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Photoelectrodes used to split water, driven by solar energy, often suffer from a lack of stability. Here the authors demonstrate that a V5+-saturated electrolyte can be used to inhibit photooxidation-coupled dissolution of a BiVO4 photoanode, suppressing photocorrosion and allowing stable photocurrent generation over hundreds of hours.
Photoelectrochemical water splitting to produce H2 is dependent on the electrochemical potentials between photoelectrodes and the electrolyte, which are difficult to measure. Here the authors use an electrochemical atomic force microscope technique to sense the potential of catalyst-coated electrode surfaces in operando.
It is challenging to exploit anionic redox activity to boost performance of battery electrodes, especially for anti-fluorite structures. Here the authors report simultaneous anionic and cationic redox in Li5FeO4, which enables its high capacity and eliminates the undesired oxygen gas release.
CO2 is often found alongside CH4 in natural gas wells; therefore, separation of the gases is an important industrial process. Jalilov et al. demonstrate that the adsorption selectivity for CO2 over CH4 can be significantly enhanced through introduction of water into the pores of a high-surface-area carbon.
Hydropower is critical to eastern and southern Africa but it is at risk from climate variability. Conway et al. examine river basins and rainfall variability to explore potential hydropower disruption for present and planned generation sites, highlighting the risks to supply and their spatial interlinkages.
All energy generation technologies emit greenhouse gases during their life cycle as a result of construction and operation. Pehl et al. integrate life-cycle assessment and energy modelling to analyse the emissions contributions of different technologies across their lifespan in future low-carbon power systems.
Cation engineering has been used to tune the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. Here, Jodlowski et al. introduce guanidinium, a cation slightly larger than previously thought possible, mixed with the traditional methylammonium cation, into the 3D structure, improving device stability.
Anionic redox provides extra capacity for battery electrodes, but it is challenging to realize its full potential. Tarascon and colleagues report a record-high reversible capacity of 3.5 electrons per Ir in a Li3IrO4 phase, and discuss the importance of increasing the ratio of oxygen versus transition metal.
Electricity grids are susceptible to damage from climate-related incidents, which can cause power outages. This study shows that the value of uninterrupted electricity supply across 19 EU nations is related to local temperature, with summer power outages becoming more costly with global warming.
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.
Governments give a variety of subsidies to fossil fuel companies, but G20 nations have committed to phasing these out. Erickson et al. analyse subsidies provided to new crude oil fields in the US and find that, at current oil prices, nearly half of them depend on these subsidies to proceed.
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.