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Correlating Electronic Transition With Electrical Output to Reveal Photon-Mediated Energy Conversion Mechanism in
Kai Mo1, Yuhang Ge2, Chen Zhao1
1State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, and Institute of Fiber Materials and Devices, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Inner-shell electron batteries utilize electron orbital energy for ultrahigh-density storage. This study demonstrates a photon-mediated conversion framework, linking specific ion transitions to electrical output for advanced energy solutions.
Area of Science:
- Energy Storage
- Atomic Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Inner-shell electron batteries offer potential for ultrahigh-density energy storage by utilizing energy within inner-shell orbitals.
- Previous research showed energy conversion using photovoltaic (PV) modules, but photon interference obscured the direct link between inner-shell electron transitions and electrical output.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a photon-mediated energy conversion framework correlating specific inner-shell electron transitions in highly charged ions (HCIs) with electrical output.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of this framework using specific molybdenum and lanthanum ions and PV modules.
Main Methods:
- Integrated theoretical analysis of electron transition behaviors with a narrowband-filter-based experimental setup.
- Utilized highly charged ions (HCIs) like Mo15+, Mo16+, and La19+ selected near the PV module's peak efficiency wavelength.
- Filtered specific wavelengths to isolate the correlation between electron transitions and electrical output.
Main Results:
- Achieved a current response of 2.3 × 10^-12 C by capturing 7 × 10^7 photons from 1 × 10^6 La19+ ions after filtering.
- Demonstrated a direct correlation between specific electronic transitions of HCIs and the resulting power output.
- Obtained an energy density of 1 × 10^4 Wh kg^-1 using an infrared filter to capture all emitted photons from La19+ ions.
Conclusions:
- The photon-mediated energy conversion framework successfully links specific HCI transitions to electrical output, overcoming previous limitations.
- This approach shows significant promise for developing future ultrahigh-density energy storage technologies.
- The achieved energy density highlights the potential of inner-shell electron batteries for next-generation energy solutions.
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