Scientists discover oxygen ‘breathing’ crystal for clean energy tech

A team of scientists has created a groundbreaking material – a metal oxide composed of strontium, iron, and cobalt – that can literally “breathe” oxygen. When heated in a simple gas environment, the crystal releases oxygen and then reabsorbs it repeatedly without breaking down, a feature that could open new avenues for clean energy technologies.

The study, led by professor Hyoungjeen Jeen at Pusan National University in South Korea with co-author professor Hiromichi Ohta from Hokkaido University in Japan, highlights potential applications ranging from more efficient fuel cells to smart thermal devices and energy-saving windows.

Published in Nature Communications, their findings also offer a compelling glimpse of how breakthroughs in materials science could reshape the future of energy.

Breathing crystal opens new possibilities 

According to Professor Hyoungjeen Jeen, the new discovery is like “giving the crystal lungs and it can inhale and exhale oxygen on command”. This ability to control oxygen in materials is key for technologies such as solid oxide fuel cells, which generate electricity from hydrogen with minimal emissions. 

It also enables innovations like thermal transistors – devices that can channel heat like electrical switches – and smart windows that automatically adjust heat flow depending on weather conditions, promising smarter, more energy-efficient buildings and devices.

Traditionally, materials capable of controlling oxygen were either too fragile or could only operate under extreme conditions, such as very high temperatures. This made them impractical for use in everyday technologies, from energy devices to smart building materials, the study notes.

The new crystal overcomes these longstanding limitations, maintaining its structural integrity and consistent performance while repeatedly absorbing and releasing oxygen under much milder, more practical conditions. Unlike previous materials that could only function in extreme environments or degrade quickly, this crystal can also operate reliably over many cycles, making it highly suitable for real-world applications.

Stable structure with selective cobalt reduction

The scientists further point out that this discovery is notable for two reasons: only the cobalt ions in the crystal are reduced during the process, and this transformation results in the formation of a completely new yet stable crystal structure.

Further experiments demonstrated that the material can fully revert to its original form once oxygen is reintroduced, confirming that the oxygen release and absorption process is completely reversible. This reversibility is a critical feature for practical applications, as it ensures the crystal can repeatedly perform its oxygen-breathing cycle without degrading over time.

One of the professors and authors of the study, Hiromichi Ohta, also highlights that this discovery represents a major step toward the development of smart materials capable of adjusting themselves in real time. The potential applications are wide-ranging, spanning clean energy technologies, advanced electronics, and eco-friendly building materials, offering new ways to enhance efficiency and sustainability across multiple industries.

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