Themed collection Sustainable Energy & Fuels Cover Art

It is puzzling that hydrogen is not prominent in global energy scenarios: this perspective investigates why and what can be done.

This review provides a comprehensive overview about the “hidden champion” of lithium-ion battery technology – graphite.

An air breathing planar PEMFC has thin geometry, open cathode and minimum peripheral devices.

A conformal TiO₂ thin layer prepared by a simple biomimetic approach protects WO₃ from chemical dissolution at neutral pH.

C–C coupling reactions on M₁M₂/N₆h surfaces for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS).

Membrane-free redox cell with no mass transfer between anode and cathode chambers.

Coupling conversion of CO₃²⁻ to hydrocarbons with carbonation of ferrous species by CO₂ leads to the generation of long-chain hydrocarbons.

Competitive adsorption behavior of CO₂ and H₂O on MFI according to the Gibbs free adsorption energy.

We describe, for the first time, the use of fast neutron irradiation for the rapid metabolic optimization of an oleaginous yeast. The approach established in this study provides a progressive path towards automatable strain development efforts.

DFT calculations reveal interesting structure–property relationships of the redox potentials of phenazines in non-aqueous media.

The formation, growth and transformation of carbon residue (coke) deposited on the catalyst during the raw bio-oil hydrodeoxygenation has been studied.

A new rechargeable Zn/PVA-KOH/Bi₂O₃ with coulombic efficiencies of 100% and energy efficiencies above 80% for a high number of cycles.

Our LCA-based assessment showed that all considered CCU technologies for mineralization can reduce climate impacts over the entire life cycle due to the permanent storage of CO₂ and the credit for substituting conventional products.

A new hybrid pathway to biojet fuel via biomass-derived 2,3-butanediol has been demonstrated with high carbon recovery (74–82% of the theoretical maximum efficiency).

Integrated design and scheduling for methanol and ammonia production from air, water and solar energy, analysing the impacts of intermittency.

A unique, high surface area Co₃O₄/SiO₂–Al₂O₃ catalytic system has been developed for the selective deoxygenation of biomass to high quality diesel-grade hydrocarbons.

A bidentate Lewis base, pyrazine, acting as an efficient passivation agent to improve the charge-carrier lifetime and the efficiency of perovskite solar cells.

An all-stretchable-component lithium ion battery based on a 3D PDMS/SWCNT porous framework was fabricated, delivering high electrochemical performance and high stretchability.

A novel direct power-to-gas system utilizing solid oxide electrolysis cells was modelled and evaluated to clarify its potential advantages.

N, P heteroatoms are doped into the carbon derived from Fructus azedarach precursor. The successful application in zinc–air battery illustrates that the N, P synergistic effect makes a bright future for the development of catalytically active carbon.

Aromatic carotenoid cleavage products as alternative to conventional alkyl-phenolic antioxidants for jet fuel and beyond.

To enhance the efficiency of the oxygen evolution reaction of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃), we engineered both the surface of the hematite nanorods and the FTO/hematite interface simultaneously with an optimal annealing condition.

A nanocavity structure with Au–S carrier-selective layer was constructed to enhance photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity, improving ∼13.8 times compared to Au/CdS. The excellent performance is mainly caused by effective hole transfer of Au–S layer.

A sandwich-like configuration was constructed through the introduction of a heterovalent Ga³⁺ intermediate layer, which facilitates the improvement of the performance of Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ solar cells.

A S/host composite cathode and a graphene coated separator are designed for a room-temperature Al–S battery with stable and high capacity.

Naturally abundant pomelo peels were explored for the preparation of the metal-free carbon-based microspheres with high electrocatalytic activity and long-term durability toward ORR, holding potential for replacing noble metal-based catalysts.

In this study, a composite of Mo, Co co-doped NiS bulks grown on an Ni foam (Mo,Co-NiS/NF) was synthesized as a bi-functional electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) using a simple method.

A waste heat recovery system is investigated basically. Original electro-thermodynamic cycle and novel system are expected to be viable in any heat sources with time dependent temperature changes instead of the spatial temperature gradient.

Pd-based catalysts are typically used in many applications; however, the effect of their oxide layer has not been fully investigated to date.

Demonstrating the stability of metals supported on hierarchical HZSM-5 nanosheets and its application in the hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived compounds in the aqueous phase.

Adapted CIGS was integrated into vanadium redox flow batteries showing that only photovoltaics matching cell requirements achieve full unbiased photo-charge.

Perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology is the flag bearer for the future of photovoltaics allowing unlimited possibilities for its application.

Three-terminal tandem solar cell with conductive adhesive interconnect and back-contacted bottom cell delivers 27.3% efficiency.

A new protocol using calcium formate as a hydrogen source for preparing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from biomass has been developed.

NiMoS on alumina, USY and mixed alumina-USY supports was studied in a batch reactor to assess the effect of support acidity in valorizing lignin dimers by hydrodeoxygenation (HDO).

MOF-derived C@NiO@Ni are proposed as an efficient electrocatalyst for N₂ reduction reaction in alkaline media. Abundant oxygen vacancies and NiO/Ni interfaces can act as active sites for adsorbing nitrogen and proton, respectively.