Energy harvesting articles from across Nature Portfolio

An aqueous electrochromic device has been developed that enables reversible tuning of its thermal emissivity with minimal electrical power input. The device allows for all-season radiative thermoregulation, leading towards year-round energy savings for buildings.

Ink formulations based on terpenes commonly employed as food additives or fragrances have been used to produce various organic electronics without compromising on device performance. These terpene solvents have reduced toxicities and produce lower overall carbon emissions than standard processing solvents.

A phase heterojunction (PHJ) solar cell is formed by interfacing two phases of the perovskite CsPbI₃ — each of which exhibits different opto-electronic properties. Devices based on PHJs reach a maximum power conversion efficiency of 20.17%, surpassing the 15% achieved by devices based on either of the single phases alone.

Charge generation in organic photovoltaics hinges upon the frontier molecular orbital energies of organic semiconductors, yet their precise determination is not trivial. Now, researchers compare various methods to determine these energies and show the need for an energy level offset to assist charge generation in non-fullerene-based solar cells.

Introducing nanotextured interfaces simultaneously increases the light-harvesting ability, optoelectronic properties and fabrication yield of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. In this way, the efficiency limit of conventional silicon solar cells is surpassed, paving the way to higher-performance photovoltaics.

Wearable electronics could enable us to optimize every aspect of our personal health and performance. They might also have important ramifications for clinical use and theranostics.