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Capture of CO2 from the air requires substantial amounts of energy. Here the authors report molten-carbonate membranes to concentrate CO2 from 400 ppm input streams that exploit ambient energy in the form of humidity differences.
Choo, Lee et al. computationally and experimentally investigate how the thermal resistance and surface cooling of thermoelectric legs with different geometries impact the power output of Cu2Se thermoelectric materials.
Energy efficiency improvements can create rebound effects that increase energy use. Here the authors find that energy savings in US freight transport may depend on whether increased efficiency encourages substitution with more or less fuel-efficient modes.
Interfaces are crucial to the operation of perovskite solar cells. Xiao et al. report the existence of detrimental grain surface concavities and their removal with molecular additives to achieve solar cells with improved efficiency and stability.
For synthetic fuels to aid in a transition towards cleaner transportation, they must fulfil criteria related to scalability, compatibility with existing infrastructure and environmental impacts. Here the authors show that hydroformylated Fischer–Tropsch fuels comprising optimized alkane–alcohol blends are promising candidates when judged by these metrics.
Electrolyte design is crucial for lithium metal battery development. Here the authors report an electrolyte with a compact solvation structure on the nanometre scale that facilitates fast interfacial reaction kinetics and improves battery performance.
The inflexibility of power grids can lead to stranded renewable power that cannot be absorbed by the grid. Here Wang et al. report a modular electrochemical strategy for the production of useful chemicals that can provide demand flexibility, enabling participation in different electricity markets.
While the high concentration of CO2 in flue gas makes it an attractive feedstock for electrocatalytic production of useful molecules, SO2 contaminants can poison catalysts. Here the authors report a polymer/catalyst/ionomer heterojunction design with hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains that improves the SO2 tolerance of a Cu catalyst.
Anode-free batteries are cost effective but limited by unstable anode morphology and interface reactions. Here the authors discuss design parameters and construct an anode-free sodium solid-state battery using compressed aluminium particles as the anode current collector to improve cycling performance.
Decarbonization of transport is critical for emissions reduction goals, but understanding long-distance passenger travel patterns remains difficult. This study combines different travel surveys in England to explore long-distance travel and its oversized impact on emissions, proposing a new metric to examine decarbonization potential.
The stability of perovskite photovoltaics under reverse bias is limited and thus an issue for real-world applications. Nengxu Li and colleagues report the underlying degradation mechanism at the cathode side and a multilayer barrier to minimize it.
China’s continuing reliance on coal in district heating risks considerable carbon lock-in and hinders decommissioning of coal-fired electricity generation. This work outlines how the government can achieve its proposal to decarbonize district heating.
Non-fused ring electron acceptors may have low synthetic costs but also exhibit poor crystallinity in organic solar cells. Zeng et al. use a binary solvent system to control the crystallization and phase separation of donor and acceptor materials, achieving over 19% efficiency.
This study assesses the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions for 1,025 planned green hydrogen facilities covering diverse technologies and renewable electricity sources in 72 countries, noting that well-chosen production configurations are central to green hydrogen.
Molecular design is key to the power conversion efficiency in organic photovoltaics. Jiang, Sun, Xu et al. develop a non-fullerene acceptor with asymmetric structure and phenyl-substituted side chains that minimizes photon and carrier losses, enabling 20.2% efficiency.
Graphene-based membranes are attractive for capturing CO2, with separation selectivity typically achieved by control of pore size. Here Hsu et al. incorporate pyridinic nitrogen species at the pore edges in graphene, leading to competitive CO2 binding and enhanced separation performance.
Light-driven approaches could lower the carbon footprint of chemical production. Here the authors use the perovskite oxide LaMn1−xCuxO3 as a photocatalyst to convert ethane to ethylene and hydrogen.
Smart temperature-responsive materials could enhance battery thermal safety management; however, current designs lack the necessary responsiveness for both performance and safety. Here the authors demonstrate a material that swiftly transitions from thermal transmission to isolation during thermal runaway in battery modules, thereby ensuring battery safety.
High-temperature operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells has some advantages but is also challenging due to the instability of proton transport above 160 °C. Here the authors report a polymer electrolyte membrane comprising well-dispersed and interconnected cerium hydrogen phosphate particles within a polymer matrix that performs well in a fuel cell at up to 250 °C.
Drawing from data on 11 US states, here the authors find evidence to suggest that community solar and other alternative solar products have the potential to expand solar access among lower-income and renter households.