Themed collection 2017 Energy and Environmental Science HOT articles

Beyond ZT, (ZT)_eng was used as a direct indicator for thermoelectric performance to achieve a balance between material tuning and device reliability.

This review summarizes the recent progress of GDY based catalysts for key gas involved reactions in energy conversion.

The impact of water on the lifecycle of PSCs and the underlying mechanisms in perovskites and PSCs are systematically reviewed.

This paper presents a critical review on potential-induced degradation (PID) in photovoltaic modules to illustrate the current research status and potential research paths to address PID-related issues.

Our review focuses on biomimetic and bioinspired ideas to improve enzyme-driven bioelectrochemical systems for applications in energy, biomedical and environmental fields.

The pulp and paper industry is a suitable candidate to lead the deployment of BECCS in the US.

Energy storage at all timescales, including the seasonal scale, plays a pivotal role in enabling increased penetration levels of wind and solar photovoltaic energy sources in power systems.

A PK_Sn,Pb/PK_Pb tandem was found to be the most promising PV technology for lowering the environmental impacts from solar PVs.

This technoeconomic analysis shows that perovskite solar cells can emerge as a cost leader in photovoltaic power generation.

Sequestering CO₂ in the form of carbon-based liquid fuels would provide both a convenient and sustainable form of energy for practical use as well as mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change.

A conceptually new and general polymer-assisted strategy was proposed to enable unexpected efficient metal-free oxygen-evolution catalysis on pure carbon nanotubes.

In this contribution, we report for the first time a novel potassium ion-based dual-graphite battery concept (K-DGB), applying graphite as the electrode material for both the anode and cathode, in combination with an ionic liquid electrolyte.

A hybrid energy utilization technology using solar energy for desalination and extracting electricity from an evaporation induced salinity gradient is presented.

Phonon-glass electron-crystal (PGEC) behaviour is realised in La_0.5Na_0.5Ti_1–xNb_xO₃ thermoelectric oxides.

Naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c']bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole-based small molecules have been synthesized for organic solar cells. The optimized devices processed by a halogen-free solvent of CS₂ exhibited a PCE of 11.53% with a small energy loss of 0.57 eV.

A solid electrolyte framework with porous and dense layers for high-energy and safe Li-metal batteries.

The [FeFe]-hydrogenase can incorporate synthetic cofactors inside living cells, allowing for artificial enzyme activation under in vivo conditions.

Single-site molybdenum di-oxo catalyst generates hydrogen fuel from aqueous alcohols under mild conditions.

The authors directly show that grain size and quality have a negligible impact on the excitonic characteristics of perovskite semiconductors.

Unusually long charge carrier lifetime in methylammonium lead halide perovskites is a result of the Rashba-split indirect bandgap. At high pressure the bandgap becomes purely direct, with shorter carrier lifetime and higher radiative efficiency.

The Hydrogen Dependent Carbon dioxide Reductase (HDCR) from Acetobacterium woodii presents a promising solution to the issue of H₂ storage by reversibly coupling H₂ oxidation to CO₂ reduction.

Here we report chemically-exfoliated V₅S₈ and graphite hybrid nanosheets (ce-V₅S₈–C) as a novel anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs).

Vulcanized rubber products contain polymer backbones crosslinked with sulfur to improve mechanical strength.

An approach is proposed to predict the impact of point defects on solar cell performance.

High performance Bi₂Te₃-based thermoelectric material and modules with a conversion efficiency of 5.2% under a temperature gradient of 250 K were synthesized by TIFS.

Identification and synthesis of a new large-band gap photoabsorber for tandem-architecture water splitting: LaYS₃.

Surface structural transitions and active sites are identified using X-ray scattering and density functional theory.

A freestanding transparent metallic network electrode is designed, fabricated and integrated for ultrathin, foldable and designable supercapacitor devices.

CH₃NH₃PbI₃ films with micrometer grains and microsecond carrier lifetimes are prepared through additive engineering.

Here, we demonstrated for the first time the transient voltage variation occurring dependent on the history of current density induced.

We demonstrate a universal polymer semiconductor colloid synthesis method to realize eco-friendly and high performance organic opto-electronic devices.

Highly crystalline and “self-poled” δ′-phase Nylon-11 nanowires, fabricated using a novel gas-flow assisted nano-template infiltration method, exhibit enhanced triboelectric energy harvesting performance.

Polymer-free semiconducting carbon nanotube networks demonstrate unprecedented equivalent n- and p-type thermoelectric performance.

This work experimentally identifies the charge-transfer energy as a key factor governing the catalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and mechanism across a wide range of perovskite chemistries.

Well-defined hydrogen-bonded water networks inside differently sized ruthenium macrocycles facilitate cooperative proton-coupled electron transfers, and accelerate the water oxidation catalysis.

A radiation-grafted low density polyethylene-based anion-exchange membrane that is mechanically robust enough to routinely test in alkaline membrane fuel cells at 80 °C.

Optical and device modelling of perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells shows promising potential for real world deployment.

High massic catalytic currents and long-term stability are reached in a thermostable H₂/O₂ enzymatic fuel cell.

A superhydrophilic “nanoglue” strategy to tune and stabilize metal hydroxides onto carbon materials is presented for high-performance supercapacitors.

3D core–shell nanostructures of few-layer NiFe LDH nanosheets grown on Cu nanowires are fabricated toward highly efficient overall water splitting.

A generic electromagnetic model for the working principles of triboelectric nanogenerators derived using Maxwell's equations, to a universally applicable framework.

An electrochemical, lithium-mediated looping method for efficiently producing NH₃ from N₂ and H₂O at ambient pressure.

Low-bandgap polymers/molecules are an interesting family of semiconductor materials, and have enabled many recent exciting breakthroughs in the field of organic electronics, especially for organic photovoltaics (OPVs).

Energy return on investment (EROI) dynamics probabilistic projections of global giant oil fields.

Compatibility and stability issues in all-solid-state batteries and methods for investigation.

Solar reactor technology for splitting CO₂via a 2-step thermochemical redox cycle using concentrated solar radiation.

A CdS–PSII hybrid PEC cell for overall water splitting contains a biomimetic electron transfer pathway comprising two redox shuttles.

A battolyser charges, generates hydrogen, or instantaneously discharges, enabling a remarkably durable, efficient, flexible and switchable electricity storage and conversion.

Dual-working-electrode photoelectrochemical techniques are implemented to characterize semiconductor–catalyst–solution interfaces in protected n-Si photoanodes in situ for the first time.

Schematic diagram showing the information flow from molecular structure, to atomistic model, to a slice of the solid morphology under mechanical deformation and the stress–strain response.

Verification of the “Wiggly Band” model for perovskite solar cells by transients measured at forward bias.

Redox-active, self-polymerized dopamine shows promise as organic cathode materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries.

A record breaking PCE of 12.1% is achieved by incorporating 25 wt% of DR3TSBDT into a PTB7-Th:PC₇₁BM host matrix.

Wrapping grain boundaries with rGO enhances zT by increasing thermal boundary resistance, R_κ, with minimal effect on the electronic transport.