Research Highlight |
Featured
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Article
| Open AccessHigh carrier mobility along the [111] orientation in Cu2O photoelectrodes
A study introduces a novel method to grow single-crystal Cu2O thin films with selected crystal orientations, highlighting enhanced bulk carrier mobility and carrier diffusion length along the [111] direction that yields Cu2O photocathodes with improved performance.
- Linfeng Pan
- , Linjie Dai
- & Samuel D. Stranks
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Nature Podcast |
How climate change is affecting global timekeeping
Melting polar ice could delay major time adjustment, and the strange connection between brain inflammation and memory.
- Elizabeth Gibney
- & Nick Petrić Howe
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Research Highlight |
A view of wind turbines drives down home values — but only briefly
House prices drop by 1% if wind turbines are close and visible, but they rebound quickly.
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Article |
Long-term continuous ammonia electrosynthesis
Use of a chain-ether-based solvent instead of tetrahydrofuran for lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction enables long-term continuous ammonia electrosynthesis with high efficiency and improved gas-phase ammonia distribution.
- Shaofeng Li
- , Yuanyuan Zhou
- & Ib Chorkendorff
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Article
| Open AccessDopant-additive synergism enhances perovskite solar modules
A synergistic dopant-additive combination strategy using methylammonium chloride as the dopant and a Lewis-basic ionic-liquid additive is shown to enable the fabrication of perovskite solar modules achieving record certified performance and long-term operational stability.
- Bin Ding
- , Yong Ding
- & Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
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Article |
Triple-junction solar cells with cyanate in ultrawide-bandgap perovskites
Triple-junction solar cells with cyanate in ultrawide-bandgap perovskites exhibit enhanced defect formation energy and substantially decreased non-radiative recombination.
- Shunchang Liu
- , Yue Lu
- & Yi Hou
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Spotlight |
How science is helping farmers to find a balance between agriculture and solar farms
In the French countryside, energy companies are rushing to set up solar farms, with the risk of marginalizing agriculture. Researchers are finding solutions.
- Magali Reinert
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Research Briefing |
Bendy silicon solar cells pack a powerful punch
Crystalline silicon solar cells have been brittle, heavy and fragile until now. Highly flexible versions with high power-to-weight ratios and power conversion efficiencies of 26.06–26.81% were produced by improving manufacturing and design technologies and by using thin wafer substrates.
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Article |
Flexible silicon solar cells with high power-to-weight ratios
A study reports a combination of processing, optimization and low-damage deposition methods for the production of silicon heterojunction solar cells exhibiting flexibility and high performance.
- Yang Li
- , Xiaoning Ru
- & Zongping Shao
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Correspondence |
Climate policy must integrate blue energy with food security
- Yuyan Gong
- , Liuyue He
- & Jiangning Zeng
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Nature Podcast |
Audio long read: A new kind of solar cell is coming — is it the future of green energy?
Perovskite–silicon ‘tandem’ photovoltaic panels could lead to cheaper electricity production.
- Mark Peplow
- & Benjamin Thompson
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News Feature |
A new kind of solar cell is coming: is it the future of green energy?
Firms commercializing perovskite–silicon ‘tandem’ photovoltaics say that the panels will be more efficient and could lead to cheaper electricity.
- Mark Peplow
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Nature Index |
Are rooftop solar panels the answer to meeting China’s challenging climate targets?
Research is central to the success of major photovoltaic programmes in ramping up clean energy and alleviating rural poverty.
- Yvaine Ye
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Article
| Open AccessHomogenizing out-of-plane cation composition in perovskite solar cells
We added out-of-plane cations to homogenize the distribution of cations in perovskite films, resulting in a solar cell with improved efficiency and stability.
- Zheng Liang
- , Yong Zhang
- & Xu Pan
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Correspondence |
US universities must tackle their huge carbon footprints
- Mark O. Huising
- & Adam R. Aron
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Article |
Low-loss contacts on textured substrates for inverted perovskite solar cells
A co-adsorbent is used to achieve a uniform self-assembled phosphonic acid monolayer on a textured substrate, leading to more efficient inverted perovskite solar cells.
- So Min Park
- , Mingyang Wei
- & Edward H. Sargent
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Article |
Enhanced optoelectronic coupling for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells
An independently certified power conversion efficiency of 32.5% for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells is achieved through improved charge transfer at the amorphous indium zinc oxide interconnecting layer and reduced optical losses at the front and rear electrodes.
- Erkan Aydin
- , Esma Ugur
- & Stefaan De Wolf
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Article |
Flatband λ-Ti3O5 towards extraordinary solar steam generation
A route to greatly elevate joint densities of states by introducing a flat-band electronic structure is demonstrated, showing metallic λ-Ti3O5 powders have a high solar absorptivity and offering insights into access to cost-effective solar-to-steam generation.
- Bo Yang
- , Zhiming Zhang
- & Liang Zuo
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World View |
The G20 should forge a pact to support nations’ shifts to a low-carbon future
Fossil fuels should be used sparingly, in the areas where they contribute most to human welfare.
- Navroz K. Dubash
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Article |
All-perovskite tandem solar cells with 3D/3D bilayer perovskite heterojunction
All-perovskite tandem solar cells with an immiscible 3D/3D bilayer heterojunction demonstrate a record-high PCE of 28%, as well as the ability to retain more than 90% of their initial performance after 600 h of continuous operation.
- Renxing Lin
- , Yurui Wang
- & Hairen Tan
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Outlook |
A cleaner route to ammonia
A method driven by renewable energy could end the need for fossil fuels in fertilizer production.
- James Mitchell Crow
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Research Briefing |
Flexible solar cells made with crystalline silicon
Although crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells were developed nearly 70 years ago, their use is still limited. Tailoring the structural symmetry on the edges of textured c-Si wafers changes their fracture mechanism such that they can be used to fabricate flexible solar cells with a bending radius of about 8 millimetres.
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Perspective |
Lead immobilization for environmentally sustainable perovskite solar cells
An analysis of chemical processes to immobilize lead from perovskite solar cells is presented, highlighting the need for a standard lead-leakage test and mathematical model to reliably evaluate the potential environmental risk of perovskite optoelectronics.
- Hui Zhang
- , Jin-Wook Lee
- & Nam-Gyu Park
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Article |
Inverted perovskite solar cells using dimethylacridine-based dopants
A dimethylacridine-based molecular doping process is used to construct a well-matched p-perovskite/indium tin oxide contact, along with all-round passivation of grain boundaries, achieving a certified power conversion efficiency of 25.39%.
- Qin Tan
- , Zhaoning Li
- & Zhubing He
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Article
| Open AccessFlexible solar cells based on foldable silicon wafers with blunted edges
Modules of foldable crystalline silicon solar cells retain their power-conversion efficiency after being subjected to bending stress or exposure to air-flow simulations of a violent storm.
- Wenzhu Liu
- , Yujing Liu
- & Zhengxin Liu
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Article
| Open AccessThe electron–proton bottleneck of photosynthetic oxygen evolution
Microsecond infrared spectroscopy together with quantum chemistry reveal the rate-determining proton and electron movements and identify an oxygen-radical state of the manganese cluster as the S4 state.
- Paul Greife
- , Matthias Schönborn
- & Holger Dau
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Nature Video |
Wind turbines are tough to recycle – this new chemistry could help
A method for breaking down epoxies could stop wind turbine blades ending up in landfill.
- Shamini Bundell
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Research Highlight |
Sunshine is transformed into green hydrogen on an ambitious scale
Prototype facility smashes record for converting solar power to hydrogen for its technology category.
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Nature Index |
European Union appeals for interdisciplinary collaboration in new funding model
Brussels hopes that getting scientists from different fields to work together on big issues will bring innovations such as viable hydrogen energy infrastructure to the market more quickly.
- Charles Ebikeme
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Editorial |
European backsliding on electric vehicles is bad news for the climate
Attempts to put a brake on the transition to electrification and allow ‘climate neutral’ fuels after 2035 ignore the science — what’s needed is policy clarity now.
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Article |
Improving interface quality for 1-cm2 all-perovskite tandem solar cells
A self-assembled monolayer of (4-(7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazol-7-yl)butyl)phosphonic acid is integrated in wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, which enables a high power conversion efficiency and low open-circuit voltage deficiency, as well as efficient centimetre-scale all-perovskite tandem solar cells.
- Rui He
- , Wanhai Wang
- & Dewei Zhao
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Correspondence |
ChatGPT: tackle the growing carbon footprint of generative AI
- Jiafu An
- , Wenzhi Ding
- & Chen Lin
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Article |
Controlled growth of perovskite layers with volatile alkylammonium chlorides
In situ grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the crystallization process and surface morphology of perovskite thin films coated with alkylammonium chlorides, which were used to fabricate high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.
- Jaewang Park
- , Jongbeom Kim
- & Sang Il Seok
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Article |
Water splitting with silicon p–i–n superlattices suspended in solution
The simplicity of particle suspension reactors and the precise synthetic control afforded by silicon nanowire growth are used to develop a system that can produce hydrogen fuel by splitting water with sunlight.
- Taylor S. Teitsworth
- , David J. Hill
- & James F. Cahoon
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Correspondence |
Smart forest management boosts both carbon storage and bioenergy
- Peter Högberg
- , Tomas Lundmark
- & Pekka E. Kauppi
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Article |
Solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of more than 9% in photocatalytic water splitting
Photocatalytic water splitting with a high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of more than nine per cent is achieved using pure water, concentrated solar light and an indium gallium nitride photocatalyst.
- Peng Zhou
- , Ishtiaque Ahmed Navid
- & Zetian Mi
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Research Briefing |
A practical method for splitting seawater into hydrogen fuel
The electrolytic splitting of saline water is a highly desirable and sustainable method for the mass production of green hydrogen, but seawater contains many impurities that hinder the long-term stability of conventional electrolysis systems. A method for enabling the electrolysis of seawater has been developed that addresses previous side-reaction and corrosion problems.
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Article |
A membrane-based seawater electrolyser for hydrogen generation
An efficient and scalable direct seawater electrolysis method for hydrogen production that addresses the side-reaction and corrosion problems associated with using seawater instead of pure water is demonstrated.
- Heping Xie
- , Zhiyu Zhao
- & Zongping Shao
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Editorial |
Overhyping hydrogen as a fuel risks endangering net-zero goals
Hydrogen is touted as a wonder fuel for everything from transport to home heating — but greener and more efficient options are often available.
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Article |
Regulating surface potential maximizes voltage in all-perovskite tandems
Because open-circuit voltage deficit is greater in wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, the authors introduce diammonium molecules to modify perovskite surface states and achieve a more uniform spatial distribution of surface potential, enabling record voltage all-perovskite tandem solar cells.
- Hao Chen
- , Aidan Maxwell
- & Edward H. Sargent
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News |
COP27 climate summit: what scientists are watching
Countries will grapple with how to pay for loss and damage from global warming, and how to bolster pledges to cut emissions.
- Jeff Tollefson
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Correspondence |
Adapt solar panels for sub-Saharan Africa
- Jonghoo Park
- , Mohammad Awwal Adeshina
- & Gunwoo Kim
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Article |
Spatiotemporal imaging of charge transfer in photocatalyst particles
Photovoltage measurements on cuprous oxide photocatalyst particles are used to spatiotemporally track the charge transfer processes on the femtosecond to second timescale at the single-particle level.
- Ruotian Chen
- , Zefeng Ren
- & Can Li
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Research Highlight |
Hydrogen could help China’s heavy industry to get greener
Providing the clean fuel to manufacturing plants would be a cost-effective way to tackle the country’s climate goals.
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Nature Index |
The national and institutional connections driving research in affordable and clean energy
A broad and narrow look at the collaborations in the field.