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Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are intermittent, so storing energy efficiently and cheaply is one of the central challenges of the clean energy transition. 

The Thermal Energy Storage Team discovered that a simple mixture of two inexpensive, biodegradable acids — the kind found in everyday household and food products — can store and release exceptional amounts of heat through three mechanisms acting at once: melting, a reversible chemical reaction, and passive heat uptake. 

What makes the material special is that the water produced during the chemical reaction stays dissolved in the liquid rather than escaping as steam, allowing the whole process to reverse quickly and completely on cooling — something previous materials of this type have struggled to achieve. The material is stable over thousands of cycles and costs a fraction of conventional battery technology, making it a genuinely practical candidate for large-scale renewable energy storage.

The work it recognises began with a surprising observation in the laboratory that none of us quite expected or believed at first. And here we are, a few years later, as a team recognised in this way.

Karolina Matuszek

Q&A

How do you feel about receiving a Horizon Prize? 

Karolina Matuszek: Receiving this prize is deeply meaningful to me. The work it recognises began with a surprising observation in the laboratory that none of us quite expected or believed at first. And here we are, a few years later, as a team recognised in this way. I hope it also draws attention to thermal energy storage as a field, which I believe has an important and underappreciated role to play in the energy transition.

What was your role within the team? 

Saliha Saher: This project formed a major part of my PhD research, and I was closely involved in shaping and driving the research direction throughout the study. The work explored a new direction that differed from the existing focus of my supervisors’ research, which made the project both challenging and intellectually rewarding. I carried out most of the experimental work, including material synthesis, characterisation, data analysis, and interpretation, while also collaborating with others for specific supporting experiments. I was the first author of the manuscript and contributed to communicating and developing the work from the initial concept through to publication and patent development.

Throughout the project, I was motivated by the possibility of developing materials that could contribute to more sustainable energy technologies and support long-term reduction in dependence on fossil fuels.

How do you see the discovery being used? 

Saliha Saher: This work has strong potential for applications in thermal battery technologies and advanced thermal energy storage systems. The materials could be used in areas such as renewable energy storage, waste heat recovery, energy-efficient buildings and industrial systems where thermal energy is generated and often lost. An important aspect of the research is that it is already progressing towards scale-up and commercialisation through a start-up based on this technology. Seeing the transition from laboratory research to practical implementation highlights the potential for scientific discoveries to evolve into technologies with real industrial and environmental relevance.

How do you see this work developing over the next few years? 

Karolina Matuszek: From a scientific perspective, I hope this material is just the beginning. The principle we have demonstrated, that combining a phase transition with a reversible chemical reaction inside a liquid can unlock extraordinary energy storage capacities, opens up a vast new space of possible materials that has barely been explored. My hope is that this work revitalises the field of thermal energy storage and inspires a new wave of discovery, ultimately giving the energy transition a class of materials it currently lacks: cheap, stable and energy-dense heat storage at scale.

From a technology perspective, we are actively moving towards commercialisation through our start-up ThermaLeap, which is developing a thermal battery that delivers heat at around 150 °C and below. This temperature range is critically important because it covers a large share of industrial heat demand, including food and beverage processing, pulp and paper manufacturing, and many other sectors that currently rely on oil and gas. Replacing fossil fuels in these applications with stored renewable heat represents one of the more tractable near-term decarbonisation opportunities, and we believe ThermaLeap is well placed to help deliver it.

What does good research culture mean to you, and why does it matter? 

Doug MacFarlane: To me good research culture means effective cooperation between coworkers. Synergy is a powerful driver of successful outcomes. This is one of the reasons that I am immensely proud of this prize – because it is awarded to the whole team. 

In what ways does creativity influence how you think about or carry out your work? 

Doug MacFarlane: I find it is important to allow our ideas and discussions sufficient creative latitude such that unexpected concepts can be given a chance to emerge. Sometimes that means replacing "not possible" with "let’s explore that a bit more".

Thinking back to earlier in your career, are there any words of wisdom that you wish someone had told you? 

Karolina Matuszek: It may sound like a cliché, but the most important thing I have learned is to never stop believing in your work. Science involves far more failure than success, and there were many moments where results did not make sense. The discovery behind this prize came from an observation that initially puzzled us — and it would have been easy to overlook it or move on. Persistence, and genuine belief that the work matters, is what keeps you looking until you find the answer.