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A New Kind of Crystal Transforms Clean Energy and Smart Technology

Clean Energy

Business Honor - Reversible Crystal for Smart Energy

Business Honor
18 August, 2025

A new kind of reversible crystal absorbs and releases oxygen, supporting the development of smart electronic goods, power-efficient construction supplies, and better clean energy solutions.

Researchers from Japan and Korea have discovered a new kind of crystal that can continuously collect and release oxygen without decaying, allowing it to "breathe." This finding supports the development of smart electronic goods, power-efficient construction supplies, and better clean energy solutions. It is a rare metal oxide made up of cobalt, iron, and strontium. Its ability to absorb oxygen upon cooling and release it when heated gently in a gas atmosphere is what differentiates it. The substance remains solid during this cycle, that can be repeated multiple times.

Professor Hiromichi Ohta of Hokkaido University in Japan co-authored the study, directed by Professor Hyoungjeen Jeen of Pusan National University in Korea. Their research was published in Nature Communications recently. Professor Jeen explains that "it's like the crystal has lungs—it is able to breathe in and out oxygen on demand." "The crystal develops into an entirely new, solid structure, and the only structure that changes is the cobalt ions."

Such oxygen-controlling substances had been either too soft to last or needed very high temperatures. This new crystal supports the real world as it operates under more pleasant environments. Possible applications include thermal transistors that control heat like electrical switches, smart windows that adjust heat flow based on the climate, and fuel cells made of solid oxide that generate electricity in an environmentally friendly manner.

Prof. Ohta claims that its capacity to return to its initial form after releasing oxygen reflects that it is fully adjustable and ready for usage in the future. This "breathing" crystal can one day result in energy-efficient cars, buildings that control their own temperature, and devices that react to their surroundings, leading to a new era of smart, environmentally friendly technology.