Energy harvesting articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The performance of wide-bandgap perovskite photovoltaics is limited by the undesired phase transition and high density of deep level traps. Here, Tan et al. incorporate dipolar methylammonium cation to make the material defect-tolerant and achieve a high power conversion efficiency of 20.7%.

    • Hairen Tan
    • , Fanglin Che
    •  & Edward H. Sargent

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Utilizing mixed-cation-halide can improve stability of the formamidinium perovskite films and devices but sacrifices the photocurrent due to an increase in bandgap. Here Lee et al. introduced small amounts of 2D perovskite to obtain high efficiency and stability based on phase-pure formamidinium based perovskite.

    • Jin-Wook Lee
    • , Zhenghong Dai
    •  & Yang Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Further mechanistic insight of intramolecular singlet fission (iSF) in conjugated polymers can enable novel material design for solar cells. Here, the authors use transient spectroscopy to show iSF in an isoindigo-based conjugated polymer and propose a design rule based on morphology-dependent iSF.

    • Jiahua Hu
    • , Ke Xu
    •  & Matthew Y. Sfeir

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Crystal facet orientations of the polycrystalline hybrid lead halide perovskite thin films play a crucial role in determining the device performance. Here Zheng et al. demonstrate effective control of the crystal stacking mode by cation cascade doping, which promotes the charge transport in the photovoltaic device.

    • Guanhaojie Zheng
    • , Cheng Zhu
    •  & Huanping Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Interference patterns in photoexcited dynamics of many materials have historically been attributed to electronic and vibrational coherences. Here, the authors demonstrate a simple model based on wavefunction symmetry suggesting these coherences originate from non-adiabatic transitions for optically active molecules.

    • Tammie R. Nelson
    • , Dianelys Ondarse-Alvarez
    •  & Sergei Tretiak

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Contradictory models are being debated on the dominant pathways of charge generation in organic solar cells. Here Kurpiers et al. determine the activation energy for this fundamental process and reveal that the main channel is via thermalized charge transfer states instead of hot exciton dissociation.

    • Jona Kurpiers
    • , Thomas Ferron
    •  & Dieter Neher

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrocaloric materials can be electrically driven to pump heat and hold promise for use in efficient solid-state refrigeration. Here, the authors demonstrate an approach to recycle recoverable energy from electrocaloric cycles, offering a method to enhance performance in electrocaloric refrigeration systems.

    • E. Defay
    • , R. Faye
    •  & N. D. Mathur

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The application of strain to semiconducting materials can be used to engineer electric fields through a varying energy gap. Here, the authors observe an inverse charge-funnel effect in atomically thin HfS2, enabled by strain-induced electric fields.

    • Adolfo De Sanctis
    • , Iddo Amit
    •  & Saverio Russo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The hydrogen evolution reaction is a promising route to produce clean hydrogen fuel; however, its efficient electrolytic generation relies on expensive platinum. Here, the authors show how modulating electron density in a metal sulfide, NiCo2S4, boosts hydrogen desorption to achieve high catalytic activity.

    • Yishang Wu
    • , Xiaojing Liu
    •  & Gongming Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    One major energy loss in electronics is heat dissipation due to induced polarization in dielectric materials in the presence of electric fields. Kim et al. utilize large polarization in liquids to harvest dielectric loss via an energy-loss return gate design, which converts energy back to electricity.

    • Taehun Kim
    • , Hyungseok Yong
    •  & Sangmin Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Some microorganisms are able to generate electrons that can be externally harvested. Here the authors show an increase by two orders of magnitude in the photocurrent when two cyanobacterial strains are grown on nanopourous transparent conducting substrates, compared to traditional solid substrates.

    • Tobias Wenzel
    • , Daniel Härtter
    •  & Ullrich Steiner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sunlight harvesting and redirection is a promising concept for sustainable energy conversion, however losses have hindered progress. Here the authors construct a simple biomimetic device which minimises losses by using reservoirs of randomly-oriented dyes to funnel energy onto individual emitting parallel acceptors.

    • Alexander Pieper
    • , Manuel Hohgardt
    •  & Peter Jomo Walla

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ambient environmental thermal fluctuations offer an abundant yet difficult to harvest renewable energy source, when compared to static thermal gradients. Here, by tuning the thermal effusivity of composite phase change materials, the authors are able to harvest energy from diurnal ambient temperature changes.

    • Anton L. Cottrill
    • , Albert Tianxiang Liu
    •  & Michael S. Strano

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The evaporation of water represents an alternative source of renewable energy. Building on previous models of evaporation, Cavusoglu et al. show that the power available from this natural resource is comparable to wind and solar power, yet it does not suffer as much from varying weather conditions.

    • Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu
    • , Xi Chen
    •  & Ozgur Sahin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) harvest ambient mechanical energy and convert it into electrical energy. Here, the authors couple surface polarization from contact electrification with dielectric polarization from a ferroelectric material in vacuum to dramatically enhance the TENG output power.

    • Jie Wang
    • , Changsheng Wu
    •  & Zhong Lin Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Up-scaling represents a key challenge for photovoltaics based on metal halide perovskites. Using a composite of 2D and 3D perovskites in combination with a printable carbon black/graphite counter electrode; Granciniet al., report 11.2% efficient modules stable over 10,000 hours.

    • G. Grancini
    • , C. Roldán-Carmona
    •  & Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Using low dose transmission electron microscopy, Rothmann, Li, Zhuet al. report direct evidence for twin domains in tetragonal CH3NH3PbI3perovskite. The relevant scale and transition temperature of these twin domains could have implications for perovskite solar cells.

    • Mathias Uller Rothmann
    • , Wei Li
    •  & Yi-Bing Cheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Slow cooling of hot charge carriers in lead halide perovskite could be used in photovoltaics devices. Here, Yanget al. study hot carrier dynamics by transient absorption spectroscopy. They relate the phonon bottleneck to the up-conversion of low-energy phonons, facilitated by the presence of organic cations.

    • Jianfeng Yang
    • , Xiaoming Wen
    •  & Gavin Conibeer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photosynthesis uses only a limited range of solar radiation. Here, Graysonet al. genetically incorporated the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) chromophore into a bacterial photosystem, and show that energy harvested by reaction centre–YFP complexes can augment photosynthesis in vivo.

    • Katie J. Grayson
    • , Kaitlyn M. Faries
    •  & C. Neil Hunter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal oxide semiconductors are promising photoelectrode materials for solar water splitting but their efficiency needs to be improved. Here, the authors report a hetero-type dual photoelectrode strategy in which two photoanodes of different band gaps are connected in parallel for extended light harvesting.

    • Jin Hyun Kim
    • , Ji-Wook Jang
    •  & Jae Sung Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The spin Seebeck effect enables thermal-to-electrical energy conversion but the power generated in thin films remains low. Here, Boonaet al. use composites of ferromagnetic conductors containing noble metal nanoparticles to show that the effect can enhance the transverse thermopower of bulk materials.

    • Stephen R. Boona
    • , Koen Vandaele
    •  & Joseph P. Heremans

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Piezoelectricity in diphenylalanine peptide nanotubes (PNTs) suggests an avenue towards green piezoelectric devices. Here the authors show ‘smart’ PNTs whose polarization can be controlled with an electric field, and a resultant power generator which harvests biomechanical energy with high power density.

    • Vu Nguyen
    • , Ren Zhu
    •  & Rusen Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Flexible materials for harvesting and storing energy are desirable for wearable electronics, but efficiency is still an issue. Here, the authors demonstrate a flexible and weavable ribbon which integrates a solar cell and supercapacitor via a shared electrode for efficient energy harvesting and storage.

    • Chao Li
    • , Md. Monirul Islam
    •  & Jayan Thomas

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The energy harvesting potential of triboelectric nanogenerators is currently limited by their output power. Here, the authors design a triboelectric nanogenerator inspired by lightning generation, featuring an electric double layer that delivers impressive charge separation and electric potential.

    • Jinsung Chun
    • , Byeong Uk Ye
    •  & Jeong Min Baik

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Harvesting bio-mechanical energy is a promising route to powering wearable electronics, however design obstacles remain. Here the authors report on a triboelectric nanogenerator with optimized materials and design that can sustainably power an electronic watch and fitness tracker solely by human motion.

    • Jie Wang
    • , Shengming Li
    •  & Zhong Lin Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In photovoltaics window electrodes must display uniform current transport, as well as high light transmission from the substrate. Here, Han et al.show that quasi-fractal metallic networks provide a practical realization of an electrode structure with an optimal surface coverage and a uniform current density.

    • Bing Han
    • , Qiang Peng
    •  & Jinwei Gao

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