Plasma and lemon juice: Milder method retrieves nearly 95% of critical minerals in battery waste
A 15-minute plasma pretreatment helped recover lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries, pointing to a lower-chemical, lower-energy approach to recycling.
Boron arsenide semiconductor sets record in quantum vibrations
A new Rice study reports an unusual quantum coherence of phonons in cubic boron arsenide, a semiconductor with promising electronic and thermal properties.
Rice energy, innovation experts presenting at CERAWeek 2026
Rice experts in innovation and energy will be presenting throughout the upcoming CERAWeek conference.
Thorny issue plaguing lithium-ion batteries laid bare in new study
Lithium-ion batteries could improve thanks to Rice researchers’ unprecedented measurements of lithium dendrites’ stiff, brittle behavior.
Rice scientists unveil new tool to watch quantum behavior in action
Rice University researchers Jianwei Huang and Ming Yi have developed a new capability, magnetoARPES, building on angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) that allows researchers to study quantum behaviors they have been unable to resolve using ARPES alone.
Rice develops low-cost, high-performance plastic heat exchanger
A recent study in Advanced Science reports an innovative, low-cost polymer heat exchanger that could transform how industries manage heat.
Material previously thought to be quantum is actually new, nonquantum state of matter
A recent study found that the material cerium magnesium hexalluminate (CeMgAl11O19) was not actually in a quantum spin liquid phase despite evidence suggesting it was.
Carbon nanotube fiber ‘textile’ heaters could help industry electrify high-temperature gas heating
A cross-disciplinary team at Rice has developed a new type of electric heating element — one that looks less like a traditional metal coil and more like a high-performance thread.
Platform to map living brain noninvasively takes next big step
A technology designed to read gene activity in the brain from a simple blood test has now cleared a major translational hurdle.
New technique spots hidden defects to boost reliability of ultrathin electronics
Researchers at Rice have shown that hard-to-spot defects in a widely used two-dimensional insulator can trap electrical charges and locally weaken the material, making it more likely to fail at lower voltages.
Diamond owl swoops in with new method to keep electronics cool
A Rice research lab’s signature keepsake helped perfect a method for growing patterned diamond surfaces that could help decrease operating temperatures in electronics by 23 degrees Celsius.
A new study from mechanical engineers at Rice describes a surprisingly straightforward fix for superhydrophobic surfaces: Instead of just engineering the surface’s chemistry and texture, they focused on engineering its heat flow.
Metabolic clues emerge from new molecular map of Alzheimer’s
Rice scientists have developed the first complete, label-free molecular atlas of the Alzheimer’s brain in an animal model.
Smart clothing coming sooner than you think and Rice engineers are helping build it
Rice professors of mechanical engineering Daniel J. Preston and Vanessa Sanchez are core partners in the New Frontiers in Research Fund project led by the University of Alberta, bringing breakthrough materials, soft-robotic actuation and human-centered design to the team.
Researchers led by Guido Pagano used a specialized quantum device to simulate a vibrating molecule and track how energy moves within it.
