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State-of-the-art graphite anodes cannot meet the extremely fast charging requirements of ever-demanding markets. Here the researchers develop a Li3P-based solid–electrolyte interphase, enabling fast (down to 6 min) charging of graphite-based Li-ion batteries.
Defects at the perovskite/charge extraction layer interface reduce the performance of solar cells. Yang et al. show that charged oxide interlayers passivate defects by altering charge carrier concentration and their acidity minimizes detrimental reactions.
Offshore wind will play a key role in decarbonized power systems, but pathway modelling sometimes overlooks critical aspects of its deployment. Beiter et al. use a detailed capacity expansion model to explore different scenarios with high spatial resolution to understand the regional role for offshore wind in the USA.
Earth-abundant, inexpensive cathode materials are highly desirable for the sustainable development of batteries. Here the researchers report that a manganese-rich, cation-disordered rock salt material exhibits—via an in situ phase transition to a partially disordered spinel phase during cycling—potentially high energy density and rate capability.
Polysulfide flow batteries are promising for low-cost energy storage but suffer from sluggish kinetics. Lei et al. reported an effective molecular catalyst, riboflavin sodium phosphate, to accelerate polysulfide reduction via homogeneous catalysis.
The fabrication of perovskite solar cells in ambient air is of interest, but the materials are unstable in the presence of moisture. Yan et al. show that guanabenz acetate salt eliminates vacancy defects that trigger perovskite degradation, enabling 25% efficiency devices to be fabricated in air.
Solid-state electrolytes lie at the heart of the development of solid-state batteries that offer a promising storage technology. Yong-Sheng Hu and colleagues report a class of viscoelastic inorganic glass featuring merits of both inorganic crystalline electrolytes and organic polymer electrolytes and demonstrate pressure-less Li- and Na-based solid-state batteries.
The solid–electrolyte interphase is widely viewed as key to governing the performance of rechargeable batteries, but its electrical properties remain elusive. Here the authors develop an experimental approach to directly measure the properties and show that the solid–electrolyte interphase has a voltage-dependent conducting behaviour.
Ammonium cations can improve the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells yet might pose an issue to the device stability. Wang et al. show that cations with a high acid dissociation afford improved operational stability at high temperatures owing to their resistance to deprotonation.
Battery manufacturing requires enormous amounts of energy and has important environmental implications. New research by Florian Degen and colleagues evaluates the energy consumption of current and future production of lithium-ion and post-lithium-ion batteries.
Accurate modelling of the temporal and spatial impacts of weather on building energy demand is key to the decarbonization of energy systems. Now, Staffell et al. develop an openly available model for calculating hourly heating and cooling demand on a global scale.
Intensive efforts are under way to develop Li metal batteries with ether electrolytes, but their performance fails to meet practical requirements. Here the authors develop an ether-based electrolyte for Li metal batteries that substantially improves battery cyclability, especially at low temperatures.
Intensive efforts are underway to develop recycling methods for spent lithium-ion batteries. Here the authors develop a mechano-catalytic approach based on contact electrification for efficient and potentially cost-effective recycling of cathode materials.
The typically high temperatures (≥500 °C) at which ceramic electrochemical cells operate place constraints on device materials and construction. Here Liu and colleagues design reversible proton-conducting electrochemical cells that can operate with high performance at temperatures of 450 °C and below.
Electrochemical carbon capture is a promising way to electrify CO2 emissions mitigation, but capacities are often low due to poor solubility of the redox-active organic molecules at the heart of the process. Here the authors report a high-capacity and high-stability electrochemical CO2 capture system based on a phenazine derivative they have developed.
Market-based measures are being discussed at the International Maritime Organization as a means to decarbonize shipping. This study estimates the required level of carbon pricing to close the conventional and alternative marine bunker fuels price gap.
Few non-copper catalysts have been observed to produce appreciable amounts of propane—a useful fuel—by electrochemical reduction of CO2. New research shows that ionomer-coated imidazolium-functionalized Mo3P nanoparticles produce propane with high activity and selectivity.
Hardware and non-hardware features affect the cost of technologies but evolve in different ways over time. Klemun et al. build a model to account for such evolution and analyse the case of photovoltaics.
Photocatalytically activating methane produces molecules that can be further transformed into fuels and chemicals, but methane’s inert nature makes this challenging. Here Li et al. use a rapid sputtering approach to fabricate a Au/TiO2 photocatalyst with high performance for oxidative coupling of methane.
Reducing critical materials such as indium and silver is of high importance for photovoltaics. Yu et al. demonstrate a certified 25.94% efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cell replacing part of indium-based electrodes with undoped tin oxide and using copper for contacts.