Catenaa, Sunday, November 02, 2025- Researchers at Auburn University have created a new class of materials that allows precise control of free electrons, opening possibilities for faster quantum computers and more efficient chemical production.
The team designed “Surface Immobilized Electrides,” where solvated electron precursors are attached to stable surfaces like diamond or silicon carbide.
This configuration enables electrons to move freely in controlled patterns, either clustering into isolated quantum-bit-like islands for advanced computing or spreading into wide metallic layers to accelerate chemical reactions.
Electrons are fundamental to both technological and chemical processes, powering energy transfer, chemical bonding, and conductivity.
Conventional materials restrict electron movement, but the Auburn discovery overcomes these limitations, offering tunable electronic properties that could reshape industries.
Previous electrides were unstable and difficult to scale. By depositing them on solid surfaces, the researchers created durable, reproducible structures suitable for real-world applications.
Experiments show the materials could enable quantum computations far beyond current capabilities and improve catalysis in fuels, medicines, and industrial materials.
“This research allows us to design materials that nature never intended,” said senior author Dr. Evangelos Miliordos.
Co-authors include faculty and graduate students across chemistry, physics, and materials engineering. Support came from the U.S. National Science Foundation and Auburn University computing resources.
The work, published in ACS Materials Letters, represents a significant step toward practical devices that leverage free electrons, offering potential breakthroughs in computing speed, material synthesis, and chemical manufacturing efficiency.
