Themed collection Research advancing UN SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy

Schematic of a PEM fuel cell with a Pt/C anode and Fe–N–C cathode: H₂ is oxidized at the anode, electrons flow through the external circuit, proton pass through the polymer membrane, and O₂ is reduced at the cathode.

Slurry rheology is a critical metrology tool for understanding and optimising the manufacture of battery electrodes.

We present a comprehensive survey of the redox couples and end up with 81 different electrolyte combinations to highlight the untapped potential of the thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle.

Analysis and calculation of Germany's climate politics and hydrogen strategy, with a focus on the technical demand for hydrogen implementation through a case study of the chemical industry that engages multiple stakeholders.

The efficiency of hydrogen generation through photocatalytic processes is analyzed from a dual perspective considering energetic and sustainability implications.

We discuss the versatility of quinacridone pigment in photocatalysis, embracing water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction and organic synthesis. Applications include homogeneous catalysis, nanoparticles, covalent organic frameworks, photoelectrodes.

Materials with a core–shell and yolk–shell structure have attracted considerable attention owing to their attractive properties for application in Na batteries and other electrochemical energy storage systems.

This perspective article highlights the good potentiality for the Langmuir Blodgett technique to produce massively BiVO₄ based photoelectrodes for biomass valorization and hydrogen production in the context of Brazil's decarbonation.

This perspective highlights progress in the development of cathode materials for potassium-ion batteries, whilst providing valuable insights into unexplored compositional spaces that can be pursued for high-performance electrode materials.

Interfacial engineering plays a key role in solving the reactivity puzzle of lithium metal batteries. Here, we discuss the interfacial engineering pieces that are in place and the ones that still need to be fitted.

Rechargeable aqueous aluminum ion batteries are the promising candidate as the next-generation rechargeable battery due to its enhanced theoretical specific energy, low material cost, raw material availability and simple manufacturing process.

This review highlights how synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are revolutionizing biofuel production through engineered microbes, sustainable feedstock, and AI-driven optimization strategies.

Catalyst deactivation is a major hurdle in heterogeneous catalysis that requires robust regeneration strategies to restore performance, extend catalyst lifetime and improve sustainability in various industrial processes.

This article aims to highlight the use of heterogeneous bimetallic acid/base catalysts for the production of safe aviation fuels from environmentally friendly and non-edible palm kernel oil.

This review explores degradation pathways, failure risks, and mitigation strategies in lithium-ion batteries, with focus on safety and operation in EVs, ESS, and extreme military environments.

Tackling energy and environmental needs requires efficient catalysts. Polymer composites are good candidates for sustainable energy and environmental applications like supercapacitors, water splitting, adsorption, and corrosion inhibition studies.

The interface engineering includes intricate procedures for the development of heterostructures and heterojunctions, modifying the composition at the interface, and optimizing the interfacial area to enhance H₂ catalytic performance.

A comprehensive review of techniques and emerging trends in lanthanide-based MOFs for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via water splitting.

Halide perovskites can be classified as (1) organic inorganic hybrid and (2) inorganic halide perovskites.

A comprehensive review of low-carbon hydrogen production via plastic waste gasification.

This article reviews the electrochemical performance of intercalation cathodes enhanced by the development of surface coatings via atomic layer deposition.

Hydrogen is emerging as an immense source of energy having the potential to at least partly replace fossil fuels.

Composite solid-state electrolytes (CSEs) with multiple phases offer greater flexibility to customize and combine the advantages of single-phase electrolytes, making them promising candidates for commercial all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs).

Combining agriculture and solar energy offers a promising solution for communities to support their food needs sustainably. Organic and perovskite semitransparent photovoltaics can be potential game changers in agrivoltaics applications.

Decoupling of energy and power; depth of discharge; flexible in design; high safety; recyclable.

Conducting polymers are gaining significant attention in electrochemical energy storage devices for their unique ionic/electronic conduction and redox pseudocapacitance characteristics.

We review the recent literature on spectroscopic/electrochemical operando methods as they are increasingly being applied to understand lithium–sulfur batteries.

Over the past 20 years, metal–organic framework (MOF) nanosheets have garnered a great deal of interest in the fields of energy and environmental management because of their inherent extraordinary qualities.

Glycosaminoglycans have quietly transitioned from biomaterials to advanced functional materials for energy devices and flexible electronics. Gathered here are 45 years of research highlighting both fundamental studies and recent advances and trends.

Doping, coating, surface modification, formation of composites and control of crystalline orientation can control the capacity retention of Ni-rich cathodes. Furthermore, the design of Co-free Ni-rich cathodes may provide a cost-effective solution.

The recent progress in the strategies for the preparation of 2D inorganic non-conductive materials and their and application in alkali metal-based batteries is summarized in this review.

The recent progress in visible light driven photocatalysis by describing the integration of TiO₂ with variety of materials, and how it helps in tailoring electronic, structural and optical properties towards improved solar H₂ production activity.

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) and doped ZnS have gained significant attention for the potential catalytic transformation of CO₂ into useful compounds.

The review article discusses the transition from conventional battery to next-generation bipolar designs of anode-less all-solid-state batteries. The key elements, components and related technologies involved are discussed.

Soft carbon is a special class of carbon materials having tunable physical properties that makes it suitable for various battery applications.

With the ever-increasing demand for efficient and sustainable energy solutions, rechargeable Fe-ion batteries have emerged as a viable alternative to conventional rechargeable batteries.

Phytochemical-based additives have functional groups that can modulate the nucleation and crystallization process of perovskite films resulting in improved optoelectronic and degradation resistance.

This thorough review explores the potential and obstacles related to cathode materials for zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), providing insights into recent advancements, significant concerns, and prospective developments.

Designing hybrid materials with superior electrochemical properties has attracted tremendous interest in recent years for energy-storage applications owing to a high demand for energy sources and the depletion of fossil fuel resources.

Recent advances and perspectives of Ir-based anode catalysts in PEM water electrolysis are highlighted, and it is concluded that the anti-dissolution and stability improvement of Ir active species should be carefully considered for catalyst design in the future.

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) stability is higher in 1 M NaPF₆ compared to 1 M KPF₆ in common carbonate solvents. Battery electrolyte SEI stability was investigated by model systems and chemical analysis of the surface and electrolyte.

Ether-functionalised Li salts show low melting points, high ionic conductivity, and high Li ion transference number, enabling high-performance solvent-free molten electrolytes.

Engineering of NiO-based electrocatalysts for enhanced oxygen evolution has been demonstrated by a combined plasma synthesis and ex situ laser treatment.

We rely on halogen bonding at the interface with charge-transport layers using 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene with TiO₂ and iodo-Zn–phthalocyanine with spiro-OMeTAD interfaces, showcasing the potential of halogen bonding in perovskite photovoltaics.

Use of the Tagetes erecta–CdS photocatalytic system for water splitting increases activity to 35 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is about 7 times higher than that of CdS.

Annealing conditions in layer-exchange synthesis affect multilayer graphene's crystallinity and anode performance. Synthesis at 400 °C showed excellent capacity retention and fast charging, paving the way for high-performance thin-film batteries.

This study presents an eco-friendly synthesis of Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles via a 24-hour room-temperature reaction with morpholine and manganese nitrate. As a zinc-ion battery cathode, Zn//Mn₃O₄ showed a 209.7 mAh g⁻¹ capacity after 300 cycles at 0.6 A g⁻¹.

Single atom platinum catalysts, characterized by isolated Pt atoms dispersed on suitable supports, exhibit high hydrogen evolution catalytic mass activity.

Multivalent-ion and all-solid-state batteries have emerged as potential solutions to address resource concerns and safety issues.

At 250 °C, using an electrochemical setup with a Ru catalyst, Pd alloy H₂-permeable membrane cathode, NaOH–KOH molten salt electrolyte, and Ni anode, NH₃ was synthesized from H₂O and N₂ with 30 mA cm⁻² current density of and 25% current efficiency.

Nanocrystalline high-entropy CoNiFeCrMnO_x thin films were prepared by dip-coating and annealing at 400 °C, showing stable oxygen evolution with overpotentials of 258 mV VS. RHE at 10 mA cm⁻² over 10 hours in alkaline media.

This research explores the incorporation of 2D materials, BDAI₂ and DMPDAI₂, into perovskite solar cells, demonstrating enhanced efficiency and stability in the resulting devices.

In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and optical imaging confirm the role of selenium additives for enhancing power performance, increasing utilization, and suppressing undesirable side reactions in Li–sulphur batteries.

We present an easily scalable approach to developing a nonwoven-supported PVDF-HFP polymer-based quasi-solid-state flexible non-flammable electrolyte, with a conductivity of 1.16 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at RT with a transfer number of 0.68.

State-of-the-art experimental and computational techniques have been used to explore the effects of molecular isomerism on the phase behaviour of the three dihydroxybenzenes catechol, resorcinol, and hydroquinone.

Microstructural variations across cells in a pack, specifically in terms of active material particle size, can cause uneven aging of the cells, with cells having smaller particles showing faster capacity loss due to accelerated SEI growth.

The δ-WN-carbon composite as the cathode materials for the hydrogen evolution reaction in the acidic and alkaline electrolyte.

An ML framework detects faults in PV panels from their unlabeled EL images using transfer learning, k-means labeling, and data augmentation. CNN models achieve 98–99.5% accuracy for binary classification, reducing manual labeling and improving PV system reliability.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes integrated iFeO₃/MoS₂: a promising hybrid matrix for high-efficiency energy storage applications.

Within this research, a solvent-free polymer-based solid electrolyte was prepared by kneading and applied in different thicknesses for lithium sulfur cells. The cycling performance was analyzed by EIS, DSC and SEM-EDX post-mortem analysis.

A bilayer coating prepared by sputtering a thin Pt film on Au-electroplated Ti PTL, prevented TiO_x formation, ensure low interfacial contact resistance and long-term stability. The PEMWE cell performance of 1.716 V at 2.0 A cm⁻² was achieved.

In-depth XPS was used to identify the degradation mechanisms of hydrophobic coatings used for solar modules. Oxygen found in the central chain resulted in performance losses due to β chain scission in UV exposure, and hydrolyzation in during damp.

The ever-growing global energy crisis and alarming environmental degradation have intensified the search for sustainable energy alternatives, with solar technology standing at the forefront of this revolution.

A simple spin-coating speed-tuning approach for safer-solvent ambient-processed perovskite thin film can lead to semitransparent solar cells. The study compares DMSO with the traditional DMF:DMSO for semitransparent perovskite thin films and devices.

Boron NC@graphite catalysts function as efficient, noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for CO₂ conversion to CO and C₁/C₂ products. Boron subphthalocyanines represent a new, scalable class of molecular electrocatalysts.

We introduce several fluorine-free ionic liquids (ILs) comprising dialkylphosphate anions coupled to pyrrolidinium, piperidinium, and pyridinium cations. These ILs exhibit promising performance as supercapacitor electrolytes.

Doping lithium into nickel oxide not only improves its electrical conductivity but also facilitates lithium-ion diffusion into the perovskite, enhancing the quality of the absorber and, consequently, the performance of the solar cell.

Mismatched complex oxide thin films and heterostructures based on perovskites have key applications in technologies such as solid oxide fuel cells, batteries, and solar cells because of emerging properties at the interface.

Cl-containing boracites are produced in high-throughput for the first time by overcoming extreme elemental loss. New mechanisms for material degradation are uncovered including reactions with humid air.