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Solid-state polymers are promising electrolytes for CO2 electrolysers, but when pure water is used as the feed, they typically cannot create a sufficiently alkaline environment to favour multicarbon products. Here the authors use bifunctional ionomers as polymer electrolytes that activate CO2 at the catalyst–electrolyte interface, favouring ethylene synthesis, while running on pure water.
Individual operation of turbines in wind farms results in energy losses from wake interactions. Here Howland et al. report on an experimentally validated model to implement collective operation of turbines, which increases the farm’s energy production.
The near-surface structure of oxide electrocatalysts during the oxygen evolution reaction is key to performance but remains elusive. Here the authors use operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy to track the size-dependent catalytic activity of CoOx(OH)y nanoparticles down to 1 nm and their structural changes under reaction conditions.
The performance of kesterite solar cells is limited by charge carrier losses, and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. By means of an integrated experimental and modelling framework, Li et al. identify the dominant loss mechanism in charge recombination at grain boundaries.
Climate change adaptation policies could influence public decarbonization behaviours positively or negatively, impacting further mitigation and adaptation efforts. This study examines public responses to planned power outages in California and finds that the outages shaped some energy behavioural intentions but did not alter climate or energy policy preferences.
Controlling the crystallization of perovskites is not trivial. Here Wang et al. develop a close-space annealing to improve the structural and optoelectronic quality of perovskite films with different chemical compositions, leading to over 25% efficiency in all-perovskite tandem solar cells.
The maritime shipping industry is heavily energy-consuming and highly polluting, and, as such, is urgently seeking low-emission options. Here the authors examine the feasibility of battery-electric ships and show that the battery price declines could facilitate the electrification of short to medium-range shipping.
All-perovskite tandem photovoltaics hold technological potential yet their upscaling is not trivial. Here Nejand et al. fabricate mini-modules using scalable methods and laser-scribed interconnections, achieving a 19.1% efficiency over an aperture area of 12.25 cm2.
Fe–N–C materials are promising oxygen reduction catalysts for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells but still lack sufficient long-term durability for practical applications. Here the authors fabricate an Fe–N–C material with a thin N–C layer on the surface, leading to a highly durable and active catalyst.
Efforts to model the contribution of energy demand reductions towards climate targets typically focus at the global scale. Here, Barrett et al. develop an approach for understanding the country-level demand reduction potential and explore options for lowering final energy demand in the United Kingdom.
There are some concerns that climate change and rapid wind development may lead to a reduction in the wind power capacity factor. Jung and Schindler show that wind turbine fleet evolution can overcome the potential climate change-induced capacity factor decrease.
Improved energy access can bring socio-economic benefits, yet these may not be evenly distributed within the household. Zhang et al. conduct a large-scale survey in India and find gender-based disparities in energy services within households.
Lithium-metal batteries offer much promise for high-energy storage but their operation under extreme temperatures is challenging. Here the authors report a temperature-resilient high-performance lithium-metal battery based on a liquefied gas electrolyte that also has promising properties in safety and recyclability.
Demonstration of scalability, manufacturability and outdoor operation is key to the deployment of perovskite solar cells. Now, Pescetelli et al. fabricate a large number of perovskite solar modules, assemble them in panels and integrate them in an outdoor 4.5 m2 solar farm infrastructure whose operation is monitored over 12 months.
The dissolution of the solid–electrolyte interphase formed during repeated cycling severely deteriorates the performance of sodium-ion batteries. Here the authors develop an electrolyte that effectively suppresses the dissolution and consequently enables a long-cycle and high-voltage sodium-ion battery.
Tong et al. form a 2D perovskite layer with two large organic cations to improve the structural and optoelectronic properties of Sn–Pb perovskites, and eventually the performance of single-junction and tandem solar cells.
Renewable energy technologies are intended to contribute to electricity access both on grid and off grid in sub-Saharan Africa, yet their high cost of capital continues to hamper their growth. Using data from sub-Saharan Africa, Agutu et al. estimate the cost of capital at the country and technology level for electrification modes and find that the cost of capital is much higher than previously estimated in many cases.
Photoelectrochemical devices for hydrogen production via water splitting often suffer from short lifetimes due to semiconductor photocorrosion and catalyst instability. Here the authors demonstrate a polyacrylamide hydrogel as a permeable and transparent protection layer to improve the stability of photoelectrodes.
The efficiency of flexible perovskite solar cells lags behind their rigid counterparts. Now, Li et al. devise a self-assembled monolayer bridged hole-selective contact with reduced defects and improved bending durability, achieving a 24.4% certified efficiency.
Sodium-ion batteries have long been tipped as a promising post-Li-ion storage technology but their performance is still inferior to Li-ion batteries. Here the authors design an ampere-hour-scale battery with an initial Na-free anode configuration to achieve an energy density that rivals Li-ion batteries.