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Safety issues have been a long-standing obstacle impeding the large-scale deployment of rechargeable batteries especially for those with organic electrolytes. Here the authors report fire-extinguishing organic electrolytes, which enable long-term cycling Li-ion and Na-ion batteries.
Hydrogen is mainly produced industrially via steam methane reforming, a multistage process carried out in large plants to minimize energy losses and costs. Here, by exploiting thermal integration in a protonic membrane reformer, the authors produce compressed hydrogen in a single step with high efficiency.
Kesterite thin-film solar cells feature abundant non-toxic elements. Here, Antunez et al. present a process to simultaneously optimize the conversion efficiency and voltage over a wide range of light intensities appropriate for small-scale, distributed and indoor applications.
Proton-conducting metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) could be used as the electrolytes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells but chemically stable materials that perform well at low humidity are still sought. Here the authors prepare a stable, structurally flexible MOF that maintains high proton conductivity under a wide range of humidity.
Sodium-ion batteries are a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion for large-scale energy storage. Here Bao et al. develop a cathode based on biomass-derived ionic crystals that enables a four-sodium ion storage mechanism leading to exceptionally high specific capacity and energy density.
Hydrogenation of CO2 over heterogeneous catalysts can produce useful energy vectors such as methanol and formic acid. Here the authors show that the activity of unsupported cobalt catalysts can be markedly enhanced through incorporation of nitrogen atoms into the structure.
Understanding land-use requirements for the life cycle of electricity generation allows for consistent comparisons of different technologies. Jordaan et al. present a method that leverages highly resolved, empirical data sets to give robust estimates of land use for natural-gas-fired electricity.
Membranes that can separate hydrogen from mixed gas streams are important for the production of high-purity hydrogen for use in energy applications such as fuel cells. Here the authors demonstrate that titanium nitrides are promising for ambient temperature hydrogen separation via conduction of hydride ions.
Sulfur encapsulation with nanoporous carbon is a widely adopted approach for Li–S batteries, but this often results in low sulfur utilization and low volumetric energy density. Here the authors report a non-encapsulation approach for the growth of S-containing species with low-surface-area carbon and high energy.
Inequality in China ranks as one of the highest in the world. Using household energy consumption data, this study shows that deriving energy from biomass, use of energy for space heating and cooking, and intraregional differences are major contributors to consumption inequality in rural China.
Organic solar cells can be thin, bendable and strechable. Now, Jinno et al. develop flexible organic photovoltaic devices that can also be washed in water and detergent, opening future integration routes into everyday objects such as fabric.
Hydropower represents the largest source of renewable energy currently available, yet its potential provision remains poorly characterized. Gernaat et al. present a high-resolution global assessment of technical and economic hydropower potential based on an analysis of over 3.8 million individual locations.
Radiative sky cooling passively rejects heat from a surface out into space via an atmospheric transparency window, enabling sub-ambient cooling. Goldstein et al. exploit this to show daytime cooling of water by up to 5 ∘C below ambient temperature, equivalent to a heat rejection flux of 70 Wm−2.
To improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices while keeping the same spatial footprint, solar cells can be stacked on top of each other. Here, Essig et al. fabricate very efficient dual-junction and triple-junction solar cells by placing one or two III–V solar cells on top of a silicon solar cell.
Various strategies are developed to combine high efficiency and stability in perovskite solar cells. Here, Wang et al. mix 2D and 3D mixed-cation and mixed-halide perovskite phases in solar cells with stabilized efficiencies up to 19.5% and improved stability under full illumination and ambient air.
The Li–O2 cell performance is largely limited by the insulating and insoluble nature of Li2O2. Here the authors report that dual mediators decouple the electrochemical reactions at the cathode from the formation and decomposition of Li2O2 from solutions, helping stabilize the carbon cathode.
Li dendrite formation is a major obstacle in the development of Li metal batteries. Nazar and colleagues present a protection method for the Li metal by an in situ synthesis of Li-based surface alloy composites, and demonstrate promising battery applications.
Electricity storage will benefit from both R&D and deployment policy. This study shows that a dedicated programme of R&D spending in emerging technologies should be developed in parallel to improve safety and reduce overall costs, and in order to maximize the general benefit for the system.
Metal dichalcogenides are promising electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution, but more active and stable materials are desired. Here the authors demonstrate that H-TaS2 and H-NbS2 possess high basal-plane activity that increases with cycling through changes in the morphology of the catalysts.
Climate change affects the availability of water for cooling thermoelectric power plants, causing curtailments in generation. This study models how future changes in water availability due to climate and water usage impacts power generation across the EU, and assesses different adaptation strategies.