Insight 20 December 2016

Materials for sustainable energy

Energy demand from developed and developing countries continues to grow, together with concerns on the detrimental effects that an energy economy based on fossil fuels has on the environment. This Insight discusses the latest advances in materials science that may boost the transition to more sustainable energy systems.

Content

Materials for sustainable energy
- Vincent Dusastre
- Luigi Martiradonna
Editorial20 Dec 2016 Nature Materials
The path towards sustainable energy

This Perspective provides an overview of the contributions of materials science to a sustainable energy future, and discusses possible regulatory paths to support this transition.
- Steven Chu
- Yi Cui
- Nian Liu
Perspective20 Dec 2016 Nature Materials
Energy conversion approaches and materials for high-efficiency photovoltaics

This Review describes the sunlight conversion strategies — and their technological implementations — that are currently being investigated to realize solar cells with efficiencies beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit.
- Martin A. Green
- Stephen P. Bremner
Review Article20 Dec 2016 Nature Materials
Photovoltaic concepts inspired by coherence effects in photosynthetic systems

Lessons learned from coherent phenomena in biological photosynthetic systems may be useful to improve energy- and charge-transport in disordered materials. This Review describes coherence and its potential beneficial effects in photovoltaics.
- Jean-Luc Brédas
- Edward H. Sargent
- Gregory D. Scholes
Review Article20 Dec 2016 Nature Materials
Sustainability and in situ monitoring in battery development

Significant progress in battery technology is crucial to ensure a transition towards a carbon-neutral society. Recent advances in both sustainability and operando techniques together with remaining challenges and possible solutions are now reviewed.
- C. P. Grey
- J. M. Tarascon
Review Article20 Dec 2016 Nature Materials
Energy and fuels from electrochemical interfaces

Advances in electrocatalysis at interfaces are vital for driving technological innovations related to energy. New materials developments for efficient hydrogen and oxygen production in electrolysers and in fuel cells are described.
- Vojislav R. Stamenkovic
- Dusan Strmcnik
- Nenad M. Markovic
Review Article20 Dec 2016 Nature Materials
Materials for solar fuels and chemicals

Converting sunlight into fuels is attractive for energy storage and photoelectrocatalytic technologies. Scientific challenges related to developing suitable photoabsorbers, efficient catalysts and understanding their interfaces are now reviewed.
- Joseph H. Montoya
- Linsey C. Seitz
- Jens K. Nørskov
Review Article20 Dec 2016 Nature Materials

Materials for sustainable energy

Content

Materials for sustainable energy

The path towards sustainable energy

Energy conversion approaches and materials for high-efficiency photovoltaics

Photovoltaic concepts inspired by coherence effects in photosynthetic systems

Sustainability and in situ monitoring in battery development

Energy and fuels from electrochemical interfaces

Materials for solar fuels and chemicals

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