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Stable and high-power operation of aqueous redox flow batteries (ARFBs) is desirable for grid storage in cold climate regions. Here the authors report a heteropoly acid electrolyte with an exceptionally low freezing point and high conductivity that enables high-performance ARFBs at low temperatures.
One advantage of organic solar cells is that they can be fabricated by printing methods, yet the materials must be suitably designed. Now, Jiang et al. devise an alcohol-dispersed formulation of PEDOT with good wettability, solvent orthogonality and low acidity.
Energy-efficiency classes provide product information in a simple way but do not accurately report details about lifetime costs. Now, a randomized trial to add energy cost information to a retailer’s website finds that consumers tend to buy cheaper, lower-efficiency products but with similar overall energy and total costs.
There has been continued debate on the cost and benefits of winterization of energy infrastructure in Texas, especially after 2021 power outages. Here the authors estimate the expected revenues from winterization, and its cost, and find that winterization would pay off taking into account the probability of similar outages.
Low-cost catalysts for oxygen reduction, such as Fe–N–C materials, often suffer from poor stability in fuel cells due to the generation of oxidizing radical species. Here the authors locate Ta–TiOx additives in the vicinity of Fe–N–C catalysts and show that they can successfully scavenge radicals, improving durability.
Organic semiconductor heterojunction photocatalysts are promising for synthesis of solar fuels yet a deeper understanding of their underlying photophysics is needed to improve performance. Here, the authors show that such materials can intrinsically generate remarkably long-lived reactive charges, enabling them to efficiently drive hydrogen evolution.
The performance of thermal energy storage based on phase change materials decreases as the location of the melt front moves away from the heat source. Fu et al. implement pressure-enhanced close contact melting to retain high energy density and power density.
The open-circuit-voltage deficit of cadmium selenide telluride solar cells is typically higher than that of other photovoltaic technologies yet the reasons are unclear. Now, Onno et al. use photoluminescence techniques to break down the contributions of dopants and back contacts to voltage losses.
Through-plane conductivity in anion-exchange membranes is beneficial for their use in fuel cells as it aids movement of ions from cathode to anode. Liu and colleagues use ferrocenium polymers and an applied magnetic field to orient ion channels appropriately and achieve improvements in stability by formation of magnetically induced mixed-valence states.
Advanced nuclear reactors may lead to a significant reduction in the cost of nuclear energy. Duan et al. incorporate a wide range of potential advanced nuclear costs in their assessment of future decarbonization options and find areas where nuclear can support wind and solar.
Alternatives to vapour compression refrigeration technology that do not make use of toxic fluid or have a high global warming potential are urgently needed. Now, Rajan et al. conceptualize a continuous electrochemically driven refrigerator based on the Brayton cycle and demonstrate practical cooling in a proof-of-concept device.
Copper-based catalysts are promising for electroreduction of carbon monoxide to multi-carbon products, yet further improvements in selectivity, productivity and stability are still needed. Here the authors show that doping copper with silver and ruthenium boosts its performance towards synthesis of n-propanol—a useful fuel.
High-energy batteries require electrolytes with a wide electrochemical stability window. Building on the water-in-salt electrolyte concept, the authors develop a ternary eutectic electrolyte with substantially reduced salt concentrations that enable high-performance Li1.5Mn2O4 || Li4Ti5O12 batteries
Hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs) can make use of some relatively cheap components due to their alkaline environment, but face the problem of CO2 in the air feed impeding performance. Here, the authors demonstrate a hydrogen-powered shorted electrochemical cell that effectively removes CO2 from air streams for use in HEMFCs.
High-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are promising for heavy-duty vehicle applications, but strides in performance are needed to improve their commercial viability. Here it is demonstrated that protonating phosphonic acid electrodes greatly enhances power density and durability.
There are increasing questions about emissions from unconventional oil and gas exploration, and the impact of such exploration on health outcomes has not been thoroughly studied. Looking at data from 2.5 million wells and more than 15 million medical beneficiaries, Li et al. find an increased mortality risk for beneficiaries downwind of unconventional plays.
The efficiency of perovskite/organic tandem solar cells is limited by losses in the open-circuit voltage and at the interconnecting layer. Now, Chen et al. develop a defect passivation strategy and a thin indium zinc oxide interlayer which lead to an efficiency as high as 23.6%.
Cycling capability, especially at high rates, is limited for lithium metal batteries. Here the authors report electrolyte solvent design through fine-tuning of molecular structures to address the cyclability issue and unravel the electrolyte structure–property relationship for battery applications.
Integrated models will be needed to capture the cascading effects of climate change through climatic, water, energy and economic systems. Webster et al. now develop a coupled hydrologic–power-production–economic model to estimate water-stress impacts on electricity cost.
Most proton exchange membrane fuel cells are designed to operate within a temperature range of a few tens of degrees, but functioning in a broader range of conditions could be advantageous. Here the authors use ultramicroporous, phosphoric acid-doped membranes that allow fuel cell operation from −20 °C to 200 °C.