Volume 6 Issue 7, July 2021

Despite intensive research in the development of lithium-metal batteries, combining high energy density and long cycle life is still a great challenge. Now, a deeper understanding of the degradation mechanisms at play in realistic cells may pave the way for practical applications of these batteries.

The doping of CdTe solar cells with group-V elements can improve long-term stability of the devices yet the open-circuit voltage is limited. Now, a low-temperature and solution-based doping method relying on group-V chloride salts may lead to new paths for efficiency improvement.

Climate change impacts the production of electricity including power generated from nuclear facilities. New research published in Nature Energy reports an increase in climate-related outages over the past few decades and projects the annual energy loss for the global fleet of nuclear generators decades into the future.

The viability of electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction as a pathway for CO₂ utilization is contingent on developing selective processes towards high-value carbon-based chemicals. New work demonstrates a strategy to expand the possible products to carbonate esters by sequential redox cycles in a single electrochemical cell.

Theoretical modelling is essential to deepen our understanding of heterogeneous electrocatalytic energy conversion processes, such as water splitting. Here, Sharon Hammes-Schiffer and Giulia Galli offer their perspectives on the best strategies for successfully studying such systems.

It is generally believed that fast Li-ion transport in batteries can only be achieved when the host material does not change much with the Li movement. Here the authors show that controlled and reversible changes in host structures upon cycling can actually be used to improve the battery kinetics.

Doping CdTe solar cells with group V elements could overcome the limitations in voltage output and device stability of copper doping, yet implementation remains challenging. Now, Li et al. have devised an ex situ doping approach that is based on group V chloride solutions and low-temperature annealing.

The development of Li metal batteries requires understanding of cell-level electrochemical processes. Here the authors investigate the interplay between electrode thickness, electrolyte depletion and solid–electrolyte interphase in practical pouch cells and demonstrate the construction of high-energy long-cycle Li metal batteries.

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ can generate fuel precursors and additives, yet the set of possible products and overall efficiency are limited. Now, Lee et al. exploit redox-neutral reactions to form dimethyl carbonate from CO₂ in methanol with 60% Faradaic efficiency and extend the scheme to diethyl carbonate.

Growth of wind and solar energy share demonstrates different dynamics between the initial phases of adoption as compared with the advanced stages. Cherp et al. study the growth dynamics of renewable energy and show that laggards may continue to struggle to achieve high growth rates despite learning from early adopters’ experience.

The impact of extreme weather events driven by climate change is increasingly disrupting energy assets and services. Using operational data of nuclear reactors, Ali Ahmad identifies how disruptions in nuclear power production have increased over the years with increasing temperature anomalies, and projects future loss of output.

The electrolyte is an indispensable component in any electrochemical device. In Li-ion batteries, the electrolyte development experienced a tortuous pathway closely associated with the evolution of electrode chemistries.