Nature EnergyPub Date : 2025-01-30DOI: 10.1038/s41560-025-01707-x
{"title":"Managing bicarbonate salt formation in CO2 reduction electrolysers for stable operation","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41560-025-01707-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41560-025-01707-x","url":null,"abstract":"Observations of salt formation in CO2 reduction electrolysers were used to propose a mechanism for salt precipitation linked to the drying of liquid droplets carrying cations and (bi)carbonate ions. A hydrophobic surface coating was used to remove droplets from the flow channels before they can dry, increasing the operational stability of the electrolyser.","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"10 2","pages":"164-165"},"PeriodicalIF":49.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143056457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature EnergyPub Date : 2025-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41560-025-01712-0
{"title":"Retrospective on research in 2024","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41560-025-01712-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41560-025-01712-0","url":null,"abstract":"With the start of a new year, we take a moment to look back at a selection of standout papers from 2024 in Nature Energy, exploring their key contributions and prospective influence.","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"10 1","pages":"1-2"},"PeriodicalIF":49.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-025-01712-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143055145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature EnergyPub Date : 2025-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01673-w
Silvana Lakeman
{"title":"Lithium Triangle supply chains","authors":"Silvana Lakeman","doi":"10.1038/s41560-024-01673-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41560-024-01673-w","url":null,"abstract":"Martín Obaya, expert in Latin American lithium mining and supply chains at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council-Universidad Nacional de San Martín in Argentina, talks to Nature Energy about navigating lithium supply and demand, highlighting nuance in stakeholder expectations and the importance of research in this relationship.","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"10 1","pages":"6-7"},"PeriodicalIF":49.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143054927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature EnergyPub Date : 2025-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01695-4
Shaoyun Hao, Ahmad Elgazzar, Nandakishore Ravi, Tae-Ung Wi, Peng Zhu, Yuge Feng, Yang Xia, Feng-Yang Chen, Xiaonan Shan, Haotian Wang
{"title":"Improving the operational stability of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction via salt precipitation understanding and management","authors":"Shaoyun Hao, Ahmad Elgazzar, Nandakishore Ravi, Tae-Ung Wi, Peng Zhu, Yuge Feng, Yang Xia, Feng-Yang Chen, Xiaonan Shan, Haotian Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41560-024-01695-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41560-024-01695-4","url":null,"abstract":"The practical application of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) technology remains hindered by poor stability, primarily owing to bicarbonate salt formation at the cathode, which blocks reactant CO2 mass flow. Here, using operando characterization tools, we tracked the salt formation process and quantified salt precipitation under varying device operational conditions, elucidating a potential mechanism and optimizing anolyte conditions for long-term (>1,000 h) operation CO2RR to CO under >100 mA cm–2. Liquid droplets carrying cations and (bi)carbonate ions were observed to migrate from the catalyst/membrane interface towards the backside of the gas diffusion electrode, driven by interfacial gas evolution and CO2 flow. These droplets eventually dried, forming bicarbonate salt precipitates that blocked the gas flow channels. On the basis of this observation, we applied a hydrophobic parylene coating to the cathode gas flow channel surface, facilitating the removal of the droplets and extending stability from ~100 h to over 500 h under 200 mA cm–2. Devices for electrochemical CO2 reduction can suffer from salt precipitation that blocks gas flow, leading to instability. Hao et al. explore possible salt formation mechanisms and provide a means to mitigate it via application of hydrophobic surface coatings.","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"10 2","pages":"266-277"},"PeriodicalIF":49.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143050299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature EnergyPub Date : 2025-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01702-8
David P. Fenning, Maimur Hossain, Connor J. Dolan
{"title":"A microscopic look at degradation","authors":"David P. Fenning, Maimur Hossain, Connor J. Dolan","doi":"10.1038/s41560-024-01702-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41560-024-01702-8","url":null,"abstract":"Improving the durability of perovskite solar cells requires a deeper understanding of the mechanisms occurring at the nano- to microscale that degrade the optoelectronic quality of the perovskite and its interfaces during operation. Now researchers demonstrate a multimodal microscopy toolkit as a diagnostic tool to address this issue.","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"10 1","pages":"15-16"},"PeriodicalIF":49.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143054926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature EnergyPub Date : 2025-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41560-025-01704-0
Daniel Navia Simon, Laura Diaz Anadon
{"title":"Power price stability and the insurance value of renewable technologies","authors":"Daniel Navia Simon, Laura Diaz Anadon","doi":"10.1038/s41560-025-01704-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41560-025-01704-0","url":null,"abstract":"To understand if renewables stabilize or destabilize electricity prices, we simulate European power markets as projected by the National Energy and Climate Plans for 2030 but replicating the historical variability in electricity demand, the prices of fossil fuels and weather. We propose a β-sensitivity metric, defined as the projected increase in the average annual price of electricity when the price of natural gas increases by 1 euro. We show that annual power prices spikes would be more moderate because the β-sensitivity would fall from 1.4 euros to 1 euro. Deployment of solar photovoltaic and wind technologies exceeding 30% of the 2030 target would lower it further, below 0.5 euros. Our framework shows that this stabilization of prices would produce social welfare gains, that is, we find an insurance value of renewables. Because market mechanisms do not internalize this value, we argue that it should be explicitly considered in energy policy decisions. Increasing solar photovoltaic and wind generation capacity beyond European 2030 targets could make electricity prices more stable, with reductions in sensitivity to fluctuations in the price of natural gas possibly outweighing the increasing influence of weather effects.","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"10 3","pages":"329-341"},"PeriodicalIF":49.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-025-01704-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143050298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature EnergyPub Date : 2025-01-24DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01698-1
Viet Nguyen-Tien, Chengyu Zhang, Eric Strobl, Robert J. R. Elliott
{"title":"The closing longevity gap between battery electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles in Great Britain","authors":"Viet Nguyen-Tien, Chengyu Zhang, Eric Strobl, Robert J. R. Elliott","doi":"10.1038/s41560-024-01698-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41560-024-01698-1","url":null,"abstract":"Electric vehicles are increasingly being adopted in Great Britain and other parts of the world, driven by the perception that they offer a cost-effective alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles while reducing emissions. However, a key element that underpins this perception is the longevity of electric vehicles, which remains relatively under researched. Here we show that although early battery electric vehicles (BEVs) exhibited lower reliability than internal combustion engine vehicles, rapid technological advancements have allowed newer BEVs to achieve comparable lifespans, even under more intensive use. Longevity is also found to be impacted by engine size, location and make of vehicle. We provide parameter estimates for life mileage that can be used to update life cycle assessment and total cost of ownership studies of different vehicle powertrains. Our results also shed light on BEV diffusion patterns, fleet replacement strategies and end-of-life treatment planning, including the increasingly important debate around BEV battery recycling and second-life options. Big data from MOT tests in Great Britain shows that early battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were less reliable than internal combustion vehicles. Here Nguyen-Tien et al. show that rapid technological advancements mean newer BEVs have comparable lifespans, even when more intensively used.","PeriodicalId":19073,"journal":{"name":"Nature Energy","volume":"10 3","pages":"354-364"},"PeriodicalIF":49.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01698-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143026816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}