Volume 9 Issue 2, February 2024

Polymer nanocomposite-based dielectric capacitors are promising candidates for high- power-density energy storage devices. However, they exhibit poor performance at high temperatures. A polymer nanocomposite based on sub-nanosheets shows high energy density at elevated temperatures due to the unique structure, geometry, and high surface area to volume ratio of the nanosheets.

Carbon monoxide can be reacted with water to synthesize hydrocarbons, but low activity and poor selectivity has plagued the conventional thermal catalytic route. Now, leveraging photocatalytic and thermocatalytic effects, a TiO_2–x/Ni catalyst is shown to produce C₂₊ hydrocarbons directly from carbon monoxide and water with high yield and selectivity.

Inhomogeneities in the optoelectronic properties of polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ absorbers can limit solar cell performance. Now, researchers quantify the spatial distribution of charge carrier concentration with nanometre resolution and show how different alkali-metal post-deposition treatments reduce the grain-to-grain fluctuations.

The emissions impact of the time-matching requirement between grid-connected electrolytic hydrogen production and contracted renewables has been the focus of a vigorous policy debate. Energy system model-based analysis of grid-connected hydrogen production demonstrates that emissions impacts under any time-matching requirement are highly sensitive to the definition of additionality and region-specific policies.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials that may find application in numerous energy settings, such as carbon capture and hydrogen-storage technologies. Here, the authors review predictive computational design and discovery of MOFs for separation and storage of energy-relevant gases.

It is challenging to achieve fast-charging, high-performance Na-ion batteries. This study discusses the origin of fast-charging Na-ion batteries with hard carbon anodes and demonstrates an ampere-hour-level, fast-charging, long-cycle-life cylindrical cell under nearly practical conditions.

Polymer dielectric capacitors are important for energy storage, although they often suffer from low energy density, especially at high temperatures, and challenges in mass production. This study reports roll-to-roll fabricated composites enriched with subnanosheet fillers, showcasing enhanced performance even at elevated temperatures.

Light-driven synthesis of hydrocarbons could be an attractive route to fuels, but approaches towards this have typically needed H₂ as a reactant. Here the authors report that a TiO_2−x/Ni catalyst can produce hydrocarbons from CO and water at atmospheric pressure in a light-driven process.

By means of conductive atomic force microscopy tomography, Sharma et al. quantify the impact of different alkali-fluoride post-deposition treatments of CIGS solar cells on the spatial distribution of charge-carrier concentrations.

Suo et al. show that sulfonium-based molecules afford formamidinium lead iodide perovskites protection against environmental stress factors, improved phase stability and solar cells retaining efficiency over 4,500-h operational stability tests.

Layered oxide cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries often experience irreversible phase transitions and structural instability. Now researchers have developed a P2-type oxide containing earth-abundant elements, featuring an intergrowth phase structure that enables long-cycle, high-energy sodium-ion batteries.

There is debate about when electrolytic hydrogen produced from grid-connected renewables should qualify as ‘low carbon’. Here the authors explore how additionality and the degree of time matching between electrolysers’ electricity consumption and contracted renewable energy generation impacts emissions and costs.

Wang et al. show that a small amount of donor in the acceptor layer or vice versa induces structural order owing to dipole–dipole interaction between the donor and the acceptor, enabling a certified efficiency of 19.1% in pseudo-bilayer organic solar cells.

Gasoline prices have increasingly become a focus of attention for climate policy. This study uses survey and retail gasoline price data to explore associations between gasoline prices and public acceptability of different climate policies, finding in part that support for phasing out fossil fuel-powered cars decreases when prices rise.