At a Glance
- A new study has revealed that ordinary ice is a flexoelectric material, meaning it can generate electricity when subjected to uneven mechanical deformation, such as bending.
- The flexoelectric strength of ice was found to be surprisingly high, making it comparable to specialized electroceramic materials currently used in advanced sensors and other modern technologies.
- Researchers also discovered a thin, ferroelectric phase on the surface of ice below -113°C, providing a second potential mechanism for electrical activity at low temperatures.
- The study suggests ice’s flexoelectricity could be a key factor in the generation of lightning, as it explains the charge separation that occurs during ice particle collisions in thunderstorms.
- These findings open the possibility of developing new electronic devices made from ice, such as low-cost transducers that can be fabricated and used directly in frigid environments.
An international team of researchers has discovered that common ice can generate electricity when it is bent or subjected to uneven deformation, a phenomenon known as flexoelectricity. The finding, published in the journal Nature Physics, challenges the long-held understanding of ice as a simple, non-electrical material. While individual water molecules are polar, they arrange themselves in frozen water in a way that cancels out any net electrical charge, meaning ice cannot generate electricity from simple compression. This new study reveals a hidden electromechanical property that could have significant implications for both technology and our understanding of the natural world.
The research, co-led by the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2, Spanish: Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia), demonstrates that applying uneven mechanical stress to ice generates a measurable voltage. Flexoelectricity is the coupling between an electrical charge and a strain gradient, or uneven deformation, which is a property allowed in all materials. The study found that ice’s flexoelectric response is surprisingly strong, comparable to that of specialized electroceramic materials, such as titanium dioxide. Furthermore, the scientists identified a thin, ferroelectric layer on the surface of ice at temperatures below -113 °C. This means that at very low temperatures, the surface of ice exhibits a natural, reversible electrical polarization, providing an additional mechanism for generating electricity.
This discovery may help solve a long-standing mystery in atmospheric science: the formation of lightning. Scientists have known that collisions between ice particles and graupel in thunderclouds generate the massive electrical charge needed for a lightning strike, but the exact mechanism was unclear. The researchers calculated that the flexoelectric charge generated during these irregular, high-speed collisions in clouds is consistent with the amount of charge measured in laboratory experiments that simulate thunderstorm conditions. This suggests that the bending and deforming of ice crystals during storms could be a key contributor to the buildup of atmospheric electricity.
Beyond explaining natural phenomena, the flexoelectric properties of ice could be harnessed for the development of new technologies. The study’s authors suggest the potential for developing low-cost sensors or energy-harvesting devices that could be fabricated directly in cold environments, such as the polar regions or on other planets. As one of the most abundant materials on Earth, ice could become a surprisingly useful electronic material, opening new avenues for creating sustainable and environmentally integrated devices that operate in extreme cold.
References
- Autonomous University of Barcelona. (2025, September 1). Scientists find that ice generates electricity when bent. Phys.Org; Autonomous University of Barcelona. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-scientists-ice-generates-electricity-bent.html
- Wen, X., Ma, Q., Mannino, A., Fernandez-Serra, M., Shen, S., & Catalan, G. (2025). Flexoelectricity and surface ferroelectricity of water ice. Nature Physics. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-025-02995-6
