Volume 6 Issue 8, August 2021

Established climate mitigation scenarios assume continued economic growth in all countries, and reconcile this with the Paris targets by betting on speculative technological change. Post-growth approaches may make it easier to achieve rapid mitigation while improving social outcomes, and should be explored by climate modellers.

Access to modern energy sources is essential for sustainable development and human well-being. However, a recent study uses a bottom-up model to show how lack of access persists until 2050 under different socioeconomic pathways and decarbonization scenarios.

Voltage losses limit the performance of organic solar cells, yet their origins are not fully understood. Now, a theoretical model encompassing electronic state hybridization and thermal population of vibrational states explains the reduced non-radiative voltage losses in efficient non-fullerene acceptor systems.

Algorithms determine the effectiveness of battery storage, but have so far been designed for narrow techno-economic objectives with simplified assumptions of user needs. New research considers citizen preferences and develops six battery algorithms that support local economic benefits, decarbonization and explainability.

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) potentially allow the use of cheap catalysts due to their alkaline environment, yet often large amounts of precious metals are employed. Now, a non-precious metal-based catalyst, specifically designed for alkaline media, is demonstrated in the cathode of a high-performing AEMFC.

Oxygen redox in Li-rich oxide cathodes is of both fundamental and practical interest in Li-ion battery development. Bruce and team examine the current understanding of oxygen-redox processes, especially those concerning O₂ formation, and discuss strategies that can harness oxygen redox with suppressed side effects.

Thin Li foils are desirable for high-energy Li battery applications. Here, Cui and team devise a fabrication route for ultrathin (less than 20 μm) Li foils that show promise for improving existing anodes including silicon, graphite and metallic Li.

Organic solar cells based on non-fullerene acceptors have enabled high efficiencies yet their charge dynamics and its impact on the photovoltaic parameters are not fully understood. Now, Chen et al. provide a general description of non-radiative voltage losses in both fullerene and non-fullerene solar cells.

Light-driven catalytic conversion of CO₂ to fuels and chemicals presents a way to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, but new strategies are needed to improve performance. Here the authors find that greenhouse effects can be exploited in photothermal catalysts to enhance their ability to produce methane and carbon monoxide.

Algorithms are critical to modern energy systems but their design often overlooks the perspective of key stakeholders. Through an interdisciplinary process, Ransan-Cooper et al. design different algorithms to control neighbourhood-scale batteries that highlight variations in allocation of risk and benefit.

Energy system scenarios to meet climate mitigation goals rarely explore the evolution of energy access and equity. Now, Poblete-Cazenave et al. show that, under many baseline and decarbonization scenarios, energy access for people in Africa and South Asia remains insufficient.

Highly active oxygen reduction catalysts that are free of platinum group metals would decrease the cost of fuel cells. Here, the authors report on a commercial Fe–N–C-based catalyst that can replace platinum group metal-based catalysts in the cathodes of anion-exchange membrane fuel cells without a severe loss of performance.

Polyanion oxide cathodes offer better thermal stability and safety than transition-metal oxide cathodes, and their cell voltages are also higher than those of the oxide analogues with the same redox couple. Lithium iron phosphate is the first commercialized polyanion cathode for lithium-ion batteries.