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Electrocatalytic water splitting to produce H2 is impeded by slow reaction kinetics over noble-metal-free catalysts at the electrodes. Here, the authors use high-frequency alternating magnetic fields to locally heat FeC–Ni core–shell catalysts, enhancing the kinetics of the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions.
Direct air capture of CO2 could contribute to negative emissions, but more effective technologies to increase its viability are still required. Here, Brethomé et al. demonstrate lab-scale direct air capture using a two-stage capture cycle and concentrated solar power for CO2 release.
Electric vehicles offer a route to decarbonization of transport but only under the right electricity source and charging conditions. To shed light on this, Chen et al. model the environmental impacts of different electric vehicles and charging modes in Beijing under a range of wind power scenarios.
Multijunction solar cells are more efficient and more expensive than single-junction photovoltaic cells, but their cost-effectiveness remains unclear. Here, Sofia et al. study the manufacturing costs of thin-film devices to analyse the levelized cost of electricity of single and multijunctions in the United States.
Planning for transportation and electricity needs is important to balance the power demand. Here, the authors analyse large datasets on urban mobility and energy consumption of electric vehicles and provide a recommendation scheme for the drivers to alleviate the peak load on the power grid.
There is an intensive effort to develop stationary energy storage technologies. Now, Yi Cui and colleagues develop a Mn–H battery that functions with redox couples of Mn2+/MnO2 and H2/H2O, and demonstrate its potential for grid-scale storage.
Organic tandem solar cells combining solution- and vapour-deposited layers are difficult to fabricate due to the degradation of the underlying subcell during the deposition of the next subcell. Here, Che et al. design a charge recombination layer that protects the underlying cell and leads to 15% average PCE for 2 mm2 devices and 11.5% PCE for 1 cm2 devices.
Application-specific duty profiles can have a substantial effect on the degradation of utility-scale electrochemical batteries. Here, the researchers propose a framework for controlling battery use in a manner that maximizes the life-cycle benefit of batteries, taking both tariffs and long- and short-term battery degradation into account.
The rising share of variable renewable energy sources in the grid makes planning future power systems more complex. Zeyringer et al. present an approach that uses multiple weather-years of data and highlights the need to incorporate inter-annual weather variability into planning decisions.
As silicon solar cells are reaching their optimal efficiencies, below 30%, multi-junctions are being developed to increase the electrical power output over the same area. Here, Cariou et al. use wafer-bonding to fabricate two-terminal silicon III–V tandem cells that reach efficiencies above 33%.
Home energy generation and storage are expected to alter residential energy usage. Careful tariff design is thus needed to ensure fair distribution of grid operation costs. Using smart-meter data and socio-economic profiles, this study explores the potential impact of different tariffs on household expenditure.
Hot carrier solar cells promise efficiencies above the thermodynamic limit but the hot carrier effects remain elusive so far. Here, Nguyen and Lombez et al. quantify the hot carrier contribution to the voltage and current of a micrometre-scale solar cell operating at room temperature, with an efficiency up to ~11%.
A great deal of effort in tackling the Li dendrite issues in Li-metal batteries is ongoing, but stresses caused by Li plating are often overlooked. Here, the authors study the stress-driven dendrite growth mechanism and propose using soft substrates for Li deposition to mitigate Li dendritic growth.
Solid-electrolyte interphases (SEI) play important roles in battery operations. Here, the authors report hybrid anodes by forming a Sn overlayer on alkali metal electrodes, leading to a robust SEI and consequently improved electrochemical performance.
As the world’s largest energy consumer, China’s crude-oil supply needs to be studied in high granularity. Here, the authors compile the carbon intensity and net energy profile of China’s crude-oil supply drawing on data from 20 countries and 146 fields.
Dedicated energy crops are an important feedstock for bioenergy systems, but uncertainties remain over how best to integrate them into agricultural landscapes. Here, the authors use high-resolution ecosystem modelling to explore how selection of the soils cultivated and fertilizer application rates affects feedstock costs and emissions footprints.
Protonic ceramic fuel cells use oxide electrolytes with high protonic conductivity but suffer from low power densities due to sluggish oxygen reduction kinetics and high contact resistances. Here the authors integrate a PrBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ cathode and a BaZr0.4Ce0.4Y0.1Yb0.1O3 electrolyte, achieving exceptional power density and stability.
Vehicle–grid integration may reduce renewable electricity costs and increase electric vehicle ownership. Simulations combining empirically derived models of vehicle adoption and charging with an electricity system model show that excluding consumer behaviour inflates these benefits.
Electrocatalysts with improved activity and stability for the conversion of CO2 to CO are being sought. Using operando spectroscopies, the authors identify atomically dispersed Ni(i) as the active site in a nitrogenated-graphene-supported catalyst with high intrinsic activity and stability over 100 hours.
The Carnot efficiency and the power output of thermoelectric power generation increase with temperature but current thermoelectrics are characterized up to 1,500 K. Here, Li et al. develop reduced graphene oxide films that can convert heat up to 3,000 K with high power factors, opening the door for novel applications.