'Works in the dark': Scientists transform balsa wood into a solar material that stores heat and generates power 24/7

Date:
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:15:00 +0000

Description:
Scientists engineered balsa wood to absorb sunlight, store heat, and generate electricity in darkness using nanoscale materials and phase change technology.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Engineered wood stores solar heat and
releases it to generate electricity Nanoscale modifications turn balsa into a heat-driven power material Phosphorene coating enables broad-spectrum
sunlight absorption and efficient heat conversion Ordinary balsa wood can now absorb sunlight, store heat, and generate electricity even in the dark after
a team of Chinese scientists reengineered its cellular architecture.

A team from Kunming University of Science and Technology and Guangdong University of Technology says the wood's internal structure was transformed
at the nanoscale to achieve this result. They chose balsa not for its
strength but for its natural alignment of microchannels, which guide heat and hold other materials in place. Article continues below You may like Large solar farms in deserts may trigger rainfall, research suggests Quantum
battery prototype charges faster as its size increases A laser that can fire light pulses in one billionth of a second is set to produce structures 1000 times stronger, 1000 times faster novel technique has applications for high-performance computing, quantum devices, and AI chip cooling How the wood-based system actually works The scientists first stripped away lignin, the component that gives wood its color and rigidity, boosting the material's porosity above 93%.

They then coated the channel walls with ultrathin sheets of black
phosphorene, a material that absorbs sunlight across ultraviolet, visible,
and infrared wavelengths and converts it directly into heat.

Each phosphorene nanosheet received a protective layer made from tannic acid and iron ions, creating a molecular shield that prevents oxidation.

Even after 150 days of solar exposure, the coated material remained stable. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Silver nanoparticles were added to enhance light absorption via plasmonic effects, while long hydrocarbon chains were grafted onto the surface to make it water repellent.

The finished structure had a contact angle of 153 degrees, meaning water simply rolls off.

The channels were filled with stearic acid, a bio-based phase-change material that stores heat when melted and releases it upon solidifying. What to read next This new home energy system works while you sleep - and can shave nearly 1000 off UK electricity bills, with no upfront costs 'Data is so ubiquitous nowadays, but were not necessarily coming up with new ways to protect it': Researchers develop negative light signals that hide transmissions in plain sight Mechanical computer made from springs and bolts is an eye-opening concept

The material stored approximately 175 kJ of heat per kilogram and converted 91.27% of incoming sunlight into usable heat.

It conducted heat about 3.9 times more efficiently along the grain of the wood. When paired with a thermoelectric generator, it produced up to 0.65 V under standard sunlight.

When sunlight hits the material, it melts the stearic acid, and the heat is released gradually after dark to maintain a temperature difference across the generator.

This allows the system to keep producing electricity even after the light source is gone.

After 100 heating and cooling cycles, the material's performance barely changed. It also resisted burning by self-extinguishing within two minutes.

The scientists note their design is flame-retardant, superhydrophobic, and antimicrobial, preventing dust and microbes from degrading outdoor performance.

Similar designs could help manage heat in electronics, improve energy efficiency in building materials, or support small off-grid power systems.

The research is published in Advanced Energy Materials , but the gap between
a lab-tested prototype and a commercially viable product remains substantial.

The team avoided high-temperature carbonization to preserve the wood's chemical features, which is promising for scalability.

However, producing this material at scale while maintaining its complex layered structure will not be easy. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add
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