Until now, it was believed that cysteine, one of the basic amino acids in proteins, bonded to surfaces mainly through its carboxylic group. A team at DESY NanoLab (Germany), led by Heshmat Noei in collaboration with Cristiana Di Valentin’s group (University of Milano-Bicocca), has now discovered that the molecule actually uses all three of its “chemical arms” − amine, carboxylic, and thiol − to adhere to oxide surfaces, particularly titanium dioxide (TiO2).

The lithium batteries we use today—so-called third-generation batteries—still rely on graphite-based anodes. While effective, graphite limits how quickly batteries can be recharged, posing one of the main obstacles to the wider adoption of electric vehicles. High charging currents can indeed cause lithium metal to deposit on the anode surface, reducing battery life and potentially creating safety risks. Finding alternative materials that can match graphite’s performance but allow for safer, faster charging is therefore a key challenge in battery research.