Review Articles

Tremendous research progress has been made in the development of post-lithium-ion batteries (PLIBs), yet there is little discussion on the manufacturing of these upcoming technologies. In this Review, the authors survey the current production status of several representative PLIBs and offer an industrial-scale manufacturing outlook.

Ultrathin solar cells attract interest for their relatively low cost and potential novel applications. Here, Massiot et al. discuss their performance and the challenges in the fabrication of ultrathin absorbers, patterning of light trapping structures and ensuring efficient charge-carrier collection.

Negawatt trading or trade in wattage of energy saved from consumption has been a much debated idea that has evaded wide-scale practical application. Tushar et al. look at the challenges to wide-scale negawatt trading and explain how recent technological developments can help address those challenges.

Batteries based on multivalent metal anodes hold great promise for large-scale energy storage but their development is still at an early stage. This Review surveys the main complexity arising from anodes, electrolytes and cathodes, and offers views on the progression path of these technologies.

The costs and benefits of clean energy transitions will not be equally distributed. This Review of the literature on potential adverse impacts for specific communities highlights opportunities for future research to contribute to the design of policies and programmes that address these disparities.

Despite its prevalence, energy poverty is not formally recognized in the US as a problem distinct from general poverty. This Review of two federally-funded programs focused on reducing high energy bills highlights the limitations of this approach for effectively responding to energy poverty.

Production of hydrogen fuel by electrolysis of low-grade or saline water, as opposed to pure water, could have benefits in terms of resource availability and cost. This Review examines the challenges of this approach and how they can be addressed through catalyst and electrolyser design.

Household energy behaviours are influenced by the behaviour of others. In this Review, the authors review recent findings on social influence in energy consumption and technology adoption and discuss pathways through which social influence can result in peer effects.

The development of passivating contacts holds great potential for enhancing the power conversion efficiency of silicon photovoltaics. Here, De Wolf et al. review recent advances in material design and device architecture, and discuss technical challenges to industrial fabrication.

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to fuels could be used as an approach to store renewable energy in the form of chemical energy. Here, Birdja et al. review current understanding of electrocatalytic systems and reaction pathways for these conversions.

Solar-driven photocatalytic water splitting provides a clean pathway for production of hydrogen fuel. This Review examines both amorphous and crystalline polymeric materials for water splitting, exploring polymer design strategies, theoretical understanding and challenges for the field.

Along with high energy density, fast-charging ability would enable battery-powered electric vehicles. Here Yi Cui and colleagues review battery materials requirements for fast charging and discuss future design strategies.

Public responses to new energy technologies can influence adoption and deployment. This Review brings together research on public perceptions of and responses to a wide range of energy technologies around the themes of technology, people, place and process.

New electrolyte materials can offer breakthroughs in the development of next-generation batteries. Here Atsuo Yamada and colleagues review the progress made and the road ahead for salt-concentrated electrolytes, an emerging and promising electrolyte candidate.

Although controversial for some, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — also known as the Iran deal — offered a legal arrangement to curb Iran’s nuclear activities and limit its ability to build weapons. This Review examines the deal’s technical basis and how it could be applied in other contexts.

Separators are an essential part of current lithium-ion batteries. Vanessa Wood and co-workers review the properties of separators, discuss their relationship with battery performance and survey the techniques for characterizing separators.

The thermal properties of solar energy can be exploited for many applications, including evaporation. Tao et al. review recent developments in the field of solar-driven interfacial evaporation, which have enabled higher-performance structures by localizing energy conversion to the air/liquid interface.

High-quality liquid transportation fuels can be produced from renewable biomass by using microbial fermentation. This Review explores advances in microbial engineering as well as the barriers and opportunities for such bio-based production of hydrocarbons.

Perovskites, with their wide bandgap range, are good partners for both commercial and novel photovoltaic technologies in multijunction solar cells. Here, McGehee and co-workers review recent material and device developments and highlight future challenges and opportunities for perovskite-based tandems.

Non-fullerene acceptors offer a promising development direction to increase the conversion efficiency and stability of organic photovoltaics. Here, Jianquan Zhang and co-workers highlight recent insight to guide molecular material design and discuss future challenges regarding device design and scalability.