Reviews & Analysis

The deployment of Li–air batteries is hindered by severe parasitic reactions during battery cycling. Now, the reactive singlet oxygen intermediate is shown to substantially contribute to electrode and electrolyte degradation.

Public fears of nuclear power are widespread, especially in the aftermath of accidents, yet their benefits are rarely fully considered. A new study shows how the closure of two nuclear power plants in the 1980s increased air pollution and led to a measurable reduction in birth weights, a key indicator of future health outcomes.

Various programmes have been introduced to increase energy efficiency in buildings. A study of commercial buildings in Los Angeles, USA, now finds that voluntary certification programmes have been effective at lowering energy use, bringing savings of up to 30%.

Cheap, efficient, and stable thin photovoltaics that use abundant and non-toxic materials can deliver widespread renewable energy. New results using Earth-abundant and potentially cheap ZnO/Sb₂Se₃ solar cells indicate promising levels of stability.

It is important to include the public in the processes by which decisions on societal trajectories are made. A study shows that interactive scenario-building tools can engage people in the holistic complexities of energy transitions, but these tools must be designed and used with care because elicited preferences can be influenced by contextual factors.

US conservatives receive a steady stream of anti-environmental messaging from Republican politicians. However, clean-energy conservatives sending strong counter-messages on energy issues could mobilize moderate conservatives to break away from the dominant right-wing defence of fossil fuels.

The bottom-up approach promoted through the Paris Agreement and signed in 2016 requires the definition of accurate and realistic national pathways to cut emissions. A recent study applied to the UK energy system shows that current UK policy on climate change is incompatible with the most stringent climate objectives.

Deployment of lithium metal batteries requires fast charging capability and long-term cycling stability. Now, a small amount of LiPF₆ in a dual salt electrolyte is shown to enable stable cycling of lithium metal batteries at fast charging rates.

Transportation fuels such as diesel contain organosulfur molecules that, when combusted, form sulfur oxides that are toxic and poison vehicles' catalytic convertors. Now, a method is demonstrated that can reduce the sulfur concentration of diesel fuel to very low levels at low temperatures and pressures.

There are over four billion tonnes of uranium in the oceans that could be harvested for nuclear fuel, but current capture methods have limited performance and reusability. Now, an electrochemical method using modified carbon electrodes is shown to be promising for the extraction of uranium from seawater.

Thermoelectric converters built with high thermoelectric activity p-type and n-type materials have the potential to replace mechanical heat-to-electricity converters. Now, efficient n-type SnSe has been prepared, ready to complement its previously reported p-type counterpart.

The combined effect of increased variability of demand due to distributed generation and domestic storage deployment represents a new feature in modern electricity systems. A recent study shows that while storage can reduce peak demand, it could also increase overall consumption and electricity system emissions.

Conventional positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, such as intercalation and conversion compounds, feature a host structure to reversibly insert and conduct lithium ions. Now, electrochemically activated transition metal oxide-lithium fluoride composite materials are shown to be a promising class of positive electrodes.

The efficiency of single-junction solar cells is intrinsically limited and high efficiency multi-junctions are not cost effective yet. Now, semi-transparent perovskite solar cells suggest that low cost multi-junctions could be within reach.

Organolead halide perovskite solar absorbers demonstrate high photovoltaic efficiencies but they are notorious for their intolerance to water. Now, methylammonium lead iodide perovskites are used to harvest solar energy — in water — via photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from solutions of hydriodic acid.

Extensive efforts are under way to increase not only the efficiency but also the stability of organic-inorganic halide perovskite based solar cells. However, research shows that iodine-containing perovskites are vulnerable to a self-degradation pathway that may inherently limit their lifetime.

Gasoline taxes are considered to be a cost-effective policy instrument for reducing carbon emissions. A study finds that while gasoline taxes rose in 83 countries between 2003 and 2015, the global mean fell by 13.3% due to a shift in consumption towards countries that maintain gasoline subsidies or that have low taxes.