Research Group of J. Cabana
@cabanachemistry.bsky.social
We conduct research in inorganic solid-state chemistry at University of Illinois Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory. Currently geeking about electrochemistry. Group posts, curated by Jordi.
Pinned
You're looking at the future of #electrochemistry, the class of #NGenE2025. We conclude an intense week of discussions, networking and gelling of ideas. This group is ready to reach and conquer the frontiers. We can't wait to see what they do next! Huge thanks to ANL and UIC for the support.
This has implications for AI4Science:
“Across all tasks and models, the longer models spend reasoning and taking actions, the more incoherent they become”
“Larger models learn the correct objective more quickly than they learn to reliably pursue it”
alignment.anthropic.com/2026/hot-mes...
“Across all tasks and models, the longer models spend reasoning and taking actions, the more incoherent they become”
“Larger models learn the correct objective more quickly than they learn to reliably pursue it”
alignment.anthropic.com/2026/hot-mes...
The Hot Mess of AI: How Does Misalignment Scale with Model Intelligence and Task Complexity?
alignment.anthropic.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
This has implications for AI4Science:
“Across all tasks and models, the longer models spend reasoning and taking actions, the more incoherent they become”
“Larger models learn the correct objective more quickly than they learn to reliably pursue it”
alignment.anthropic.com/2026/hot-mes...
“Across all tasks and models, the longer models spend reasoning and taking actions, the more incoherent they become”
“Larger models learn the correct objective more quickly than they learn to reliably pursue it”
alignment.anthropic.com/2026/hot-mes...
What happens if AI scientists can automate the research process (big IF)? Clever take by Andrew White
January 30, 2026 at 1:39 PM
What happens if AI scientists can automate the research process (big IF)? Clever take by Andrew White
Definitely an underrated challenge holding back the research enterprise in the US
January 29, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Definitely an underrated challenge holding back the research enterprise in the US
While we are all talking about data centers…
“While the data center buildout is monopolizing headlines about grid challenges, it’s not the case that the AI boom is creating a capacity debt that wouldn’t otherwise have existed”
www.latitudemedia.com/news/another...
“While the data center buildout is monopolizing headlines about grid challenges, it’s not the case that the AI boom is creating a capacity debt that wouldn’t otherwise have existed”
www.latitudemedia.com/news/another...
Another capacity crunch is coming
Is the AI boom masking the looming challenge of 2030s coal retirements?
www.latitudemedia.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:56 PM
While we are all talking about data centers…
“While the data center buildout is monopolizing headlines about grid challenges, it’s not the case that the AI boom is creating a capacity debt that wouldn’t otherwise have existed”
www.latitudemedia.com/news/another...
“While the data center buildout is monopolizing headlines about grid challenges, it’s not the case that the AI boom is creating a capacity debt that wouldn’t otherwise have existed”
www.latitudemedia.com/news/another...
Reposted by Research Group of J. Cabana
Peer Review and AI:Your(Human)Opinion Is What Matters
ACS Nano Editorial pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
"No LLM can replicate critical thinking and experience of researchers. Editors specifically chose you because of your expertise; we value your unique perspective and evaluation,not that of an LLM"
ACS Nano Editorial pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
"No LLM can replicate critical thinking and experience of researchers. Editors specifically chose you because of your expertise; we value your unique perspective and evaluation,not that of an LLM"
January 23, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Peer Review and AI:Your(Human)Opinion Is What Matters
ACS Nano Editorial pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
"No LLM can replicate critical thinking and experience of researchers. Editors specifically chose you because of your expertise; we value your unique perspective and evaluation,not that of an LLM"
ACS Nano Editorial pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
"No LLM can replicate critical thinking and experience of researchers. Editors specifically chose you because of your expertise; we value your unique perspective and evaluation,not that of an LLM"
“Seen this way, the design of autonomous laboratories cannot be separated from the design of the scientific enterprise itself.” 🧪
hhlee.substack.com/p/building-s...
hhlee.substack.com/p/building-s...
Building Science When Execution Is the Bottleneck
How physical and organizational constraints shape the future of autonomous science
hhlee.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:01 PM
“Seen this way, the design of autonomous laboratories cannot be separated from the design of the scientific enterprise itself.” 🧪
hhlee.substack.com/p/building-s...
hhlee.substack.com/p/building-s...
“According to numbers from BloombergNEF, the U.S. is expected to add 204 GW of battery storage in the next decade.” #battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-une...
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-une...
The unexpected clean energy winner of 2025: Energy storage
The GOP's "One Big Beautiful Bill" largely spared the industry, seeming to shift its fate.
www.latitudemedia.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:18 PM
“According to numbers from BloombergNEF, the U.S. is expected to add 204 GW of battery storage in the next decade.” #battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-une...
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-une...
We close the year with one last article
assessing preconditioning for Zn batteries @jmaterchem.rsc.org. Led by our group colleagues at ANL, in collaboration with Coulomb Technology to translate impact
#battchat
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
assessing preconditioning for Zn batteries @jmaterchem.rsc.org. Led by our group colleagues at ANL, in collaboration with Coulomb Technology to translate impact
#battchat
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Effect of preconditioning on cycling performance of aqueous Zn-ion batteries
In this study, we provide valuable insights into the preconditioning effects on optimization of a zinc ion (Zn–MnO2) battery with lower current rates. While other academic papers aim to provide fundam...
pubs.rsc.org
December 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM
We close the year with one last article
assessing preconditioning for Zn batteries @jmaterchem.rsc.org. Led by our group colleagues at ANL, in collaboration with Coulomb Technology to translate impact
#battchat
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
assessing preconditioning for Zn batteries @jmaterchem.rsc.org. Led by our group colleagues at ANL, in collaboration with Coulomb Technology to translate impact
#battchat
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Battery research has been ready to emancipate from the renewable portfolio for a few years… it is time to consider it on its own merits to enable many other technologies, too
#battchat
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/c...
#battchat
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/c...
The Pentagon and A.I. Giants Have a Weakness. Both Need China’s Batteries, Badly.
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Battery research has been ready to emancipate from the renewable portfolio for a few years… it is time to consider it on its own merits to enable many other technologies, too
#battchat
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/c...
#battchat
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/c...
The concept of Szilard point:
“the threshold at which the total cost of competing for a grant equals (or surpasses) the value of the available funding”
Believe it or not, funding calls can cross it!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“the threshold at which the total cost of competing for a grant equals (or surpasses) the value of the available funding”
Believe it or not, funding calls can cross it!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Point of no returns: researchers are crossing a threshold in the fight for funding
With so little money to go round, the costs of competing for grants can exceed what the grants are worth. When that happens, nobody wins.
www.nature.com
December 21, 2025 at 4:35 PM
The concept of Szilard point:
“the threshold at which the total cost of competing for a grant equals (or surpasses) the value of the available funding”
Believe it or not, funding calls can cross it!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“the threshold at which the total cost of competing for a grant equals (or surpasses) the value of the available funding”
Believe it or not, funding calls can cross it!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“Earlier this year, Frontiers piloted an in-house AI tool for peer reviewers in a handful of its journals. The GPT platform operates in a closed environment that protects the confidentiality of manuscripts and authors’ intellectual property.“
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
More than half of researchers now use AI for peer review — often against guidance
A survey of 1,600 academics found that more than 50% have used artificial-intelligence tools while peer reviewing manuscripts.
www.nature.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:46 AM
“Earlier this year, Frontiers piloted an in-house AI tool for peer reviewers in a handful of its journals. The GPT platform operates in a closed environment that protects the confidentiality of manuscripts and authors’ intellectual property.“
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“This will be the starting point for a new Ford energy storage business; it plans to invest roughly $2 billion in the next two years” #battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-ev-...
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-ev-...
What to do with too many EV batteries? Turn to data centers
Ford is just the latest to repurpose "underutilized" EV battery capacity for BESS — but making the swap can be quite the undertaking.
www.latitudemedia.com
December 20, 2025 at 5:07 PM
“This will be the starting point for a new Ford energy storage business; it plans to invest roughly $2 billion in the next two years” #battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-ev-...
www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-ev-...
““I would love to see these models be applied to more blue sky, basic research”, Watney added”
www.aip.org/fyi/nsf-to-i...
www.aip.org/fyi/nsf-to-i...
NSF to Issue Large, ‘Flexible’ Grants to Nontraditional Teams
The initiative aims to build “novel platform technologies” akin to the internet or polymerase chain reaction.
www.aip.org
December 19, 2025 at 12:47 AM
““I would love to see these models be applied to more blue sky, basic research”, Watney added”
www.aip.org/fyi/nsf-to-i...
www.aip.org/fyi/nsf-to-i...
“The very structure that makes BRAIN funding defensible to Congress made the transformational science we promised nearly impossible to deliver”
sciencepolicyinsider.substack.com/p/how-will-y...
sciencepolicyinsider.substack.com/p/how-will-y...
How Will You Know You’ve Succeeded?
A BRAIN story
sciencepolicyinsider.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:28 PM
“The very structure that makes BRAIN funding defensible to Congress made the transformational science we promised nearly impossible to deliver”
sciencepolicyinsider.substack.com/p/how-will-y...
sciencepolicyinsider.substack.com/p/how-will-y...
Reposted by Research Group of J. Cabana
The National Science Board, which oversees NSF, has published recommendations to update the foundation's merit review (which was just updated).
Below are the main points. www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/...
Below are the main points. www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/...
December 17, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The National Science Board, which oversees NSF, has published recommendations to update the foundation's merit review (which was just updated).
Below are the main points. www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/...
Below are the main points. www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/...
Think Li₂RuO₃ had been fully understood? This canonical “O redox” material still had some secrets to discover. We go deep into its structural evolution w/ Li content in our latest @physrevmater.bsky.social
#NSFFunded
link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/...
#NSFFunded
link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/...
Structural and electronic changes in $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{2}\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ induced by lithium intercalation
Here, the authors interrogate the sequential structural and electronic evolution of Li${}_{2}$RuO${}_{3}$ during Li cycling. The material transforms from a well-ordered monoclinic phase, dominated by ...
link.aps.org
December 16, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Think Li₂RuO₃ had been fully understood? This canonical “O redox” material still had some secrets to discover. We go deep into its structural evolution w/ Li content in our latest @physrevmater.bsky.social
#NSFFunded
link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/...
#NSFFunded
link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/...
Of course, this begs the question:
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
Important research productivity metrics:
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
NSF announces new initiative to launch and scale a new generation of transformative independent research organizations to advance breakthrough science
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) on Friday announced the launch of a new initiative designed to launch and scale a new generation…
www.nsf.gov
December 14, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Of course, this begs the question:
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
Important research productivity metrics:
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
NSF announces new initiative to launch and scale a new generation of transformative independent research organizations to advance breakthrough science
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) on Friday announced the launch of a new initiative designed to launch and scale a new generation…
www.nsf.gov
December 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Important research productivity metrics:
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
A step change in US federal research funding.🧪
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
NSF announces new initiative to launch and scale a new generation of transformative independent research organizations to advance breakthrough science
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) on Friday announced the launch of a new initiative designed to launch and scale a new generation…
www.nsf.gov
December 13, 2025 at 4:19 AM
A step change in US federal research funding.🧪
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
Reposted by Research Group of J. Cabana
December 9, 2025 at 10:51 AM
“By empowering researchers across all disciplines and institutions to accelerate science and engineering, AI could increase the productivity and impact of research, boost innovation, fuel economic growth, and improve people’s lives.”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Accelerating science with AI
By successfully integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into research workflows, researchers could substantially increase scientific productivity. This week’s announcement from the White House of the...
www.science.org
November 25, 2025 at 5:26 PM
“By empowering researchers across all disciplines and institutions to accelerate science and engineering, AI could increase the productivity and impact of research, boost innovation, fuel economic growth, and improve people’s lives.”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Curious about Cu as the pixie dust of layered cathodes for Na-ion batteries? With collaborators at ANL, we have an answer on its changes upon Na removal. Check it out! #battchat
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Relationship between Sodium Content and Copper Activity for High Voltage Stability in O3-Type Layered Oxide Cathodes
Layered oxides with an O3 framework have attracted attention as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries due to their high discharge capacity. Yet they are hampered for commercialization by poor cyc...
pubs.acs.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Curious about Cu as the pixie dust of layered cathodes for Na-ion batteries? With collaborators at ANL, we have an answer on its changes upon Na removal. Check it out! #battchat
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Look at those images if you teach chemistry. #chemchat
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪
November 23, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Look at those images if you teach chemistry. #chemchat
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪