Volume 9 Issue 4, April 2024

Wide band gap perovskite solar cells suffer from halide segregation, which hampers their use in tandem solar cells. Now, researchers develop an additive with redox and defect passivating capabilities to suppress halide migration, enabling perovskite–organic tandems with over 25% efficiency.

Non-flammable electrolytes are essential for ensuring the safe operation of sodium-metal batteries; however, challenges arise in applications due to limited stability between the electrolytes and electrodes. Now, an electrolyte engineering approach using salts as a diluent is proposed to achieve both high interfacial stability and improved safety.

To date, organic-based redox flow batteries (RFBs) have relatively low open-circuit voltages (OCVs), limiting their commercial viability. Achieving higher OCVs with pH-decoupled RFBs faces challenges due to severe ion crossover, prompting new research that proposes an acid–base regeneration cell to address this limitation.

Copper catalysts hold promise for producing multi-carbon chemicals through electrochemical CO₂ reduction, but improving performance is challenging due to the limited tunability of the copper surface. Now, research uses organic functionalization to modify the surface oxidation state of copper, yielding improved energy efficiency for ethylene production.

Factors such as wealth might be expected to affect the transition to clean cooking, specifically the transition choices of uptake, primary use, and exclusive use of liquefied petroleum gas. Data from Ghana’s largest household energy survey show, however, that eleven out of thirteen factors considered do not have a significant or consistent role across these transition choices.

Recycling spent batteries is crucial for a circular battery economy, yet knowledge of solid-state battery (SSB) recycling lags behind that of lithium-ion batteries. This study evaluates SSB recycling techniques, emphasizing the need for specific, energy-efficient methods tailored to distinct electrolytes.

Batteries with solid polymer electrolytes face challenges in electrochemical stability and compatibility with high-voltage cathodes. Chunsheng Wang and colleagues have developed a polymer blend with a high Li salt concentration that enhances the stability of solid polymer electrolytes and achieves promising electrochemical performance in full-cell applications.

Ion-solvating membranes (ISMs) are non-porous polymer films that can uptake KOH and, therefore, conduct ions and be used as separators in electrolysers. Here the authors report an ISM for alkaline water electrolysis with exceptionable stability and broad operability.

Oxidation of halides and subsequent segregation limit the stability of perovskite solar cells. Wu et al. synthesize anthraquinone derivatives to suppress oxidation while also passivating defects, achieving 25.2%-efficiency organic/perovskite tandem solar cells.

Achieving high selectivity towards the formation of a single type of multi-carbon product from CO₂ electroreduction is difficult. Here Wu and colleagues show that the valence state of Cu can be tuned by functionalization of the catalyst surface with organic salts, boosting selectivity towards ethylene.

The clean-cooking transition in the Global South can support major improvements in public and environmental health and societal conditions. This study draws on survey data from greater than 7,000 households in Ghana to understand determinants of household fuel use through the transition and proposes a stage-based framework to support policy interventions.

Electrolytes with non-flammable solvents are important for the safe operation of sodium-metal batteries. Here the authors report an electrolyte engineering approach, employing salts as a diluent, to enhance interfacial stability and overall safety.

deQuilettes et al. show that hexylammonium bromide forms an iodide-rich 2D structure and bromide gradient at the surface of 3D perovskite, both of which limit interfacial charge and energy losses in perovskite solar cells.

Keller et al. use high-concentration silver alloying and steep gallium grading close to the back contact to minimize bandgap fluctuations and thus voltage losses, achieving 23.6% certified efficiency in Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ solar cells.

Establishing pH differences in aqueous flow batteries widens their voltage window, but acid–base mixing shortens their lifespan. In this study, the authors introduced a pH recovery system to address crossover issues, ensuring long-lasting, high-voltage pH-decoupled flow batteries.

A new study of low-carbon value chains of basic materials (steel and chemicals) demonstrates how regional differences in renewable energy prices may lead to a global relocation of energy-intensive production.