Themed collection Most popular 2018-2019 energy articles

This perspective provides a new look into how electrolyte structure at the interface controls the kinetics of water reduction.

This review summarizes recent progress of biomass-derived materials in Li–S batteries. These materials are promising due to their advantages including strong physical and chemical adsorption, high abundance, low cost, and environmental friendliness.

This review summarizes the important progress of Si and Li anodes and discusses the remaining essential issues towards their applications.

Doping of hole transporting materials typically increases the efficiency of perovskite solar cells but remains questionable for overall device stability.

We have demonstrated a hydroquinone stitched β-ketoenamine COF acting as an efficient organic cathode in an aqueous rechargeable zinc ion battery.

A set of design principles for high mobility xanthene-based organic hole transport materials are elucidated by combining multiple scales of theoretical chemistry (from virtual screening to bulk simulation) with experimental synthesis and characterization.

Exclusive photoinduced energy transfer and switching of its direction by rectangular π-extension of nanographene were achieved in porphyrin–nanographene linked systems.

The aligned one-dimensional channels found in covalent organic frameworks offer a unique space for energy storage.

Efficient dye sensitized photocathode for oxygen reduction reaction with high current density in both aqueous and aprotic electrolyte.

Synergistic effect of bonding inhomogeneity and local off-centering within global cubic structure results in ultralow thermal conductivity of n-type AgPbBiSe₃.

The development of robust and efficient water splitting photocatalysts overcomes a long-standing barrier to sustainable large-scale solar hydrogen evolution systems.

Anchor-bearing perylene monoimide dyes were synthesised and studied back-to-back in both aqueous dye-sensitised solar cells and semiconductor photocatalysis.

Nanoframes of cobalt–iron bimetal phosphide enhance both HER and OER activities towards efficient overall water splitting.

A hydrogen-bond stabilized organic battery framework illustrated for 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzoquinone (DABQ), an electrically neutral and low mass organic chemical, yet with unusual thermal stability and low solubility in battery electrolytes.

The first β-diketiminato triphosphido diiron complex was synthesized as a versatile molecular single-source precursor for the production of functional FeP that acts as a powerful and durable bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting.

In this study, we, for the first time, report a high Cu solubility of 11.8% in single crystal SnSe microbelts synthesized via a facile solvothermal route.

The dual-working-electrode technique enables the deconvolution of the intrinsic properties of the buried p–n junction and the electrocatalyst on the surface for water splitting photocathodes.

We report that only 20 at% replacement with Ir atoms doubled the hydrogen-storage capability compared to Pd NPs.

Amorphous and bifunctional water splitting catalysts are probed with a novel spectroelectrochemical quartz crystal microbalance cell, then subsequently enhanced.

Co-sensitization of molecular dyes and catalysts on semiconductor surfaces is a promising strategy to build photoelectrodes for solar fuel production.

A Co atom enhances the HER activity of monolayer MoS₂ whereas a Ni atom exhibits the opposite effect on the same basal site.

The π-extended ligand of a ruthenium complex stores two photo-generated electrons, mimicking a key step in photosynthesis.

Lanthanide doped Na₂Ti₃O₇ enabled remarkably higher capacity for sodium ion batteries due to the enhanced conductivity by introducing oxygen vacancies.

Unreported 2,3-dicyano-fluoranthene was first prepared as an efficient electron-withdrawing building block for constructing D–A type dopant-free hole transporting materials.

Installation of bridging alkoxide ligands leads to improvements to solubility, stability and redox profile of POM clusters!

H₂ generation using a Ni catalyst on dye-sensitised CuCrO₂ highlights the benefits of using delafossite semiconductors for solar fuel production.

Ni₂P@FePO_x has been synthesized via extraction and selective phosphorization of nickel in NiFe-LDH, and then conversed to a new heterostructure of Ni₂P@NiFe hydroxide (P-NiFe) during water splitting. P-NiFe can act as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting.

A double-hierarchical sulfur host has been synthesized in which hierarchical carbon spheres, constructed from building blocks of hollow carbon nanobubbles used for loading sulfur, are sealed by a polar MoS₂ coating that is composed of ultrathin nanosheets (MoS₂@HCS composite).

A self-floating sturdy polymer foam which by itself enables efficient solar steam generation without optical concentration.

Ultrathin Pt nanoplates exposing {111} facets are synthesized by galvanic-replacement-free templating of conveniently available Ag nanoplates, showing enhanced oxygen reduction activity.