Sustainable Energy & Fuels最新文献

{"title":"Ethanol as a hydrogen carrier with a value-added co-product†","authors":"Andrew R. Rander, Shayna R. Kohl, Valeriy Cherepakhin, Long Zhang, Van K. Do, Hanna Breunig and Travis J. Williams","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01524J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01524J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Traditional liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) rely on return/re-charge of the carrier and financial subsidy. We show here that ethanol, available at scale from fermentation, can be a revenue-positive hydrogen carrier, owing to the value of its potassium acetate co-product, itself an emerging fertilizer.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 4","pages":" 942-946"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143379729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A biomimetic ant silk fiber-based triboelectric nanogenerator: toward advanced tactile sensing technology†","authors":"Rumana Farheen Sagade Muktar Ahmed, Mizba Tazleem Sagade Mokthar Ahamed, Sangamesha Madanahalli Ankanathappa and Krishnaveni Sannathammegowda","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01591F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01591F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Integrating bio-inspired materials into TENGs marks a significant step toward sustainable and eco-friendly energy harvesting systems, with promising applications in robotics, wearable electronics, and human–machine interfaces. In the present study, a biomimetic triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is fabricated from a rare silk fiber mat (SFM). The robust properties of SFM are attributed to proteins secreted by weaver ant larvae, which are rich in amine and hydroxyl groups. The chemical resistance and structural integrity of the SFM are confirmed using characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. SFM is employed as the tribopositive material and is paired with polyurethane as the tribonegative material, which efficiently generates an output voltage of 160.47 V, current of 33.58 μA, and peak power of 15.15 mW at a load resistance of 30 MΩ. The SFM-TENG is capable of powering 80 green LEDs, charging capacitors, has wind sensitivity, and functions as a self-powered touch sensor, generating distinguishable electrical signals in response to various materials and individual touches. Thus the current work expands the scope of biomaterials, offering practical advancements in developing energy-harvesting devices for self-powered tactile sensors.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 2","pages":" 585-595"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142976341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrocatalytic conversion of biomass-derived oxygenated aromatics to cycloalkanes†","authors":"Meheryar R. Kasad, James E. Jackson and Christopher M. Saffron","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01149J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01149J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Electrocatalytic hydrotreatment (ECH) was explored as a mild technique to convert oxygenated aromatics, present in oils derived from the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass or lignin, into cycloalkanes. Producing cycloalkanes in a one-pot system, as envisioned in the present study, requires that both hydrodeoxygenation and aromatic ring saturation occur electrocatalytically. Thus, an activated carbon cloth-supported ruthenium and platinum (RuPt/ACC) electrocatalyst was synthesized and used to conduct model compound ECH studies to determine substrate conversion, product yields, and faradaic efficiency, enabling the derisking of the electrocatalytic process. The effects of electrocatalyst composition and aromatic ring substituents on cycloalkane yield were examined. Furthermore, ECH of side products and probable intermediates was conducted to map reaction sequences and pathways. Finally, ECH of a 4-O-5 dimer model compound was conducted to study the electrocatalytic cleavage of recalcitrant interunit linkages in lignin.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 1","pages":" 217-230"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/se/d4se01149j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142844648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"YFO photocathode fabricated via spray pyrolysis for unassisted solar water splitting for generation of hydrogen fuel†","authors":"Bandar Y. Alfaifi, Hameed Ullah, Xin Jiang and Asif Ali Tahir","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01276C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01276C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Efficient solar to fuel conversion technology is highly desirable to meet future global renewable energy demands as conventional energy resources are environmentally irresponsible and depleting rapidly. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting without the use of any external potential bias and/or assistance to produce hydrogen (a clean and renewable fuel) is a technology having the potential to fulfil this desire. However, the main bottleneck is the unavailability of cost-effective, efficient and stable photoelectrodes, which are used to conduct water splitting using light photons. YFeO<small>₃</small> (YFO) thin films with a small energy band gap (<em>E</em><small>_g</small>), suitable band positions straddling water redox potential and high stability were fabricated using a simple, cost-effective and scalable synthesis technique <em>i.e.</em>, spray pyrolysis. The optimum YFO film was applied, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, for generation of hydrogen fuel through water splitting without applying any external potential bias and/or assistance. Orthorhombic YFO (o-YFO) showed a maximum photocurrent of ∼0.65 mA cm<small>⁻²</small> at 0.46 V <em>vs.</em> RHE, faradaic efficiency of ∼70%, and excellent stability spanning over 6 hours. UV-visible and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed the p-type characteristic, narrow <em>E</em><small>_g</small> of 2.45 eV and suitable band positions, which encompassed the redox potential of water, of the o-YFO film. The o-YFO film generated 0.41 µmol cm<small>⁻²</small> of hydrogen over 6 hours without any assistance in a spontaneous hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In a subsequent cycle, it generated 0.35 µmol cm<small>⁻²</small> of hydrogen, showing its potential as a reusable photoelectrode in the HER. Post HER characterizations did not show any visible/significant changes in the phase and morphology of the o-YFO film, indicating its stability under the applied HER conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 1","pages":" 208-216"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/se/d4se01276c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142844647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding charge separation in CdS/Ce-UiO66-NH2 heterojunctions for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution†‡","authors":"Wenqing Hou, Sam A. J. Hillman, Soranyel Gonzalez-Carrero, Shilin Yao, Huangtianzhi Zhu and James R. Durrant","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01473A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01473A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >UiO metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as promising photocatalysts due to their unique stability and band designability. We recently demonstrated that the cerium-based Ce-UiO-NH<small>₂</small> exhibited an enhanced hydrogen evolution relative to zirconium (Zr)-UiOs, when loaded with cadmium sulfide (CdS). However, the underlying charge separation dynamics of this system is unclear. In this work, we optimised the CdS loading and used transient absorption and electrochemical spectroscopy to investigate the charge separation dynamics and energetics in the CdS/Ce-UiO-NH<small>₂</small> heterojunction. The optimised heterojunction showed improved stability and achieved an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 2.2% under 420 nm LED illumination whilst using methanol as a sacrificial agent. The heterojunction facilitates charge separation, generating long-lived (ms) holes on Ce-UiO-NH<small>₂</small> and electrons on the CdS. In contrast with electron-accepting Zr-UiOs, this study reveals a reversed charge separation direction in CdS/UiO heterojunctions with Ce-UiO-NH<small>₂</small> acting as the electron donor.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 2","pages":" 576-584"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/se/d4se01473a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142976340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review of water management in proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems","authors":"Peihan Qi, Zhenxing Wu, Jiegang Mou, Denghao Wu, Yunqing Gu, Maosen Xu, Zekai Li and Yang Luo","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01020E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01020E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Water management has been an unavoidable problem for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), and effective water management measures can improve the performance and extend the lifespan of the PEMFC. The water management state of the PEMFC system is influenced by various operating conditions, and these operating conditions are adjusted using external devices. To understand how to achieve an optimal water management state in the PEMFC system, this review summarizes the main influencing factors in water management, including temperature, humidity and pressure. Then, a generalized overview of the key devices for controlling the above factors in water management is provided, including gas supply devices and humidifiers. Afterwards, the control methods of the above devices are summarized, including conventional control methods and neural network control methods. At last, the whole paper is summarized and appropriate recommendations are given for the study of water management, the direction of optimization of the device and the improvement of control methods in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 1","pages":" 72-97"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142844665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Illustrating the potential of oxynitrides: harnessing solar power for efficient water splitting","authors":"Priya Yadav, Anil C. A. and Boddu S. Naidu","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01560F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01560F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Photocatalytic water splitting using solar energy presents an ideal approach for clean hydrogen production. Efforts to develop efficient photocatalysts have gained momentum since the discovery of the Honda–Fujishima effect. However, achieving large-scale solar hydrogen production remains a challenge, despite significant progress in catalyst development. Key characteristics of an ideal photocatalyst include photoactivity, narrow band gap, hydrophilicity, suitable band edge potentials, enhanced charge separation, and minimal recombination. Band structure engineering, altering catalyst size or doping, is pivotal in optimizing photocatalyst performance. Metal oxides, though successful, lack visible light activity due to their broad band-gap. Nitrides, with narrower band gap, are promising but suffer from poor water stability. Oxynitrides, formed by anionic substitutions in oxides, exhibit both visible light activity and water stability, making them ideal for solar-driven water splitting. Oxynitrides' properties such as visible light absorption, charge carrier conductivity, and corrosion resistance, make them suitable for solar energy conversion. With most solar energy falling within the visible spectrum, oxynitrides offer a practical solution for efficient water splitting. The inquiry into how to enhance the design of these materials to further improve their ability for water splitting is both intriguing and significant. This review outlines the development and properties of oxynitride photocatalysts for solar-driven water splitting. It discusses synthesis protocols, optical properties, and structural variations, which are crucial for enhancing photocatalytic performance. Oxynitrides hold immense potential in advancing solar energy conversion technologies, paving the way towards a sustainable energy future.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 2","pages":" 401-418"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142976302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiation-assisted electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO","authors":"Ryan P. Morco, Luis A. Diaz and Maria Magdalena Ramirez-Corredores","doi":"10.1039/D4SE00484A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE00484A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Carbon monoxide (CO) is a versatile intermediate feedstock for many applications and can be produced through the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO<small>₂</small>). However, current electrochemical CO production is hindered by high overall costs, primarily due to low conversion efficiencies and significant energy requirements. Herein, we report a unique way of enhancing the electrochemical reduction of CO<small>₂</small> to CO using gamma (γ) photons. The γ-irradiation applied to the electrochemical cell setup induces the production of e˙<small>⁻</small>, which results in an increased CO<small>₂</small> ionization and production of excited CO<small>₂</small><img> molecules <em>via</em> lower energy barrier. The ionized CO<small>₂</small>˙<small>⁻</small> is quickly stabilized over a silver catalyst, providing an alternative low activation energy route for CO<small>₂</small> reduction. A decrease in the overpotential barrier enhanced the electrochemical reduction of CO<small>₂</small> to CO by 25%.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 2","pages":" 424-431"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142976305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mixed 2D-cation passivation towards improved durability of perovskite solar cells and dynamics of 2D-perovskites under light irradiation and at high temperature†","authors":"Santa Mondal, Naoto Eguchi, Naoyuki Nishimura, Yoyo Hinuma, Kohei Yamamoto, Atsushi Kogo, Takurou N. Murakami and Hiroyuki Kanda","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01227E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01227E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A low-dimensional perovskite layer is important as a passivation layer for the 3D perovskite photo-absorber to increase the photovoltaic performance and stability. Here, we provide an effective passivation technique that enhances the durability of perovskite solar cells and investigate the impact of the 2D perovskite on the photovoltaic properties under light irradiation as well as high-temperature conditions. Our proposed mixed 2D cation (<em>n</em>-butylammonium iodide (BAI) and <em>n</em>-octylammonium iodide (OAI)) passivation can control the opto-electronic properties of the 2D perovskites and improve the durability of perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, our main finding is that the migration of the 2D perovskite into the 3D perovskite layer, during light and high-temperature stability tests, causes the reduction of the photovoltaic properties of the perovskite solar cells. This information suggests how to design the 2D perovskite layer leading to stable perovskite solar cells from the viewpoint of cation migration, which can be the novel design strategy for the 2D/3D perovskite system.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 1","pages":" 247-255"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/se/d4se01227e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142844659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cobalt-doped vanadium nitride composite carbon hollow spheres for enhanced lithium–sulfur battery performance: overcoming sulfur dissolution and the shuttle effect†","authors":"Jiangnan Zhang, Yanshuang Meng and Fuliang Zhu","doi":"10.1039/D4SE01208A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01208A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study addresses the challenges of sulfur dissolution and the shuttle effect in the practical application of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries by developing cobalt-doped vanadium nitride composite carbon hollow spheres (CoVN/C-HS). The embedding of CoVN nanoparticles within the carbon hollow spheres creates an efficient charge transport network that significantly reduces electrode interfacial resistance, accelerates charge transfer during charging and discharging, and effectively mitigates polarization, thereby ensuring battery stability under high-rate conditions. Additionally, the strong interaction between CoVN nanoparticles and the carbon hollow sphere matrix enhances the material's adsorption capacity for polysulfides, effectively suppressing their dissolution and shuttle effect, which prolongs battery cycle life. Therefore, the prepared CoVN/C-HS material has demonstrated excellent performance in Li–S battery applications. At a low current density of 0.05C, the battery achieved an initial discharge capacity of up to 1475 mA h g<small>⁻¹</small>, fully demonstrating the efficient utilization of sulfur by the material. Remarkably, even after 100 cycles at 0.2C, the battery retains a capacity of 1067 mA h g<small>⁻¹</small>, showcasing excellent cycle stability. Notably, at a high current density of 2C, the battery achieves an initial capacity of 918.8 mA h g<small>⁻¹</small> and maintains 662 mA h g<small>⁻¹</small> after 400 cycles. This success not only presents a novel approach for optimizing Li–S battery performance by meticulously tuning the material structure and composition to concurrently address sulfur dissolution and the shuttle effect but also lays a solid foundation for the large-scale commercialization of this battery type.</p>","PeriodicalId":104,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Energy & Fuels","volume":" 1","pages":" 280-289"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142844662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}