promising substance used for designing batteries. They said it acts in a manner similar to soap removing grease, dirt and germs. Localised high-concentration electrolytes could be the “missing piece” that fully open the door to building longer-lasting batteries, said a recent study published in the journal Nature Materials. The key to longer-lasting batteries may lie in understanding how soap gets rid of dirt. It forms tiny structures called micelles that act as a bridge between water and what is being cleaned away by wrapping them into small structures. Scientists from Brown University said a similar process plays out in localised high-concentration electrolytes – described as one of the most promising substances for designing batteries. Electrolytes are key in the energy-storing process as they allow an electrical charge to pass between a battery’s two terminals. This sparks the chemical reaction needed to convert stored chemical energy to electricity. Batteries made from lithium metal have a greater energy storage capacity than today’s lithium-ion batteries. But the electrolytes commonly used to power lithium-ion batteries don’t do this effectively in metal-based batteries, researchers explained. “The big picture is that we want to improve and increase the energy density for batteries, meaning how much energy they store per cycle and how many cycles the battery lasts,” said study co-author Yue Qi from Brown University. “To do this, materials inside of traditional batteries need to be replaced to make long-life batteries that store more energy a reality – think batteries that can power a phone for a week or more, or electric vehicles that go for 500 miles,” Dr Qi said. Electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries are made of low-concentration salt dissolved in a liquid solvent. The new type of electrolytes, however, are created by mixing high concentrations of salt in a solvent with another liquid called a diluent. Scientists said this makes the electrolyte flow better so the power of the battery can be maintained. They also found the electrolyte functions like soap. “The paper provides a unified theory to why this electrolyte works better and the key understanding of it came by finding that micelle-like structures form within this electrolyte – like they do with soap,” said study co-author Bin Li from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “Here we see that the role of the soap or surfactant is played by the solvent that binds both the diluent and the salt,” Dr Li explained, “wrapping itself around the higher concentration salt in the center of the micelle”. While in lab tests, this type of electrolyte has shown promising results, how it works has remained elusive. This has put a cap on how effective it can be and how it can be further developed. The new understanding has, however, helped scientists develop the right concentrations needed to bring about optimal reactions for the batteries. “The concept of the micelle may be new for the electrolyte, but it’s actually very common for our daily life,” Dr Qi said. “Now we have a theory, and we have guidelines to get interactions we want from the salt, the solvent and the diluent in the electrolyte, and what concentration they have to be at and how you mix them.” Researchers said this new understanding could lead to introducing a proper balance of the three battery ingredients and also help extend the life of lithium-metal batteries. Read More Ireland and Apple await major development in long-running EU tax dispute Apple just released an iPhone update you should download right now Smartphones ‘may be able to detect how drunk a person is with 98% accuracy’ Ireland and Apple await major development in long-running EU tax dispute Apple just released an iPhone update you should download right now Smartphones ‘may be able to detect how drunk a person is with 98% accuracy’

A woman with whom Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s staff say he carried on extramarital affair is expected to be called to testify in the Republican’s impeachment trial Wednesday

New coins marking King Charles III’s ascension to the throne will enter circulation by the end of the

It was a long slog. But NASA's Curiosity rover did it. The space agency's car-sized

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James are now on the brink of elimination following their Game 3 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.The Los Angeles Lakers had a rough start to the Western Conference Finals, as they dropped the first two games to the Denver Nuggets. In Game 1, there was at ...

Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool’s first-half struggles left him questioning his side – before the Reds hit back to win at Wolves. Andrew Robertson’s late strike and Hugo Bueno’s injury-time own goal completed Liverpool’s 3-1 victory at Molineux. Cody Gakpo had levelled earlier in the second half as Liverpool earned a third comeback victory of the season and fourth straight win. They are now unbeaten in 16 Premier League games, stretching back to last season. Hwang Hee-Chan’s opener had put vibrant Wolves in command and only a shocking miss from Matheus Cunha stopped them from adding to their lead. Klopp had criticised the early kick-off after the international break – with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Alisson and Alexis Mac Allister all returning from South America on Friday – and conceded he was worried during a wretched first half. He said: “In the first half I thought ‘WTF?’ a couple of times. We were not ready in the first half but Wolves did really well. “With these boys, some of them we’ve had seven, eight, nine weeks with, some of them longer, I know if they can be, they are there. Today they couldn’t in a lot of moments. “I know if you get through the first half with a reasonable result, you can turn it. “The team needed help and we could deliver the help a little bit with the changes and change of system. They were completely different halves. “The same players who looked rusty in the first half, in the second half it looked much easier. “Wolves played a super first half but in the second half we were really good and controlled the game. “We stayed calm, there was no rush, 3-1 was a result I didn’t expect after 20 minutes but during the second half we deserved it.” Wolves dominated early and Hwang grabbed a seventh-minute goal when he swept in Pedro Neto’s low cross. Livewire Neto caused chaos and he gift-wrapped a chance for Cunha after 33 minutes when he breezed past Joe Gomez to cross for the striker to miscue an unmarked header from five yards. It kept Liverpool in the game and, after introducing Luis Diaz at the break, the visitors levelled 10 minutes later. Gakpo and Diaz managed to smuggle the ball to Salah on the right and his low ball was turned in by the unmarked Gakpo. Wolves lost all their first-half fearlessness, failing to create another chance, but it took until the 86th minute for Liverpool to capitalise. When we were on top we could have taken one or two of our good situations Gary O'Neil Jose Sa’s poor clearance fell for Robertson just inside Wolves’ half. The defender burst forward to swap passes with Salah and finish from seven yards. Harvey Elliott’s 20-yard strike then deflected off Bueno in stoppage time to seal victory. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said: “If you look at the two sides, the gap in quality, it takes a big effort to close that. “I thought we did for a very long time. The organisation and structure managed to help us bridge that gap. “When we were on top we could have taken one or two of our good situations. “We were digging in and then we make a strange decision, create a bit of chaos and concede the second goal. “At 1-1 they’ve had a lot of the ball but we made a strange decision and it cost us a goal. Up until 80 minutes to have pushed Liverpool that close was a very good effort. “We conceded a crazy second goal which is what I’ve been trying to get out of the players since I’ve been here.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Current Davis Cup format set to stay despite being branded ‘a clear disaster’ Ford’s final audition and Sinckler returns – England v Japan talking points Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti hails ‘consistent’ Jude Bellingham

A week after a wall of water rushed through the Libyan city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the focus turned Sunday to caring...

Even before the European Union targeted imports of cheap Chinese electric vehicles, their makers faced another big challenge: