Ice's Shocking Secret: Bending Generates Electricity, Potentially Explaining Lightning
2025-09-17
A study published in Nature Physics reveals that ordinary ice is a flexoelectric material, generating electricity when bent. This discovery could revolutionize electronics and potentially explain the formation of lightning. Researchers found that ice produces electric charge in response to mechanical stress at all temperatures, with a ferroelectric layer on its surface at low temperatures. This offers two mechanisms for ice's electricity generation. This groundbreaking research puts ice on par with advanced electroceramics like titanium dioxide and paves the way for new electronic devices using ice as an active material.
(phys.org)