Energy science and technology articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Vapour shielding is one of the interesting mechanisms for reducing the heat load to plasma facing components in fusion reactors. Here the authors report on the observation of a dynamic equilibrium between the plasma and the divertor liquid Sn surface leading to an overall stable surface temperature.

    • G. G. van Eden
    • , V. Kvon
    •  & T. W. Morgan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Organizing photochromic molecules into 3D networks is a key strategy to access photoresponsive materials, but framework rigidity typically limits conversion efficiency. Here, the authors exploit a flexible metal-organic framework to achieve quantitative and reversible photoisomerization in a porous crystalline solid.

    • Yongtai Zheng
    • , Hiroshi Sato
    •  & Susumu Kitagawa

  • 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

    Nuclear-grade graphite is an important high-temperature structural material for fission reactors. Here, the authors perform simultaneous X-ray tomography and mechanical testing on a nuclear-grade graphite, finding simultaneous improvement of strength and toughness at elevated temperatures which they attribute primarily to reduction of residual tensile stresses in the as-made material.

    • Dong Liu
    • , Bernd Gludovatz
    •  & Robert O. Ritchie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    D-band engineering via alloying platinum is a leading design principle for advanced oxygen reduction electrocatalysts, but stability remains a concern. Here the authors make Pt nanoparticles supported on graphite-rich boron carbide for enhanced activity and stability, isolating and optimizing the electronic metal-support interactions.

    • Colleen Jackson
    • , Graham T. Smith
    •  & Denis Kramer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Thermal rectification is instrumental to achieving active heat flow control and energy harvesting in nanoscale devices. Here, the authors demonstrate thermal rectification in asymmetric graphene nanostructures, achieving a large rectification factor up to 26%.

    • Haidong Wang
    • , Shiqian Hu
    •  & Jie Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ion migration in perovskite solar cells are known to cause hysteresis and instability. Biet al., report a charge extraction layer based on graphene, fullerenes and carbon quantum dots which suppresses ion diffusion and enhances charge carrier diffusion leading to efficient devices with improved stability.

    • Enbing Bi
    • , Han Chen
    •  & Liyuan Han

  • Article
    | Open Access

    2D nanomaterials are promising capacitive energy storage materials, but their tendency to restack hinders electrolyte transport. Here, Yamauchi and colleagues introduce 2D ordered mesoporous carbons in between MXene layers, and metal removal affords all-carbon porous 2D–2D heterostructures in which restacking is prevented.

    • Jie Wang
    • , Jing Tang
    •  & Yusuke Yamauchi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Regulating guest access and release in porous materials remains an important goal. Here, May and colleagues elucidate the mechanism by which guest admission can be temperature-regulated in typical microporous materials, and experimentally exploit this process to achieve appreciable and reversible hydrogen storage.

    • Gang (Kevin) Li
    • , Jin Shang
    •  & Eric F. May

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Inadequate pore infiltration and low conductivity of hole transporter materials limit the performance of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. Using fast charge-exchange Cu(II/I) complexes as part of the hole transporting material, Caoet al. overcome these issues to achieve a record photoconversion efficiency of 11%.

    • Yiming Cao
    • , Yasemin Saygili
    •  & Michael Grätzel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Crystalline uraninite is believed to be the dominant form in uranium deposits. Here, the authors find that non-crystalline U(IV) generated through biologically mediated U(VI) reduction is the predominant U(IV)species in ore deposits, implying that biogenic processes are more important than previously thought.

    • Amrita Bhattacharyya
    • , Kate M. Campbell
    •  & Thomas Borch

  • 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

    Antiferroelectric capacitors hold great promise for high-power energy storage. Here, through a first-principles-based computational approach, authors find high theoretical energy densities in rare earth substituted bismuth ferrite, and propose a simple model to assess the storage properties of a general antiferroelectric material.

    • Bin Xu
    • , Jorge Íñiguez
    •  & L. Bellaiche

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Microbial fuel cells generate electricity from a variety of sources, however from methane only negligible electrical power has been reported so far. Here the authors convert methane into electricity using a synthetic consortium consisting of an engineered archaeal strain, microorganisms from methane-acclimated sludge, andGeobacter sulfurreducens.

    • Michael J. McAnulty
    • , Venkata G. Poosarla
    •  & Thomas K. Wood

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Climate change may alter building energy demand. Here, the authors quantify changes in residential electricity and natural gas demand in Los Angeles County and find that rising temperatures may increase electricity demand by 41–87% between 2020 and 2060, but improved efficiency could lower this increase to 28%.

    • Janet L. Reyna
    •  & Mikhail V. Chester

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Direct hydrogenation of CO2 into liquid fuels can mitigate CO2 emissions and reduce the rapid depletion of fossil fuels. Here, the authors show an iron-based multifunctional catalyst that converts CO2to gasoline with high selectivity due to synergistic cooperation of multiple catalytic active sites.

    • Jian Wei
    • , Qingjie Ge
    •  & Jian Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In lithium-ion batteries the interactions between the electrode and electrolyte represent a complex but critical process. Here the authors reveal the dynamic behaviour of interphases driven by conductive carbon through chemical and imaging analyses of a model transition-metal oxide cathode material.

    • Wangda Li
    • , Andrei Dolocan
    •  & Arumugam Manthiram

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Vacancies in 2D materials can influence their properties, however controlling their formation remains a challenge. Here the authors show that selective etching of a 3D laminate with in-plane chemical ordering results in formation of MXenes with ordered divacancies, as well as elevated conductance and supercapacitance.

    • Quanzheng Tao
    • , Martin Dahlqvist
    •  & Johanna Rosen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite recent technological advances, it remains challenging to realize reversible high-areal-capacity lithium metal anodes. Here, the authors demonstrate such an anode by tailoring the top solid electrolyte interphase layer.

    • Hui Wang
    • , Masaki Matsui
    •  & Nobuyuki Imanishi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The energy required to control a dynamical complex network can be prohibitively large when there are only a few control inputs. Here the authors demonstrate that if only a subset of the network is targeted the energy requirements decrease exponentially.

    • Isaac Klickstein
    • , Afroza Shirin
    •  & Francesco Sorrentino

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In order to fully utilize sulfur vacancies in MoS2 catalysts for industrial applications, a facile and general route for making sulfur vacancies in MoS2 is needed. Here, the authors introduce a scalable route towards generating sulfur vacancies on the MoS2basal plane using electrochemical desulfurization.

    • Charlie Tsai
    • , Hong Li
    •  & Frank Abild-Pedersen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Harvesting incident photons with energy below the bandgap may lead to highly efficient solar cells. By introducing InAs quantum dots at the hetero-interface, Asahiet al. achieve efficient two step photon up-conversion resulting in additional photocurrent and very high external quantum efficiency.

    • Shigeo Asahi
    • , Haruyuki Teranishi
    •  & Takashi Kita

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Thermoelectric modules can generate electricity directly from heat and have applications to waste heat-energy conversion. Here Zhouet al. have fabricated a thermoelectric module based on an air-stable n-type single-walled carbon nanotube sheet which can reach a high power factor of 1500 μWm−1K−2.

    • Wenbin Zhou
    • , Qingxia Fan
    •  & Sishen Xie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ideal energy storage technologies should be efficient, safe and cost-effective. Here, the authors make progress by using dissolved sodium metal in a solution of biphenyl and ethers as a liquid anode for rechargeable sodium beta-alumina batteries.

    • Juezhi Yu
    • , Yong-Sheng Hu
    •  & Liquan Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manganese oxide cathodes in alkaline solutions combine low cost and high capacity for energy storage, but it has been challenging to combine high capacity and stable cycling in this system. Here authors demonstrate reversible, high-capacity cycling when copper additives are introduced and investigate the transformations involved.

    • Gautam G. Yadav
    • , Joshua W. Gallaway
    •  & Sanjoy Banerjee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The commercialization of solar cells based on hybrid perovskites requires challenges of device stability and scalable production to be addressed. Ronget al. report ambient-processed printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells with a lifetime of over 130 days in ambient air with 30% relative humidity.

    • Yaoguang Rong
    • , Xiaomeng Hou
    •  & Hongwei Han

  • 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

    Two-dimensional solids are of interest for energy storage due to their large accessible surface area, enabling rapid charge/discharge. Here, the authors quantify the point defects in oxide nanosheets, demonstrating that intentional introduction of charged point defects improves the charge storage behaviour.

    • Peng Gao
    • , Peter Metz
    •  & Scott T. Misture

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Water is believed to undermine the performance of aprotic lithium–air batteries. However, the authors here disclose different battery chemistry, showing that both lithium ions and protons are involved in the battery reactions in the presence of water, leading to an unprecedented dynamic product.

    • Yun Guang Zhu
    • , Qi Liu
    •  & Qing Wang

  • 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

    Cycling-induced fracture can limit conditions for stable operation for various lithium-ion electrode materials. Here, the authors characterize fracture in nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide microscopically and provide evidence for dislocation-assisted, intragranular fracture operating above a critical voltage threshold.

    • Pengfei Yan
    • , Jianming Zheng
    •  & Chong-Min Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A large proportion of methane emissions from natural gas production sites are released by a fraction of high-emitting sources. Here, using Monte Carlo simulations, the authors reveal that super-emitters occur due to abnormal process conditions, explaining component and site-based inventory discrepancies.

    • Daniel Zavala-Araiza
    • , Ramón A Alvarez
    •  & Steven P. Hamburg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rechargeable magnesium batteries suffer from slow solid-state Mg2+diffusion in the intercalation cathode. Here the authors show magnesium/iodine chemistry in which the liquid–solid two-phase reaction leads to increased rate capabilities by overcoming the sluggish kinetics.

    • Huajun Tian
    • , Tao Gao
    •  & Chunsheng Wang

  • 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

    Lithium-based batteries employing silicon anodes and sulfur cathodes are promising for combining low cost and high capacity, but have been limited in terms of cycling stability. Here authors present cycling and characterization data supporting beneficial synergies between a selenium disulfide cathode and a silicon anode.

    • KwangSup Eom
    • , Jung Tae Lee
    •  & Thomas F. Fuller

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