Sustainable Energy & Fuels最新文献

The ocean contains a vast source of energy, and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are emerging as a promising technology for its harvesting. Here, we report a facile-fabricated, robust hybrid TENG (H-TENG) designed to simultaneously harvest wind and water flow energy. The device, fabricated using 3D and electronic design automation (EDA) technologies, comprises an upper wind-driven unit (WH-TENG) and a lower water flow-driven unit (WFH-TENG). WH-TENG utilizes rabbit fur to achieve a high short-circuit current (I_sc) of 14.8 µA and a peak power of 3.54 mW, demonstrating exceptional durability by retaining 92% of its initial charge transfer (130.9 nC) after seven weeks. WFH-TENG, designed for simple preparation and integration, delivers a peak power of 1.13 mW. As a practical application, the integrated H-TENG successfully powers a water level alarm within 150 s. This work demonstrates a viable strategy for multi-energy harvesting in marine environments, paving the way for the long-term and comprehensive utilization of ocean energy.

In this study, a novel chemical looping ammonia cracking (CLCr) process was designed for efficient hydrogen production. A closed-loop, three-reactor chemical looping system using iron oxide as the oxygen carrier was modelled in Aspen Plus. A parametric study was carried out to evaluate the effect of key parameters, including the air reactor outlet temperature, fuel reactor outlet temperature, ammonia to oxygen carrier ratio, and the steam reactor pressure. The optimal operating conditions were then identified, under which a hydrogen yield of 69.4% with 99.99% purity can be achieved with an overall energy efficiency of 79.6%. An energy balance analysis was also carried out to confirm that the process is autothermal, and the overall exergy efficiency of the process was 70.4%. These findings highlight the novel CLCr process as an energy-efficient alternative to conventional ammonia catalytic cracking for hydrogen production.

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Recently, it has been shown that the sulfur load and subsequently the sulfur strand length of organo-sulfur networks prepared via inverse vulcanization for lithium organo-sulfur batteries impact the battery performance in terms of specific capacity and stability. In this work, we quantify the distribution of sulfur strand lengths evolving over the course of several charge–discharge cycles using operando X-ray absorption spectrometry. The results correlate the stability of sulfur strand length and (ir)reversibility of S-strand reduction and accompanied cleavage with battery cycling.

Correction for ‘Advances and strategies in scalable coating techniques for flexible perovskite solar cells’ by Hou-Chin Cha et al., Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SE00873E.

Monodisperse PtCo bimetallic alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized via a facile impregnation–reduction method utilizing oxidized carbon nanohorns (oxCNHs) as a high-surface-area support. The optimized Pt_1.5Co-oxCNH catalyst demonstrated exceptional performance for hydrogen evolution via ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis under mild conditions (298 K), achieving a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 445 mol_H2 mol_Pt⁻¹ min⁻¹. This represents a 2.7-fold enhancement compared to the monometallic Pt-oxCNH benchmark and is accompanied by a significant reduction in the apparent activation energy. Synergistic electronic effects within the Pt_1.5Co alloy were identified as critical to this performance boost. Furthermore, the unique nanoconfined pore structure of the oxCNH support effectively stabilized the PtCo NPs, minimizing aggregation and maintaining a small particle size, thereby maximizing accessible active sites and enhancing catalyst stability. The exceptional catalytic activity stems from the optimized electronic structure of Pt, modulated by localized electron density transfer via the Co alloying effect, coupled with strong metal–support interactions between the NPs and the functionalized oxCNH surface. This work provides a strategic design principle for developing highly active and durable heterogeneous catalysts for efficient hydrogen production.

Designing multimodal catalysts with high efficiency and durability remains a central challenge in clean energy research. High-entropy materials, composed of multiple principal elements, have recently emerged as promising candidate in catalysis owing to their tunable active sites, synergistic effects, and enhanced stability. In this study, a novel non-noble metals based high entropy metal–organic framework (HE-MOF) was synthesized and subsequently converted into a high-entropy alloy in carbon matrix (HEA@Carbon) through controlled thermal treatment under static hydrogen atmosphere. Detailed structural and compositional analyses were carried out using XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM-EDX, and TEM to confirm the successful formation of the HEA phase with the preservation of the carbon morphology. The HEA@Carbon catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB), achieving a TOF value of 316 min⁻¹ with an apparent activation energy (E_a) of 9.6 kJ mol⁻¹, representing a nearly tenfold decrease in activation energy for AB hydrolysis compared to the non-catalytic reaction. The catalyst retained nearly identical catalytic activity over five consecutive cycles, demonstrating excellent durability. Importantly, the HEA@Carbon catalyst's inherent magnetic recoverability enables facile separation and reuse, with 96% catalyst recovery after the reusability test, underscoring its practical suitability for scalable hydrogen production. Beyond catalytic hydrogen production from chemical hydrides, HEA@Carbon exhibited notable electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with an overpotential of 400 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 92 mV dec⁻¹, together with the long-term operational stability. These results underscore the great potential of HEA embedded within a carbon matrix as a bifunctional catalyst for both chemical and electrochemical hydrogen generation, for next-generation hydrogen energy systems.

To enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in applications, nano NiO was created as an anode material in this work via a simple hydrothermal synthesis approach using a composite with bio-carbon (blackberry seeds derived activated carbon). NiO particles were evenly dispersed across the BBSDAC's surface, according to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The resulting composite (NiO@10%-C) with micropores and mesopores showed potential for quick electron/ion transfer, electrolyte penetration to the electrode surface, and prevention of NiO volume expansion during the electrochemical study. In comparison to pristine NiO and the other two composite anode materials (NiO@5%-C and NiO@20%-C), the NiO@10%-C composite material exhibited good rate performance, long cycle life, and high reversibility when employed as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The NiO@10%-C material had a coulombic efficiency of 99.5% and a capacity of 807 mA h g⁻¹ at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹ for up to 100 cycles. However, the pristine NiO, NiO@5%-C, and NiO@20%-C materials exhibited a capacity of 112, 207, and 458 mA h g⁻¹, respectively. The exceptional performance of the NiO@10%-C electrode originated from the presence of BBSDAC on NiO, which accelerated the electron transfer and reduced the volume change of NiO during the lithiation and delithiation processes. Accordingly, it is thought that the BBSDAC can be used to enhance the electrochemical capabilities of different metal-oxide electrodes in rechargeable batteries.

Aviation's 2.5% contribution to global CO₂ emissions necessitates scalable, sustainable jet fuel alternatives. This review addresses the gap in comprehensive CO₂-to-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) analyses by examining Power-to-Liquid (PtL) technologies, focusing on CO₂ hydrogenation via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, methanol-to-jet (MtJ), and direct hydrogenation pathways. We analyze recent advances in bifunctional catalysts and tandem mechanisms, achieving 21–57% energy efficiencies and jet fuel costs of 2–9 € kg⁻¹. A phased 2050 commercialization roadmap aligns technology readiness levels with policies like EU's ReFuelEU. Case studies (Haru Oni, Synhelion, OXCCU) highlight real-world progress, while life cycle assessments reveal carbon intensities of 10–83 gCO₂e MJ⁻¹. Challenges, including catalyst deactivation and green hydrogen scalability, are evaluated alongside opportunities in AI-driven catalyst design and modular reactors. By integrating catalysis, techno-economics, and policy, this work guides researchers, industry, and policymakers toward net-zero aviation.

Seawater batteries (SWBs) are an emerging energy storage solution that leverages the abundant and cost-effective sodium ions present in seawater. However, their performance is often constrained by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the seawater cathode. To overcome these limitations, a series of platinum group metal (PGM)-free bifunctional electrocatalysts was developed to enhance OER/ORR catalytic activity and overall power performance. Metal-doped nitrogen carbon nanoparticles (M–N–C), namely FeNiNC, FeNC, and NiNC, were synthesized via a simple precipitation method followed by heat treatment, yielding active metal sites dispersed in an amorphous carbon structure. The use of low-cost biomass derived from hazelnut shells as a carbon-based material, modified with Fe and/or Ni, resulted in a highly efficient catalyst. In particular, FeNiNC exhibited an ORR activity of 0.81 V vs. RHE at half-potential and an OER activity of 1.57 V vs. RHE at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Electrochemical characterization demonstrated that SWBs incorporating the FeNiNC catalyst achieved enhanced power output and cycling stability, maintaining performance for 350 hours.