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Metal halide perovskite solar cells have shown promising performance, but mainly on small-area devices and under laboratory conditions. Now, researchers have demonstrated the fabrication of large-area devices assembled and packaged into modules and reported on their operation outdoors.
Nitrogen-coordinated iron catalysts are exciting potential replacements for platinum at the cathode of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, but still tend to have poor long-term durability. Now, a thin and porous nitrogen-doped carbon film deposited at the surface of a highly active but unstable Fe–N–C catalyst is shown to drastically improve its stability.
Legal mandates are critical to supporting action on sustainable development goals and climate change targets. Yet, new research highlights the importance of initial endowments for energy transitions, and how they can lead to disparate outcomes across regions.
All-perovskite tandem devices are promising due to their high efficiency and low cost but their development is hindered by narrow-bandgap absorbers. Now, researchers combine two large organic cations to improve the optoelectronic quality of narrow-bandgap tin–lead perovskites, enabling single-junction and tandem cells with enhanced efficiency and stability.
Controlling the crystallization of perovskite films over large areas is key to the manufacturing of solar cells, but is difficult with existing fabrication methods. Now, researchers tailor the composition of the precursor ink to fabricate uniform and phase-pure perovskite layers, enabling a 15.3%-efficient photovoltaic module with an area of 205 cm2.
High-performance electrolytes are urgently required in the development of reversible lithium-metal batteries that offer high energy densities. Now, a versatile liquefied gaseous electrolyte is demonstrated with inherent safety, temperature resilience, high recyclability, and promising electrochemical properties.
Blockchains offer a lot of opportunities for efficiency and decentralized management in energy systems. Researchers now show the electricity dispatch is a useful problem uniquely suited to serve as proof of work in a new consensus mechanism for decentralized grid management.
The instability of the rear electrodes in perovskite solar cells limits the long-term durability of the devices. Now, researchers have developed a composite electrode consisting of Cu–Ni alloy sandwiched between graphene layers to considerably improve the operational stability of perovskite solar cells.
Formic acid is a promising hydrogen carrier, but more effective and economical catalysis of both its synthesis from H2 and CO2 and its dehydrogenation is needed. To this end, a Mn-based complex, in the presence of an α-amino acid, is now shown to promote efficient catalysis of both reactions and enable retention and reuse of CO2.
The energy transition offers oil and gas companies an opportunity to shift to new business areas such as renewable energy. New research looking at four oil majors finds limited investments in and revenues from renewable energy, despite ambitious climate strategies.
The open-circuit voltage of CdTe solar cells is limited by energy losses across the device stack. Now, a comprehensive optical and electrical analysis reveals that the high internal voltages of state-of-the-art CdTe-based absorber layers could be translated into electrical power if charge selectivity is increased at contacts.
Redox flow batteries offer a readily scalable solution to grid-scale energy storage, but their application is generally limited to ambient temperatures above 0 °C. Now, a polyoxometalate-based chemistry has been developed to enable redox flow batteries to operate, and even thrive, under frigid conditions.
The renewable energy sector has the potential to contribute to the creation and growth of business ventures. A new study offers important insights on entrepreneurial opportunities and their gender dimensions with regard to entrepreneurial uses of electricity.
Understanding the role of different types of energy-related information on consumer purchases is important for the design of effective energy-efficiency policies. Now, a randomised experiment adds energy-cost information to conventional EU energy labels and finds a tension between energy efficiency, price and total energy cost.
Severe capacity fade in layered sodium oxide cathodes hinders their commercial feasibility in sodium batteries. Now, intrinsic lattice strain is unveiled as a new origin for their short cycle life, in addition to the common belief that phase transition or parasitic reactions are solely responsible.
The ever-growing consumption of energy to cool indoor spaces calls for more efficient, environmentally friendly and grid-flexible alternatives to vapour compression. Now, researchers demonstrate electrochemical refrigeration based on the thermogalvanic effect that could potentially address these needs.
Alkaline membrane fuel cells can operate using nonprecious metals as catalysts, but rely on polymeric membranes with high hydroxide conductivity and alkali-resistance, which are hard to find. A new membrane is now reported comprising ferrocenium cations in magnetically aligned domains with an excellent combination of these properties.
Perovskite and organic semiconductors can be combined to make tandem solar cells but, to date, their efficiency has hovered around 20%. Now, researchers demonstrate a 23.6% tandem by reducing interfacial defects to improve the perovskite cell’s voltage and developing an ultrathin interconnection layer.
Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells offer the prospect of low-cost components thanks to their alkaline environment, yet they are plagued by carbonation of the electrolyte caused by the CO2 present in the feed air. Now, an electrochemical method for CO2 scrubbing using a membrane with mixed ionic–electronic conductivity offers a potential remedy.
Fuel cells with acid-doped membranes must avoid liquid water and humid gas streams to prevent leaching of acid, and so are limited to operating above 120 °C, complicating start-up. Now, microporous membranes offer a chance to confine the acid to their pores, allowing start-up without pre-heating, higher performance and perhaps even extended lifetime.
