Next Energy最新文献

{"title":"Exploring the power of light for methane conversion: Mechanism, advance, and prospective","authors":"Yuqiao Li ,&nbsp;Lipeng Luo ,&nbsp;Jing Zhang ,&nbsp;Gazi Hao ,&nbsp;Wei Jiang ,&nbsp;Guigao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100274","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100274","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the “holy grail” of catalysis, the conversion of CH₄ has attracted substantial interest. The quest for efficient conversion pathways for CH₄ is of paramount importance for climate change mitigation and the advancement of energy utilization. Solar-driven CH₄ conversion is deemed a promising avenue, as it concurrently diminishes greenhouse gas emissions and promotes the generation of sustainable energy resources. This paper reviews the latest advancements in solar-driven CH₄ conversion, encompassing an in-depth analysis of the underlying mechanisms for methane nonoxidative coupling, partial oxidation, steam reforming, and dry reforming. It also highlights state-of-the-art technologies in catalyst development for these reactions. This study aims to provide valuable insights into the progression of solar-driven CH₄ conversion technology, thereby promoting its widespread application in energy conversion and storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100274"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143821187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel 3D-printed electrochemical cell for operando synchrotron experiments","authors":"Niklas H. Deissler ,&nbsp;Valentin Vinci ,&nbsp;Jon Bjarke Valbæk Mygind ,&nbsp;Xianbiao Fu ,&nbsp;Shaofeng Li ,&nbsp;Jakob Kibsgaard ,&nbsp;Jakub Drnec ,&nbsp;Ib Chorkendorff","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100279","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100279","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochemical processes are often accompanied by significant transformations at the electrode-electrolyte interface, such as the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase or surface reconstruction. Studying these dynamic changes requires operando characterization techniques to overcome the limitations of ex-situ methods. Here, we present a novel, versatile electrochemical cell optimized for operando synchrotron X-ray studies of the lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction reaction. The cell integrates a single-crystal working electrode with a gas diffusion counter electrode, enabling enhanced faradaic efficiencies (FEs) and operando measurements under conditions that closely resemble scalable flow systems. The cell design improves N₂ availability and suppresses undesirable counter electrode reactions through the hydrogen oxidation reaction, achieving FEs of up to 37% for ammonia production. Fabrication by 3D-printing polyether ether ketone allows for complex electrolyte flow geometries while maintaining minimal X-ray background interference, critical for X-ray-based techniques. The combination of single-crystal electrodes and optimized flow conditions offers a promising platform for investigating fundamental electrochemical processes under realistic and scalable conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100279"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143824177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-oxidative thermal decomposition and thermo-kinetics study of mangrove biomass for bioenergy production","authors":"S. M. Zakir Hossain ,&nbsp;Mohamed Bin Shams ,&nbsp;Almaha F. Alfaihani ,&nbsp;Muneera A. Alkowari ,&nbsp;Tefla A. Alromaihi ,&nbsp;Gus Ali Nur Rahman ,&nbsp;Wasim Ullah Khan ,&nbsp;Humood Abdulla Ahmed Naser ,&nbsp;Mohammad Mozahar Hossain ,&nbsp;Shaikh Abdur Razzak","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mangroves are well-known for their tremendous capacity to fix CO₂ and energy potential. In this study, the thermal characteristics of 3 mangrove biomass (leaf, stem, and roots) of natural and replanted gray mangrove (species: <em>Avicenna marina)</em> reserves have been investigated in an inert medium and compared to assess their fuel production potential. The chemical composition, physiochemical properties, and thermal behavior by proximate and ultimate analyses and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were investigated for this. Transplanted stem biomass showed the least ash content, with higher volatile contents when compared to other biomass samples. The higher heating value (HHV) in natural mangrove stems was 16.29 MJ/kg, with a calorific value (CV) of 16.58 MJ/kg, whereas the HHV in replanted mangrove stems was higher at 17.50 MJ/kg, with a CV of 22.41 MJ/kg. The apparent kinetic parameters, including activation energy and frequency factor, were estimated by fitting the experimental data to the n^th-order rate model. The apparent activation energies ranged from 73.2 to 78.5 kJ/mol for leaves, 96.0 to 97.3 kJ/mol for the stem, and 71.5 to 94.5 kJ/mol for roots, which are less than other mangrove species, indicating gray mangrove biomass was more reactive. Statistical analysis (e.g., Pearson correlation, <em>t</em>-test) indicated strong similarities and negligible differences between the experimental and simulation results. Several environmental factors (e.g., pH and salinity of soil) at study locations were investigated, suggesting higher HHV and carbon content of replanted mangrove stem biomass was noticeable due to higher salinity. Overall, this article promotes the UN's sustainable development goals by highlighting the potential of mangrove biomass as a catalyst for the sustainable development of energy, precious materials, and climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100272"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal management for optimal performance of polymer electrolyte membrane unitized regenerative fuel cells","authors":"Mythy Tran,&nbsp;Ayodeji Demuren","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogen is an excellent carrier for energy storage and can be produced from various green and renewable sources. However, the cost of producing hydrogen and converting it to useful energy is much higher than fossil fuel and traditional energy generation and storage systems. Unitized regenerative fuel cells (URFC) maximize utilization of high-cost cells and their components, thus, lowering system capital cost. Improving the URFC efficiency is an effective way to lower its operating cost. This study evaluates utilization of waste heat during operation and recovery strategy to improve system efficiency of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) URFC. A COMSOL Multiphysics 3-D model of 25 cm² 5-cell PEM URFC stack is used to simulate the URFC operation. The results show that the employed cooling strategy can recover 76% and 78% of waste heat when the URFC operates in fuel cell mode and in reverse water electrolyzer mode, respectively, and the PEM URFC round-trip efficiency can thereby be improved from 32% to 81%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"8 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review of biomass thermochemical gasification: Toward solar hybridized processes for continuous and controllable fuel production","authors":"Axel Curcio ,&nbsp;Sylvain Rodat ,&nbsp;Valéry Vuillerme ,&nbsp;Stéphane Abanades","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100277","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100277","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gasification of carbonaceous feedstocks into value-added syngas is a mature chemical process, developed at industrial scale for the production of chemicals and liquid fuels. Biomass gasification could open the path toward renewable fuel production, waste valorization, and carbon capture, but a fraction of the initial feedstock is burnt for process heat. Hence, allothermal solar heating is an attractive option for a clean and efficient production of syngas, enabling solar energy storage under a chemical form. Solar gasification potentially converts the whole feedstock mass while the produced syngas is not contaminated by combustion by-products and the high temperatures help to ensure high syngas yields with minimized char and tars production. Such results were however obtained under favorable solar power input conditions. In practice, the solar power fluctuations and intermittency must be managed carefully, with a control of the reactor inputs round the clock for stable syngas production. This review aims to provide a state-of-the-art on the variety of scientific topics involved in developing a stable and controllable solar gasification process, and it further addresses the challenges of hybridized solar-autothermal processes. Conventional gasification is first tackled, unraveling the historical background and current applications of the process. Associated chemical mechanisms are described, with some modeling considerations. Concentrated solar power technologies are then described, with a focus on thermochemical applications and existing solar gasification technologies. Finally, the methods to smoothen the effects of fluctuating solar power availability on solar syngas production are assessed, including thermal heat storage and solar-autothermal hybridization for continuous day-night operation. The implementation of dynamic control methods is addressed, to assess the practical application of control strategies, paving the way toward continuous solar fuels production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100277"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143800659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrogen production technologies from water decomposition: A review","authors":"Wu Zhou ,&nbsp;Shuangjiang Li ,&nbsp;Yang Yang ,&nbsp;Jiachao Yao ,&nbsp;Pengfei Chen ,&nbsp;Jian Liu ,&nbsp;Yang Wu ,&nbsp;Zhi Li ,&nbsp;Fangming Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier in the future, which can help improve air quality and enhance energy security. Hydrogen production mainly relies on fossil fuels (natural gas and coal). Hydrogen production from fossil fuels can result in the significant emissions of carbon dioxide, aggravating the global greenhouse effect. At the same time, fossil fuels are non-renewable, and the use of fossil fuels to produce hydrogen further exacerbates the crisis of fossil fuel shortages. Fortunately, water, as a carbon-free and hydrogen-rich renewable resource, offers one of the best solutions to replace hydrogen production from fossil fuels through its decomposition. Furthermore, hydrogen production by decomposition of water is vital for the realization of the sustainable development. In this paper, we review the current mainstream technologies (electrolysis, pyrolysis and photolysis) for hydrogen production by decomposing water. The principles, processes, advantages and disadvantages and the latest progresses of these technologies are also discussed. At last, this paper provides a summary and outlook on water decomposition for hydrogen production, and thinks that the yield, energy efficiency and cost of hydrogen production from water decomposition are largely dependent on the development of new materials and the improvement of existing materials. Moreover, utilizing renewable energy to decompose water for hydrogen production offers the possibility of achieving the hydrogen economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100270"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143777005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Facilitating the shift to more collaborative microgrids by alleviating demand volatility using a precontracted order updates strategy","authors":"Hanaa Feleafel,&nbsp;Jovana Radulovic,&nbsp;Michel Leseure","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microgrids (MGs) have emerged as viable alternatives for delivering electricity to remote rural regions in a secure and ecologically sustainable manner. However, utilizing microgrids in a more collaborative manner might greatly enhance the integration of renewable energy sources into the electricity network. The primary objective of this research is to improve the quality of information communicated from MGs to the utility grid to achieve production levelling. Multiple simulation scenarios have been developed to analyse the performance of a grid-connected MG when the grid order update rules are altered. The findings indicate that the suggested scenarios for collaborative MGs, especially the scenario that relies on forecasted demand for precontracted order updates (COU), are enhancing system performance by stabilizing order volatility to the grid (58% less unplanned volatility of orders in the collaborative MG), thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the MG by 67% and increasing storage utilization by 74%. The only limitation was the volume of exported electricity; however, the implementation of long- term storage capacity (seasonal storage) has effectively reduced the exported power to 0. A distinct trade-off exists between enhanced storage capacity at a higher cost and a significant volume of exported power. The optimal resolution for this trade-off is greatly affected by the initial investment in storage technology and the feed-in tariff rate for exported power. The main conclusion may be summarized as the transition towards more collaborative MGs may serve as the foundation for developing more decentralized electrical networks and integrating more renewable energy sources into the current electricity system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100269"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143747870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis of high-performance NiO/ZnO composite for asymmetric supercapacitors","authors":"Xianwei Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Hao ,&nbsp;Maruthappan Manikandan ,&nbsp;Riu Liu ,&nbsp;Fei Yang ,&nbsp;Yi Chen ,&nbsp;Yifan Wang ,&nbsp;Cong Liu ,&nbsp;Jingyu Shi ,&nbsp;Peiao Lu ,&nbsp;Peifan Yang ,&nbsp;Yan Zhang ,&nbsp;Jun Shang ,&nbsp;Shaoqian Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100282","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100282","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electrode material's design and structure greatly influence supercapacitor efficacy. This study employed a novel 2-step hydrothermal and calcination approach to synthesize NiO/ZnO composites with a hierarchical microflower-wrapped spherical structure. The effect of varying the Ni/Zn ratio was systematically investigated, and the optimized NiO/ZnO-3 electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical properties, including a low equivalent series resistance (R_s) of 0.73 Ω, a minimal charge-transfer resistance (R_ct) of 0.55 Ω, and a specific capacitance of 243 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹. The electrode exhibited excellent cycling stability, retaining 87.2% of its capacitance after 5000 cycles at 15 A g⁻¹. The NiO/ZnO-3//AC asymmetric supercapacitor achieved 28.4 Wh kg⁻¹ energy density at 1170.1 W kg⁻¹ power density, retaining 114.8% capacitance after 10,000 cycles. This work highlights the synergistic effect of NiO/ZnO composites and introduces a scalable, cost-effective synthesis strategy that improves cycling stability and recyclability, advancing next-generation energy storage systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100282"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143870688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Zinc-ion batteries based on lean-water hydrogel electrolytes and their application as flexible power source","authors":"Shixun Wang ,&nbsp;Chunyi Zhi","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aqueous zinc-ion batteries, featuring intrinsic safety, the notable energy density of zinc anode, and cost-effectiveness, have emerged as promising candidates for flexible devices. As a key component of flexible zinc-ion batteries, the hydrogel electrolytes play a crucial role in achieving harmonious, balanced mechanical strength, flexibility, ionic conductivity, and interfacial stability. However, excessive water molecules in conventional hydrogels and their high electrochemical activity can induce undesired side reactions such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), byproduct propagation, and dendrite growth, eventually resulting in short-circuit and battery failure. In this perspective, we summarize the recent progress in lean-water hydrogel electrolytes, showcasing their benefits, including enhanceable ion transport, restrained water-related side reactions, and mechanical integrity under deformation to cater to the demands of flexible zinc-ion batteries, followed by the key challenges and prospects of hydrogel strategies. This perspective offers guidance and inspiration for designing lean-water hydrogel electrolytes for flexible zinc-ion batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100293"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143873879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrode design of energy storage concrete devices for improving energy storage and cyclic performance","authors":"Takuya Eguchi ,&nbsp;Yusuke Fujikura ,&nbsp;Yoshikazu Araki ,&nbsp;Sanjay Pareek","doi":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100273","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxener.2025.100273","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the development of energy storage concrete devices (ESCs) is still nascent, their electrochemical properties remain largely unknown. Elucidation of the basic mechanism of ESCs will lead to the establishment of general-purpose design technology. In this paper, based on the electrostatic field theory of capacitors, we investigated the effect of electrodes design on the electrochemical properties of ESCs and clarified part of the energy storage mechanism of ESCs. In addition, it was shown that the energy storage capacity of ESCs can be dramatically improved by appropriate electrode design, and a guideline for electrode selection to improve the energy storage performance of ESCs was also presented. It was found that the energy storage performance of ESCs can be improved by narrowing the distance between the electrodes. This result suggests that polarization of potassium geopolymer matrix near the electrodes plays a influential role in the energy storage mechanism of ESCs. It was also found that the energy storage performance can be improved by using fine mesh electrodes, which increases the effective contact area for energy storage. On the other hand, durability becomes an issue if the mesh opening is too small because smaller mesh opening leads to thinner mesh wires. The tradeoff therefore needs to be considered between energy storage performance and durability. A remarkable performance of ESCs was achieved by selecting an appropriate electrode mesh size for cyclic performance of charging and discharging even after 100,000 cycles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100957,"journal":{"name":"Next Energy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100273"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143823941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}