Themed collection Energy & Environmental Science Recent HOT Articles

As the photovoltaic (PV) industry heading towards the multi-TW scale, PV technologies need to be carefully evaluated based on material consumption rather than just efficiency or cost to ensure sustainable growth of the industry.

A unique interwoven structured nano-LiI layer with excellent toughness and mechanical strength and satisfactory ionic conductivity and high interface stability was fabricated through a smart chemical iodine–vapor deposition method.

A structure-mechanism-performance relationship of metal-free carbon catalysts for outstanding H₂O₂ production activity and selectivity in alkaline media.

A molecular hole transport material retards the iodine migration and delivers high stability in a harsh 85 °C MPP test.

We report a Li₂S/LiVS₂ core–shell nano-architecture design for all-solid-state Li₂S batteries where the LiVS₂ shell serves as both a Li⁺/e⁻ transport vehicle and redox mediator for Li₂S on charge to help overcome sluggish cathode kinetics.

Here we propose a new anionic surfactant as an electrolyte additive to guide the preferential deposition of Zn²⁺ in the (002) orientation, suppress the side reactions, and realize a dendrite-free Zn anode for highly stable aqueous Zn-ion pouch cells.

We report that the presence of superstructure ordering serves as an important building block in securing the long-term stability of the oxygen redox activity in O2-type lithium-rich layered oxides.

A TENG intrinsically adaptive to chaotic agitations like the Brownian motors is designed based on dual symmetry breakings.

A fine-tuned organic working solution that synergistically combines auto- and photocatalysis achieves one of the highest solar-to-chemical conversion efficiencies of up to 1.1% to coproduce H₂O₂ and aldehyde under simulated sunlight.

A semitransparent Ta₃N₅ photoanode is designed for efficient and durable solar water splitting. The Ta₃N₅-CuInSe₂ tandem device exhibits an initial and stabilized solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of ∼9% (highest for metal oxides/nitrides) and 4%, respectively.

Weak Al³⁺–solvent interactions and facile desolvation for ultralong stability of Zn–Al alloy anodes.

A novel ionic silicone polymer is introduced in perovskites to achieve stable inverted perovskite solar cells with high efficiency by deep defect passivation and shallow vacancy repair simultaneously.

In situ dosing of metallic Cs on Ru surface results in a higher Cs coverage (compared to conventional ex situ promotion techniques) which enhances the catalytic performance of Ru for ammonia synthesis.

Sustainable aviation fuels can cut emissions of the aviation sector. Using a holistic approach to transform solar energy into fuels, we discuss the scale of resources consumed, technology deployed, and regional drivers for their network development.

BaHf_0.1Ce_0.7Yb_0.2O_3−δ proton-conducting electrolyte exhibits high conductivity, excellent ionic transference number, remarkable chemical stability, and great compatibility with NiO, as confirmed by experimental and computational results.

We combine experiments with density functional theory calculations, statistical analysis, and machine-learning to reveal the structure–absorption strength relationship and predict the absorption strength of organic non-fullerene acceptors.

Kinetic formation of the peroxo-like O₂²⁻ dimer is identified as the origin of a voltage hysteresis in oxygen-redox battery electrodes.

Iron ions are observed in a previously unobserved coordination environment in iron–nickel oxyhydroxide. Complementary characterization techniques suggest the environment sits atop the two-dimensional Ni(OH)₂ sheets.

High efficiencies for organic solar cells are achieved. Two different morphology change paths are revealed with both in situ and ex situ measurements.

A novel electron acceptor, BTP-H2, demonstrates a high efficiency of 18.5% with a high V_oc of 0.932 V. It also enables the ternary device to yield an efficiency of 19.2%, ranking the highest among single-junction organic photovoltaics.

Schematics of water-mediated ex-solution and accordingly nano-engineered protonic ceramic fuel cell furnished with the water-mediated ex-solution on a cathode and H₂ ex-solution on an anode.

The rational molecular design of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) in organic solar cells (OSCs) can profoundly influence the photovoltaic (OPV) performance.

We report a universal phase reconfiguration phenomenon and a doping strategy to enhance the activity of multivalent nickel sulfides in hydrogen evolution. Based on these, a life-time dynamic structure-activity correlation has been established.

We analyzed the techno-economic and environmental performance of a wide-range of CO₂-to-fuel pathways and the critical role of hydrogen in CO₂ utilization framework.

The projected GHG emissions cannot reach the climate goal under any SSP. Further efforts on lowering per capita in-use metal stocks and GHG emission intensity of metal production and promoting recycling are the key to achieve the climate goal.

Sanitary tissue is utilized as the precursor to construct a hard carbon microbelt paper (HCMB), which can be employed as a high-initial-coulombic-efficiency and low-discharge-platform K⁺-storage anode for 4.5 V hybrid capacitors.

By constructing a ternary cell with a B1:BO-2Cl:BO-4Cl donor:acceptors combination, an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.0% (certified to be 16.9%) has been realized for all-small-molecule organic solar cells (ASM-OSCs).

A series of PtLn alloys have been synthesized to act as efficient electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation reactions, where the electronic perturbations of lanthanide guarantee high electroactivity and long-term durability.

A sustainable Janus wood evaporator with asymmetric surface wettability shows persistent salt-resistance for off-grid hypersaline waters desalination.

A large FAS²⁺ ion in FAPbI₃ scavenges localized electrons in defects, leading to perovskite solar cell module with remarkable performance values of 18.76% (25.74 cm²) and 15.87% (65.22 cm²), respectively.

Junctions formed from materials that contain mobile charged species and fixed counterions can assist in photo-induced charge separation and lead to photovoltaic action, irrespective of whether the mobile charges are electronic or protonic.

A dual-cation concentrated electrolyte has been developed to enable a stable Zn anode and a vanadium-oxide-based cathode for efficient aqueous Zn-ion batteries.

The artificial intelligence – aided analysis and prediction the performance of alkaline anion exchange membranes for fuel cells are reported.

The ternary all-small-molecule organic solar cells deliver a top-ranked power conversion efficiency of 16.28%, benefiting from the rational compatibility in the B1:BO-4Cl:Y7 matrix.

A new research method based on process innovation combined with digital technologies is pioneered for printed electronics.

The European technical potential for biogenic carbon dioxide removal is assessed considering seven different BECCS configurations that do not require purpose-grown bio-energy plantations.

A stretchable supercapacitor at −30 °C was developed for the first time by in situ growth of polyaniline onto the newly-designed anti-freezing organohydrogel polyelectrolyte.

We develop and demonstrate a comprehensive data-driven screening protocol with co-validation between experiment and theory to maximize the success rate of materials discovery for photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

Transition metal d-states and oxygen p-states overlap and oxygen lattice integrity dictates the oxygen redox reversibility in metal substituted Li₂RuO₃ positive electrodes for Li-ion batteries.

Quantitative relationship between the protective factor (δ) and PCE of stacked structures of OSC with a record PCE of 17.52% is proposed to understand the mechanism and provide a guideline for solvent choices of eco-friendly solvent protection method.

Based on the increased residual lithium compounds of the degraded cathode, a green water-based strategy is designed for achieving closed-loop recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries.

Low-temperature direct ammonia fuel cells (DAFCs) can use carbon-neutral ammonia as a fuel, which has attracted increasing attention recently due to ammonia's low source-to-tank energy cost, easy transport and storage, and wide availability.

Polyeutectic electrolyte, as a new class of electrolytes, was proposed for various high-energy storage systems.