Articles in 2021

Polymer electrolyte water electrolysis is a promising technology for clean hydrogen production, but high-performance catalysts that can withstand the harsh anodic conditions are lacking. Now, mass-selected iridium-tantalum oxides are shown to have high catalytic activity and stability towards the oxygen evolution reaction under such conditions.

Battery development needs both scientific and engineering breakthroughs. Starting from an atomic understanding of particle growth mechanisms, a remarkable upscaling of a sub-nanometer-sized silicon-based negative electrode — from coin-sized cells to battery packs of over 100 kWh — is now presented.

The advancement of perovskite photovoltaics has led to a large increase in the volume of published data, which is not always easy to find or reuse. Now, researchers have consistently formatted parameters related to fabrication and performance of over 42,000 solar cells and made them available for analysis in an open-access database.

The path to transition billions of people to clean cooking methods is fraught with controversy and unanswered questions. Focusing on the transition to liquefied petroleum gas, a new large-scale multi-country study offers important insights on what determinants of the transition require close attention and policy response.

The availability, facile handling and low toxicity of ethanol make direct ethanol fuel cells an attractive proposition, yet the performance of the catalysts they use is still limited. Now, the performance of palladium–nitrogen–carbon catalysts for the key reactions is improved by introduction of fluorine, which regulates the local environment of the active site.

Curbing carbon emissions will require electrification of transport, but until now most of the innovations have been deployed in the car industry. In a recent article researchers focus on the electrification of another crucial sector, freight trains, but not with the traditional approach of overhead lines — rather with batteries.

Printing of large-area organic solar cells using green solvents often results in reduced crystallinity and uniformity of the photovoltaic film and consequently a significant performance loss. Now, a solid additive strategy is developed to control the film morphology at the nanoscale and tackle these limitations.

Highly selective CO₂ reduction electrodes are essential for the viability of CO₂ electrolysis as a carbon utilization technology. New research demonstrates a strategy to control the selectivity of CO₂ conversion by coating the electrocatalyst with thin bilayers of ionomers to tune the electrode microenvironment.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to drastic adjustments in how people live and work, resulting in substantial reductions in energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. New research shows how energy and climate policy can capitalize on these changes to achieve long-term emission reduction.

Electrolytes are a major bottleneck in the development of solid-state batteries. Now, a molecularly engineered cellulose electrolyte is reported to have high ionic conductivity and excellent compatibility with electrodes, offering promise for high-performance solid-state batteries.

When prices are adjusted for quality, electric vehicles stood their ground to petrol cars in the early twentieth century United States. If the electricity grid had developed twenty years earlier, they might have reached a 68–79% market share and CO₂ emissions per car could have declined by 60%, a new study finds.

Understanding support for or opposition to energy developments — and how it varies with proximity — is important for effective planning. A new study using public comments on a regulatory review casts further light on the geography of discourse and how it might shape action on siting energy technology.

Adoption of distributed energy resources such as wind and solar can exacerbate energy inequality. A new study shows that inequality in opportunity to adopt renewable energy resources may already be baked into the grid infrastructure design.

The challenge of how to handle large volumes of silicon photovoltaic (PV) panels at the end of their 30-year lifetime is emerging. Now, a new study reveals that the efficacy of recycling and reuse interventions is underestimated if social factors such as the attitude of PV owners and the influence of peers are not considered.

Metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes could lower the energy burden of molecular separations, but are impeded by challenges in fabricating defect-free MOF layers. Now, researchers design an electrochemical approach for growing high-performance MOF membranes on industrially relevant substrates.

Understanding future costs of energy technologies is crucial for making good decisions about the energy transition. A new paper shows that some types of forecasts have done better than others.

Mechanical reliability of perovskite solar cells is an important factor in ensuring their operational stability, yet it remains a critical challenge. Researchers have now demonstrated that interfacial self-assembled monolayers increase adhesion toughness between the perovskite and charge-transport layers, enhancing the device stability.

A growing body of research has sought to provide a better understanding of the determinants of energy poverty and how best to assist vulnerable groups that are at greatest risk of being energy poor. A new study examines how policy reform away from fixed and age-based support helps address energy poverty in Australia.

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) potentially allow the use of cheap catalysts due to their alkaline environment, yet often large amounts of precious metals are employed. Now, a non-precious metal-based catalyst, specifically designed for alkaline media, is demonstrated in the cathode of a high-performing AEMFC.

Access to modern energy sources is essential for sustainable development and human well-being. However, a recent study uses a bottom-up model to show how lack of access persists until 2050 under different socioeconomic pathways and decarbonization scenarios.