Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research最新文献

Achieving meaningful citizen engagement in energy innovation is crucial for a successful energy transition, but realizing high levels of participation remains a challenge. Successful initiatives characterized by high levels of participation—according to Arnstein's ladder—are presented and analyzed. In these cases, citizens play a key role in driving technological and social innovations within the energy sector over several decades. From the development of technical standards to the evaluation of energy yield, the assessment of solar module aging, the creation of in situ repair procedures, or the deployment of solar vehicles, among other examples, the initiatives studied demonstrate how citizens can meaningfully engage with researchers in the successful development of technical innovations. Regarding the deployment of social innovations, 34 energy communities are analyzed to assess engagement levels. The findings reveal a gap—similar to that observed in technical innovations—between current practices and genuine citizen-led innovation. While many communities fall short of full citizen control, inspiring examples that demonstrate pathways toward deeper and more impactful citizen participation are showcased. By highlighting these successful cases, this study underscores the transformative potential of citizen engagement in accelerating the sustainable energy transition and provides actionable insights for fostering citizen-driven innovation in the energy sector.

A comprehensive first-principles and machine learning study is conducted on 102 halide double perovskites to identify promising candidates for thermoelectric applications. The HSE06 hybrid functional within the Quantum ATK framework is used to accurately determine electronic structures, bandgaps, and total and partial densities of states. Boltzmann transport theory is applied to figure out important thermoelectric parameters, such as the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and ZT values over a wide range of temperatures. Supervised machine learning models are trained on density functional theory (DFT)-derived descriptors to speed up the discovery of new materials. These models demonstrate high predictive accuracy for thermoelectric performance across different chemical spaces. A detailed analysis of the electronic band structures and orbital contributions is carried out for Rb₂GeI₆, Rb₂PbI₆, Cs₂SnBr₆, and In₂PtCl₆, some of the best-performing compounds. A wide range of behaviors is observed, including metallic, degenerate, and wide-bandgap semiconducting, which correlate with distinct transport properties. This unified method shows how using accurate DFT, transport theory, and machine learning together can help find new materials with specific functions. This will lead to the development of next-generation thermoelectric technologies based on environmentally friendly halide perovskites.

Paired electrolysis, which couples value-added oxidation and reduction half-reactions within an electrolyzer with or without a membrane, offers a promising route to maximize electrical energy efficiency, reduce chemical waste, and enhance economic returns. Unlike many conventional electrolysis processes, where one electrode undergoes a sacrificial reaction, paired electrolysis simultaneously generates useful products at both electrodes. This review outlines the fundamentals and challenges of paired electrolysis, highlighting strategies to improve performance by minimizing thermodynamic potentials and overpotentials (activation, ohmic, and mass transfer). Representative examples of utilizing novel paired electroysis to enhance the conventional chlor-alkali process, green hydrogen production, electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction, and electrochemical ammonia synthesis are summarized. This review concludes with perspectives on future research areas, including computational studies, durable ion exchange membranes, integrating electrocatalysis with other processes, scaling up electrolyzers, and techno-economic analysis. Efficiently integrating paired electrolysis into renewable-powered chemical manufacturing offers a promising, sustainable approach to simultaneously generating fuels and chemicals.

Solid polymer electrolytes hold great promise for achieving improved processability and safety in solid-state lithium-ion batteries (LIBs); however, several inherent challenges arise from the use of polymers. One critical issue is the ultrahigh interfacial resistance between the cathode and electrolyte, which has emerged as a main research focus in recent years. In this study, a dual functional cathode (DFC) is developed by uniformly dispersing the cathode material (LiFePO₄) into the polymer electrolyte poly(vinylidenfluorid-co-hexafluorpropylene):lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, resulting in a conformable lamella structure with embedded microspheres. Simultaneous enhancement of the interfacial contact and the ion transport efficiency is observed. Solid-state LIBs incorporating the proposed DFC demonstrate exceptional electrochemical performance at room temperature, exhibiting a high discharge capacity of 138 mAh g⁻¹ at 1 C, along with an impressive capacity retention of over 80% after 250 cycles, all while preserving the intricate spherical structure. The discharge capacity reaches 98 mAh g⁻¹ even at a high rate of 5 C. At an elevated temperature of 60 °C, a capacity retention of 80% is obtained after 500 cycles. Therefore, this work provides a simple but effective design concept for improving interfacial compatibility between the cathodes and polymer electrodes in solid-state LIBs.

This study tackles the poor low-temperature performance of lithium-ion batteries through a synergistic strategy that modulates electrode–electrolyte interfacial chemistry via coordinated temperature and electric field control. The research uncovers distinct interfacial evolution mechanisms: at −20 °C, strengthened solvent–Li⁺ affinity causes solvation structure reorganization and interfacial deterioration, whereas at 25 °C, enhanced anion participation promotes formation of stable inorganic-rich interphases. Reduced electric field intensity further facilitates the construction of stable interfaces. Based on these findings, a variable-temperature constant-current cycling protocol with periodic room-temperature activation is developed. This approach effectively restores stable interfaces and substantially minimizes polarization, enabling commercial lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to maintain nearly 100% initial capacity after 150 cycles at −20 °C—significantly surpassing conventional strategies (80.4% retention). Notably, this optimization method regulates interfacial chemistry through external field parameters without electrolyte formulation changes, demonstrating both theoretical innovation and engineering practicality. This work provides a novel paradigm for low-temperature battery design by decoupling interfacial regulation from material modification.

Interplay of magnetic susceptibility and vapor phase nucleation in magnetic field-assisted chemical vapor deposition (mf-CVD) enables precise control over phase evolution, crystallographic orientation, and surface texturing in metal oxide thin films. The synthesis of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) thin films via chemical vapor deposition using [Fe₂(O^tBu)₆] as a molecular precursor is reported. Applying an external magnetic field (1 T) during deposition significantly alters the microstructure of the hematite films, reflected in superior photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Relative to zero-field deposition, mf-CVD increased the photocurrent density of hematite by 74%, attributed to magnetically induced texturing and densification, both enhancing charge separation and transfer efficiencies. Magnetic field-assisted hematite growth also increases the electrochemically active surface area, while a 33 mV photovoltage gain suggests a stronger built-in electric field in the α-Fe₂O₃-1 T film. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further confirms a reduced surface state density supporting improved interfacial charge dynamics. Furthermore, the magnetically altered material exhibits remarkable stability for 100 h of PEC operation. The results highlight hematite as a model photoanode for elucidating how magnetic fields modulate active domains in metal oxides, offering an innovative process to transform materials through applied fields.

The development of lead-free perovskites as environmentally sustainable materials has gained significant attention for their applications in solar cells and photocatalysis. In this study, Cs₂PtCl₆ and Cs₂PtBr₆ vacancy-ordered double perovskites are synthesized via a hydrothermal method and evaluated as ligand-free photocatalysts for solar-driven water splitting, targeting the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Structural characterization confirms their cubic phase, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy reveals optical bandgaps of 2.17 eV for Cs₂PtCl₆ and 1.94 eV for Cs₂PtBr₆. Theoretical calculations based on density of states analysis confirms their semiconductor behavior. Photocatalytic studies show that Cs₂PtBr₆ exhibits superior O₂ evolution rates (368.9 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) compared to Cs₂PtCl₆ (237.4 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), attributed to its favorable electronic structure. Also, photoluminescence (PL) studies reveals that Cs₂PtBr₆ exhibits lower PL intensity and a longer emission lifetime (2.5 μs) compared to Cs₂PtCl₆ (1.3 μs). Long-term stability tests highlight moderate photostability, with Pt⁴⁺ reduction due to precipitation of Pt⁰ under prolonged irradiation or reuses. This research highlights the potential of Cs₂PtX₆ perovskites for efficient, sustainable OER catalysis while identifying challenges related to structural stability and charge recombination.

A novel multifunctional structural electrolyte is developed using plain–weave glass fiber reinforced with a composite polymer matrix for load-bearing energy-storage applications such as structural batteries. The composite matrix comprises polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blended with epoxy, LiTFSI salt, and Al₂O₃ at optimized ratios. A set of techniques is used to evaluate and optimize the thermo-electro-mechanical properties of the matrix, including dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), potentiostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (PEIS), thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The optimization reveals a clear trade-off: increasing salt content enhances ionic conductivity but compromises mechanical properties, while the addition of nanofiller improves stiffness but reduces ionic conductivity. Based on multifunctionally balancing, a formulation of PVA_0.34/epoxy_0.14/LiTFSI_0.32/(Al₂O₃)_0.2 is obtained. The structural electrolyte, composed of glass fiber impregnated with the optimized matrix, is characterized using PEIS, DMA, tensile testing, and charge–discharge tests within lithium iron phosphate (LFP)/lithium metal and LFP/graphite cells. The electrolyte exhibits a storage modulus of 3 GPa, an ionic conductivity of 1.74 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹, a bulk stiffness of 1.82 GPa, and a tensile strength of 56.9 MPa. Full-cell testing demonstrates long cycle life and stable cyclability for ≈240 cycles, maintaining a high Coulombic efficiency of around 95% throughout cycling.

Current developments in composites-based electrocatalysts and polymer-based support materials have been given significant consideration in direct alcohol fuel cells. The structure and composition of the catalysts and electrode materials significantly impact the efficacy of fuel cells. In addition, various parameters, such as the nanoparticle's size and shape, the nature of the electrolyte, the type of support materials, and their fabrication process, also play essential roles in the functioning of the fuel cells. The catalyst has a pivotal role in enhancing the electrochemical activity of methanol fuel cells (MFCs), influencing their efficiency, durability, and overall viability. Through a meticulous examination of the latest studies, this review explores novel catalyst materials, innovative synthesis techniques, and breakthroughs in catalytic design. Additionally, it discusses critical challenges and future directions, shedding light on the ongoing efforts to propel MFC technology toward commercialization.

Bromide-mediated decoupled water electrolysis provides a disruptive strategy to overcome the limitations of conventional water electrolysis, operating effectively in a pH-neutral NaBr electrolyte. To advance the viability of this approach, it is crucial to minimize both the reliance on platinum-group metal catalysts and the associated cathodic polarization loss. This work demonstrates a “job-sharing” effect between mixed-phase TiO₂ nanotube supports and Ru nanoparticles (NPs), achieving efficient hydrogen evolution in cost-effective Ti-based cathodes with ultralow Ru loading (≈4 μg cm⁻²). This cooperative effect substantially improves the specific activity of the Ru catalyst, delivering electrode performance superior to that of Ru NPs on carbon supports. Long-term electrolysis tests confirm stable performance for more than 125 h without observable electrode degradation. This approach advances the prospect of efficient water electrolysis in pH-neutral electrolytes.