New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) researchers have leveraged a dual-AI system to identify five promising porous materials poised to revolutionize multivalent-ion batteries, offering a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion technology. Simultaneously, Moleaer Inc. has unveiled a patent-pending nanobubble integration method that significantly boosts the efficiency of thin-film coatings critical for lithium-ion batteries, PEM fuel cells, and green hydrogen systems, signaling a dual-front advancement in clean energy innovation.

Professor Dibakar Datta's team at NJIT employed a Crystal Diffusion Variational Autoencoder (CDVAE) and a finely tuned Large Language Model (LLM) to rapidly explore thousands of novel crystal structures. This generative AI approach allowed them to overcome the inherent challenges of multivalent ions, which, despite carrying higher charges (two or three positive charges compared to lithium's single charge), are larger and more difficult to accommodate within battery materials. The AI system identified five new porous transition metal oxide structures with optimal channels for rapid ion movement, promising significantly higher energy density and leveraging abundant elements like magnesium, calcium, aluminum, and zinc, thereby mitigating global supply chain concerns associated with lithium. "One of the biggest hurdles wasn't a lack of promising battery chemistries – it was the sheer impossibility of testing millions of material combinations," Datta stated, emphasizing the AI's role in accelerating discovery.

Complementing this material discovery, Moleaer Inc., headquartered in Hawthorne, California, has introduced a breakthrough in thin-film fabrication. Their patent-pending process integrates billions of nanobubbles directly into liquid coatings during production, optimizing pore size distribution, stabilizing inks, and improving layer uniformity. This non-invasive method enhances critical components in energy and water systems, including ultrafiltration membranes, catalyst layers in hydrogen electrolyzers, and electric vehicle batteries. For lithium-ion batteries, this translates to faster charging, improved capacity retention, and better performance at high C rates, extending battery lifespan. In PEM fuel cells, power output increased by up to 20%, while hydrogen generation saw a 17% improvement in current density. Nick Dyner, CEO of Moleaer, noted, "Our nanobubble-enabled process addresses those limitations, without changing formulas or processes, delivering gains in power, efficiency, and sustainability." Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman, Senior R&D Application Engineer at Moleaer, added that nanobubbles act like "invisible scaffolding," improving material self-organization.

These innovations arrive as the renewable energy sector intensifies its search for more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy storage solutions. The ability to rapidly discover and validate new battery chemistries via AI, coupled with a scalable method to enhance the performance of critical thin-film components, marks a pivotal moment. Both NJIT and Moleaer plan collaborations for experimental synthesis and commercialization, paving the way for a new generation of energy storage and conversion technologies.