Articles

Windows are one of the least energy efficient parts of the building envelope because of poor thermal insulation. Abraham et al. develop a cellulose-based aerogel as a thermal barrier for windows that retains their optical properties.

The critical current density is generally used to evaluate dendrite-suppression capability in batteries. Here the authors propose a critical interphase overpotential descriptor for dendrite suppression and demonstrate high-performance solid-state battery design with the new descriptor.

Improving the manufacturability of perovskite solar cells is key to their deployment. Zheng et al. report a one-step deposition of the hole-selective and absorber layers that addresses wettability issues and simplifies the fabrication process.

Inorganic perovskite solar cells suffer from charge carrier losses. Chu et al. treat the perovskite surface with caesium fluoride, forming a wider-bandgap perovskite that increases the carrier lifetime and hole extraction efficiency.

Photocatalytic synthesis of H₂O₂ is an attractive route to this important chemical and potential energy carrier, but improvements in performance and operation without sacrificial agents are needed. Here the authors report a porphyrin-based photocatalyst with promising performance for H₂O₂ production from only H₂O and O₂.

The design of low-dimensional interface materials for perovskite solar cells is limited in the choice of the metal cation. By processing metal and ammonium halides together, Ye et al. expand the metal cation library for these interface materials.

Between 2013 and 2017, China enacted a series of policies to improve air quality by promoting a switch to cleaner fuels for households. This study examines the changes in energy cost and associated energy burden across regions and income groups during this period, finding an increased burden on rural households.

The mechanism of oxygen redox in high-energy transition metal oxide cathodes is elusive. Here the authors illustrate the nature of the electron-hole states on oxide ions, offering insights for realizing reversible, high-voltage cathodes.

The Russia–Ukraine war triggered an energy crisis that affected the cost of many goods and services. Guan et al. model the direct and indirect impacts of increased energy prices across expenditure groups and countries, finding temporary increases in total household energy costs of 63–113% under different scenarios.

Controlling the nucleation and growth is essential for enabling long-life Li-metal batteries. Here the authors report the growth of faceted single-crystalline Li seeds on a lithiophobic Fe/LiF composite substrate that enables dense Li deposition under fast-charging conditions.

Solar cells based on 3D/2D perovskite heterostructures show promising performance, but ion diffusion limits the device stability. Now Luo et al. suppress ion diffusion by inserting a cross-linked polymer between the 2D and 3D layers, improving the operational stability.

Concerns about energy and transport poverty are critical to the net-zero transition but are growing in the wake of recent global events. This study presents findings from focus groups with the public and expert interviews in the United Kingdom on support for different policy options to address these challenges.

Lithium-ion batteries are prone to unpredictable failure during fast charging, known as lithium plating. Now, innovative testing protocols can quickly quantify lithium plating and inform battery design strategies to mitigate it.

Direct seawater electrolysis is an approach to produce hydrogen from an abundant water source, but current catalysts face performance and durability challenges. Here Guo et al. introduce a hard Lewis acid layer on the catalyst surface that generates local alkalinity, facilitating water splitting and minimizing degradation.

The root cause of lithium dendrites during battery cycling is of fundamental interest. By performing operando microprobe experiments and statistical analyses, the authors report that lithium dendrites are initiated via nanoscale mechanical defects and can be manipulated via globally applied stresses.

Perovskite photovoltaics are promising for space applications, but their reliability needs to be addressed. Now, Kirmani et al. present a 1-μm-thick silicon oxide that affords protection against protons, alpha particles and atomic oxygen.

Efficient mechanical energy harvesting approaches are needed. Here, Zhang et al. develop a plied carbon nanotube yarn that harvests mechanical energy upon stretching and lateral deformations, achieving 17.4 and 22.4% efficiencies for tensile and torsional harvesting, respectively.

The COVID-19 pandemic had substantial social and economic impacts globally but particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study reports survey findings on changes to household energy use and engagement with a government liquefied petroleum gas scheme in rural North India in 2020 and 2021.

Public support or opposition plays an important role in the deployment of new energy technologies. This study explores how attitudes towards fracking in the United Kingdom can influence perceptions of geothermal systems and hydrogen, testing spontaneous, prompted and primed forms of the spillover effect.

Solar panels can reduce domestic electricity bills, but their cost often makes them unavailable to low-income households. This ten-month study follows the journeys of seven social-housing tenants who were given the opportunity to become solar-power prosumers, and the impact this had on their everyday practices, finances and lives.