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There is an intensive search for high-performance cathode materials for rechargeable batteries. Here the authors report that oxyfluorides with partial spinel-like cation order, made from earth-abundant elements, display both exceptionally high energy and power.
Non-flammable high-performance electrolytes are in high demand for rechargeable batteries. Here the authors design cyclic phosphate-based electrolytes to enable stable operations of graphite anodes and high-voltage cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.
The volumetric performance of supercapacitors needs to be improved, but the usual trade-off between porosity and density is a problem. Here the authors develop a graphene laminate film with tunable porosity that leads to a volumetric energy density of 88.1 Wh l−1 at the device level.
Climate change will induce not just a change in average temperature but higher frequency of extreme weather events, whose impacts are hard to quantify. Perera et al. quantify the impacts of climate induced extreme and regular weather variations on energy systems determining requirements for system reliability.
Oil prices are thought to be affected by speculation but the exact impact of speculation on price is not known. Kaufmann and Connelly quantify this effect and identify its beneficiaries by building a price model based on supply and demand, market fundamentals and associating deviations with historical geopolitical events.
Mixed-cation perovskite quantum dot solar cells possess decent phase stability but considerably low efficiency. Here Hao et al. show that ligands are key to the formation of quantum dots with lower defect density and demonstrate devices that are more stable and efficient than their bulk counterparts.
While perovskite solar cells with an inverted architecture hold great promise for operation stability, their power conversion efficiency lags behind that of conventional cells. Here, Zheng et al. achieve a certified 22.34% efficiency, exploiting alkylamine ligands as grain and interface modifiers.
Learning rates are a measure of reduction in costs of energy from technologies such as solar photovoltaics. These are often estimated internationally with all monetary figures converted to a single currency, often US dollars. Lilliestam et al. show that such conversions can significantly affect the learning rate estimates.
Syngas is a mixture of CO and H2 that can be converted into a variety of fuels. Syngas can be produced thermocatalytically from CH4 and CO2, but this requires high temperatures and coke formation can be a problem. Here the authors demonstrate lower temperature, light-driven production of syngas using a coke-resistant plasmonic photocatalyst.