Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research最新文献

Cathode Electrolyte Interphase

The cover illustrates the debate about the presence of cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) in course of electrolyte oxidation in high voltage batteries, in particular dual ion batteries (DIBs). In article number 2400330 by Johannes Kasnatscheew and co-workers, graphite-based cathode active material (CAM) is free of transitions metals (TMs) and TM-related impurities, which simplifies research of CAM surface. In fact, no CEI indications are found, hardening CEI as “myth”.

Hygroelectric Cell

Hygroelectric cell is an energy harvester which utilizes daily humidity changes to generate electricity. By using a ceramic electrolyte membrane that is impermeable to water, efficient power generation is enabled. More details can be found in article number 2400342 by Yusuke Komazaki and co-workers.

In this study, silicon (Si) deposition is performed in a high-density (10¹⁸ m⁻³) helium (He) plasma environment, and He–Si co-deposition layers, where He atoms are implanted into the Si thin film, are formed. The He-containing thin film, which has a porosity of ≈0.5, is composed of smaller clusters with the size of 100–200 nm including many pores with different sizes, which is advantageous for lithium-ion-battery (LIB) negative electrode. It is also shown that substrate copper (Cu) atoms are diffused into the deposition layer and Cu doping occurred naturally. The LIB performance of the He–Si co-deposited thin film (>1 μm in thickness) is evaluated. When the substrate temperature is at 523 K during the deposition, the Si layer has amorphous structure, and the LIB discharge capacity remains 1800 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles. In the results, it is shown that the Si–He co-deposition method can be a novel method to fabricate Cu-doped porous amorphous Si thin film for high-performance LIB application.

Recycling Lithium Ion Battery Electrolyte Solvents

Schematic workflow for the developed solid-phase extraction/gas chromatography-flame ionization detection providing a robust quantification of low concentrated organic carbonates in aqueous (e.g., process water from the recycling of lithium ion batteries) samples. The increased affinity toward the stationary phase allows preconcentration factors >250 for the linear and oligomeric carbonates and an effective removal of the conducting salt. More details can be found in article number 2400311 by Sascha Nowak and co-workers.

Greenhouse gases emissions reduction in the energy and transportation systems is extremely important. Nonroad mobile machines (NRMMs) are a key factor of production in many industrial and transportation systems with high-energy intensity. NRMM cover a wide range of application sectors and operate often in harsh environments. This study presents a literature review for NRMM on agriculture and forestry, mining and earth-moving, construction, and ports. It provides an overview of future energy technology and energy-related business factors for NRMM, considering different geographical areas, various energy sources, energy delivery solutions, and different types of powertrains. The best solutions for the case combinations and projected market environments are derived for several case regions. This study also contains a detailed example of an off-grid mining with renewable energy supply. The analysis of the off-grid mining cases clearly reveals the differences between the Nordic conditions and southern conditions. The importance of the wind power as a source for the renewable energy is emphasized in Nordic conditions, but the solar power can augment it during the summer months. Also, the seasonal storage becomes important in the case of Nordic conditions.

Atmospheric moisture is emerging as a ubiquitous energy source for energy harvesting. However, a practical long-life device has not been realized, and theoretical aspects including mechanisms and thermodynamics have not been fully clarified. Here, this study provides a practical device and a thermodynamic theory for a concentration cell-based hygroelectric generator (hygroelectric cell, HEC), which enables high-power and long-term electricity generation by day/night humidity changes. Using a Li_1+x+yAl_xTi_2−xSi_yP_3−yO₁₂ glass–ceramic solid electrolyte membrane with no water permeability, an ideal HEC without self-discharge is realized. The ideal HEC generates electricity in an outdoor environment for over three months with a maximum power density of 60.4 μW cm⁻² and an average power density of 3.0 μW cm⁻². The maximum power density in the experimental environment reaches 436 μW cm⁻². This is 68 times higher than conventional HECs with polymer-based cation-exchange membranes. The ideal HEC can also drive a wireless sensor for more than four months. Furthermore, a thermodynamic model of the ideal HEC, which enables calculations of the maximum work and maximum efficiency, is derived and the model is verified by experiments. This study provides new insights into both thermodynamic theory and device development aspects of the humidity-based energy harvesting.

Hydrogen is gaining attention as a fossil fuel alternative due to its potential to meet global energy demands. Producing hydrogen from water splitting is promising as a clean and sustainable fuel pathway. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are crucial in electrocatalytic water splitting for energy conversion and storage. However, water electrolysis faces challenges in cost, efficiency, and scalability. Alternative transition metal electrocatalysts and emerging 2D materials advance electrolysis research, though transitioning from academia to industry remains challenging. The introduction of 3D-printing technologies has revolutionized electrode fabrication for HER and OER. This review explores integrating 3D-printing technologies and surface functionalization with non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts and emerging 2D materials. It focuses on surface-functionalized 3D-printed electrodes using technologies like selective laser melting, stereolithography, and fused deposition modeling with non-noble metal electrocatalysts such as transition metal oxides, hydroxides, and emerging 2D materials like transition metal carbide/nitride (MXenes) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). The review highlights the opportunities and challenges in scalable fabrication, long-term durability, and cost-efficiency for practical implementation. Future research directions include exploring new materials for 3D printing and alternative electrocatalysts alongside leveraging theoretical and machine-learning approaches to accelerate the development of competitive materials for water electrolysis.

Alloy nanoparticles based on platinum group metals (PGMs) have been intensively investigated in various fields, especially in catalysis. Recently, the scope of alloying has expanded to include not only d-block transition metals but also p-block elements, which have a wide range of properties that are very different from those of d-block transition metals. By alloying PGMs with p-block elements, the electronic structure and surface properties of the catalysts can be tuned, enhancing their catalytic performance. The focus of this review is on PGM–p-block element nanoalloys, their synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and catalytic properties. In addition to typical binary crystalline alloys, such as solid-solution and intermetallic alloys, this review also highlights the potential of multielement, amorphous, or liquid alloys, which have recently garnered much attention. The review aims to provide valuable perspectives for the development of PGM-based sustainable and innovative catalysis, while also addressing the current challenges and future directions in this field.

Solar evaporators are fabricated by coating coconut/agave fibers with graphene. Those ones are utilized to desalinate seawater brought from Vallarta beach, Mexico. The graphene-based evaporators exposed to sunlight produce a maximum evaporation rate/efficiency of 2.13 kg m⁻² h⁻¹/83%. The addition of Fe₂O₃ particles to the evaporators enhances the evaporation rate/efficiency up to 2.36 kg m⁻² h⁻¹/88.5%. The higher presence of oxygen vacancies defects in the evaporators made with Fe₂O₃ improves the absorption of light in the UV-Vis range, which in turn, accelerates the desalination of seawater. Moreover, the performance of the solar evaporators is evaluated in absence of solar light. In this case, upconversion (UC) and downconversion (DC) phosphors are attached to the evaporators and such phosphors are excited with near-infrared (980 nm) or ultraviolet (360 nm) light. Consequently, green light is produced by DC/UC, which is absorbed by the evaporators to be heated and the seawater evaporation is induced. The maximum evaporation rate/efficiency produced by the evaporators is 0.738 kg m⁻² h⁻¹/84.9%. In general, this research offers a novel strategy to continue the desalination of seawater in absence of solar light or in cloudy days. This can be useful to design new types of desalination plants without using complex/expensive filtration systems.