Scientists in Korea and Japan have unveiled a outstanding “breathing” crystal that may repeatedly soak up and launch oxygen, virtually like dwelling lungs.
Unlike earlier fragile supplies, this crystal is steady, reversible, and capabilities below delicate circumstances, making it a game-changer for clear power and good applied sciences.
Crystal That Breathes: A Breakthrough in Clean Energy Materials
A gaggle of researchers in Korea and Japan has recognized a totally new form of crystal that may truly “breathe.” The materials is ready to soak up and launch oxygen time and again at comparatively low temperatures. This uncommon property might open the door to main advances in clear power programs, together with gas cells, good home windows that regulate warmth, and next-generation thermal gadgets.
The materials is a specifically engineered metallic oxide made from strontium, iron, and cobalt. What makes it outstanding is its resilience: when heated in a easy fuel atmosphere, the crystal lets go of oxygen after which attracts it again in with out breaking down. This cycle might be repeated many occasions, making the crystal nicely fitted to sensible applied sciences.
From Lab Discovery to Real-World Potential
The outstanding analysis was led by Professor Hyoungjeen Jeen of the Department of Physics at Pusan National University in Korea, in collaboration with Professor Hiromichi Ohta of the Research Institute for Electronic Science at Hokkaido University in Japan. Their results were published in Nature Communications on August 15, 2025.
“It is like giving the crystal lungs and it can inhale and exhale oxygen on command,” says Prof. Jeen. The ability to control oxygen in this way is vital for devices such as solid oxide fuel cells, which can generate electricity from hydrogen with very low emissions. It is also important for thermal transistors, which channel heat in the same way that switches guide electricity, and for smart windows that can automatically adjust how much heat passes through them depending on outside conditions.
Why This Material Stands Apart
Until now, most materials that could do this kind of oxygen control were too fragile or operated only at harsh conditions, such as extremely high temperatures. This new material works under milder conditions and remains stable.
“This finding is striking in two ways: only cobalt ions are reduced, and the process leads to the formation of an entirely new but stable crystal structure,” explains Prof. Jeen (see the figure above). They also showed that the material could return to its original form when oxygen was reintroduced, proving that the process is fully reversible.
“This is a major step towards the realization of smart materials that can adjust themselves in real time,” says Prof. Ohta. “The potential applications range from clean energy to electronics and even eco-friendly building materials.”
Reference: “Selective reduction in epitaxial SrFe0.5Co0.5O2.5 and its reversibility” by Joonhyuk Lee, Yu-Seong Seo, Krishna Chaitanya Pitike, Gowoon Kim, Sangkyun Ryu, Hyeyun Chung, Su Ryang Park, Sangmoon Yoon, Younghak Kim, Valentino R. Cooper, Hiromichi Ohta, Jinhyung Cho and Hyoungjeen Jeen, 15 August 2025, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62612-1
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