Joule最新文献

{"title":"Costs of demand-side solutions for decision-making","authors":"Joyashree Roy, Jingjing Zhang, Michelle Johnson-Wang, Eric Masanet, Shreya Some, Muhammad Huzaifa Butt, Hon Leung Curtis Wong, Leila Niamir, Luis Martinez, Souran Chatterjee, Benigna Boza-Kiss, Minghao Xu, Nan Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102668","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102668","url":null,"abstract":"<div>Recent geopolitical tensions and volatile energy prices have intensified concerns about energy security, adding urgency to demand-side measures that reduce or shift how people and businesses use energy, rather than how it is supplied. Yet, without cost data comparable to that available for supply-side solutions like solar and wind, demand-side solutions remain underutilized in policy and investment decisions. This study closes the gap by providing a validated method for comparing the costs of demand-side interventions with supply-side alternatives, standardized across the building, transportation, food, and industrial sectors and validated by more than 150 international modelers and sector experts. The approach yields energy-service-specific cost, energy, and emissions metrics that can be used by households, businesses, researchers, and policymakers across all continents. Demand-side solutions serve as resilience hedges and no-regret options.</div><div>Applying this method to 261 real-world global intervention data and 28,408 United States (US) plant-level records, we show that adopters of demand-side solutions can meet the same energy-service needs while cutting lifetime costs by up to 94%; building-sector savings range from 10% to 94%, and industrial measures can save up to 60%, depending on plant sizes and measures. Savings in transportation and food are more context dependent. Compared with typical supply-side mitigation costs of $20–$200 per ton of CO<sub>2</sub> avoided, nearly all the demand-side solutions studied have negative or near-zero marginal abatement costs. These findings position demand-side solutions as a low-cost, no-regret complement to supply-side decarbonization and a practical hedge against energy-security risks.</div><div><div>Predominant global assessments indicate that demand-side solutions could reduce GHG emissions by 40%–70% by 2050, but little is known about the costs of implementing them at scale. This is a critical knowledge gap: cost is a key factor in policy and investment decisions. Demand-side solutions are becoming increasingly crucial amid rising global energy prices, but in the absence of comparable cost metrics, they are rarely evaluated alongside supply-side resources. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a method for evaluating the costs of demand-side solutions. It includes a set of energy-service-specific metrics across the building, transportation, food, and industrial sectors, along with quantitative estimates and comparisons with supply-side solutions. Using a consistent framework, we analyzed case studies implemented across various global regions and estimated their potential for energy reductions along with associated costs and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions mitigation. Compared with baselines, we find that adopters of alternative demand-side solutions can achieve the same energy-service level while realizing lifetime cost savings of up to 94% with certain solutions. The building sector’s pot","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102668"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148877373","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}

{"title":"Scaling all-perovskite tandems to modules","authors":"Dongxu Ren,&nbsp;Haisheng Song","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102677","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102677","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recently in <em>Nature</em>, Tan and co-workers reported a 65 cm² all-perovskite tandem module with a certified power conversion efficiency of 26.2%. Surface-ligand-engineered In₂O₃ nanocrystals were developed as the tunnel recombination junction, and Pb-Sn perovskite crystallization was optimized via additive incorporation, mitigating the optical and interfacial losses that hindered large-scale performance.</div></div><div>Recently in <em>Nature</em>, Tan and co-workers reported a 65 cm² all-perovskite tandem module with a certified power conversion efficiency of 26.2%. Surface-ligand-engineered In₂O₃ nanocrystals were developed as the tunnel recombination junction, and Pb-Sn perovskite crystallization was optimized via additive incorporation, mitigating the optical and interfacial losses that hindered large-scale performance.</div>","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102677"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148964782","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}

{"title":"Areal uniformity enables scaled separator-based CO electrolyzers","authors":"Puhua Sun,&nbsp;Colin P. O’Brien,&nbsp;Hyun Sik Moon,&nbsp;Tevin Devasagayam,&nbsp;Yuxuan Gao,&nbsp;Roozbeh Alishahian,&nbsp;Haoyang Deng,&nbsp;Panagiotis Papangelakis,&nbsp;Jieyuan Liu,&nbsp;Jiexin Zhu,&nbsp;Qian Sun,&nbsp;Zunmin Guo,&nbsp;Prasad V. Sarma,&nbsp;Tanushree Ghosh,&nbsp;Yuxuan Che,&nbsp;Chengqian Wu,&nbsp;Qiyou Wang,&nbsp;Jeff Parkey,&nbsp;Jonathan Raisin,&nbsp;Shaffiq Jaffer,&nbsp;David Sinton","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102441","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102441","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;A framing setup for scaling a separator-based CO electrolyzer with uniform compression&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Approach demonstrated in an 800 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; single cell, the largest single cell area for CO-to-C&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Total C&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; current of 125 A, 52% C&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; FE, and 192 A total partial current to C&lt;sub&gt;2+&lt;/sub&gt; products&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Electrochemical methods of converting carbon monoxide into multi-carbon products, such as ethylene, hold potential as a path to low-carbon fuels and chemical feedstocks, particularly if the method includes upstream CO production from captured CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;. While the field has seen substantial laboratory-scale advances, efficient CO reduction at an industrial scale has remained elusive. Electrolyzer cells must be made to operate more efficiently and reliably across active areas spanning hundreds or even thousands of square centimeters. At these scales, mechanical and electrical inconsistencies pose a considerable challenge. Separator-based electrolyzers enable high energy efficiency and are structurally robust, but scaling introduces new problems. In this work, we focus on overcoming an important mechanical limitation in such a setup by using a rigid framing support to maintain uniform compression in an 800 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; electrolyzer. Demonstrating stable, high-current ethylene production at this scale suggests a viable route to CO electrolysis at an industrial scale.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Electrochemical CO reduction (COR) to multi-carbon products enables low-carbon fuels and chemicals, particularly when coupled with efficient upstream CO generation from CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;. Industrial implementation will require efficient operation over large areas, on the order of 100–1,000 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; per cell. Separator-based electrolyzers combine high energy efficiency with greater mechanical robustness than anion exchange membrane (AEM) cells, making them well suited for large-area operation. At 800 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;, however, non-uniform compression across the active area led to puncture of the separator, localized short circuit, and losses in current and efficiency. Protective spacers used in prior large-area designs can shield thin components but add ohmic resistance and cell voltage. We engineer a rigid framing support that preserves areal uniformity across the active area of the scaled separator-based electrolyzer. We thus report an 800 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; single-cell COR electrolyzer delivering 125 A total ethylene current at 52% Faradaic efficiency and retaining ∼65% of the bench-scale energy efficiency.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Electrochemical CO reduction (COR) to multi-carbon products enables low-carbon fuels and chemicals, particularly when coupled with efficient upstream CO generation from CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;. Industrial implementation will require efficient ope","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102441"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148964540","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}

{"title":"From atomic to molecular catalysis in Mg-S batteries","authors":"Jian Wang,&nbsp;Yongzheng Zhang,&nbsp;Sirshendu Dinda,&nbsp;Jing Zhang,&nbsp;Maximilian Fichtner","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102679","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102679","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Magnesium-sulfur (Mg-S) batteries offer high volumetric energy density but suffer from sluggish kinetics of Mg(solvents)_<em>x</em>²⁺ dissociation and polysulfide shuttling. In a recent <em>Chem Catalysis</em> paper, Zhang et al. discussed how molecular catalysts promote sulfur conversions and coupling mechanisms, providing emerging catalysis for high-performance Mg-S batteries.</div></div><div>Magnesium-sulfur (Mg-S) batteries offer high volumetric energy density but suffer from sluggish kinetics of Mg(solvents)_<em>x</em>²⁺ dissociation and polysulfide shuttling. In a recent <em>Chem Catalysis</em> paper, Zhang et al. discussed how molecular catalysts promote sulfur conversions and coupling mechanisms, providing emerging catalysis for high-performance Mg-S batteries.</div>","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102679"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148964865","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}

{"title":"A gas-solid hydride ion battery and a hydrogen-electricity co-storage system","authors":"Shangshang Wang,&nbsp;Weijin Zhang,&nbsp;Liping Yang,&nbsp;Jirong Cui,&nbsp;Shukun Liu,&nbsp;Haiyu Deng,&nbsp;Ren Zou,&nbsp;Hetong Chen,&nbsp;Yawei Wang,&nbsp;Hujun Cao,&nbsp;Wanjun Li,&nbsp;Rui Cai,&nbsp;Ping Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102475","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102475","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;The first gas-solid hydride ion battery based on the Mg-H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; system was constructed&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;It exhibits an initial capacity of 1,526 mAh/g and maintains &gt;70% after 60 cycles&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;A hydrogen-electricity co-storage system is proposed&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;This co-storage system achieves a high hydrogen energy efficiency of 93.9%&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The hydride ion (H&lt;sup&gt;−&lt;/sup&gt;), with the highest electron density and the largest polarizability per unit mass in nature, enables the construction of electrochemical processes distinctly different from existing cation-mediated systems, holding great promise for triggering major technological advances in the fields of energy storage and chemical conversion. Among these, rechargeable all-solid-state H&lt;sup&gt;−&lt;/sup&gt; batteries (HIBs) have attracted considerable attention because of their unique characteristics, including being metal-dendrite-free, possessing high theoretical capacity, offering great potential for wide temperature operation, utilizing abundant hydrogen resources, and being environmentally friendly. Using H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; as the active material of an electrode, namely, the gas-solid HIB (g-HIB), can significantly improve capacity and energy density. More importantly, it provides a brand-new electrochemical pathway for high-capacity chemical hydrogen storage at room temperature and ambient pressure. This goal has remained elusive for over 60 years and is the present bottleneck for the large-scale utilization of hydrogen energy. This work demonstrates the first g-HIB Mg|3CeH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;@BaH&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;|H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, which achieves a high capacity of 1,526 mAh/g, good cycling performance, and a wide operating temperature range (−20°C to 90°C). A novel hydrogen-electricity co-storage system is proposed by coupling this g-HIB with a secondary battery. Compared with other hydrogen storage technologies, this co-storage system delivers high hydrogen energy efficiency and may find great uses in mobile or stationary hydrogen utilization scenarios.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Significant progress has been made in materials development for hydride ion (H&lt;sup&gt;−&lt;/sup&gt;) conduction and H&lt;sup&gt;−&lt;/sup&gt;-mediated electrochemical devices. However, a gas-solid H&lt;sup&gt;−&lt;/sup&gt; battery (g-HIB) that utilizes H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and metals as the active materials of the electrodes and offers the potential for high capacity and energy density has yet to be developed. Here, a typical metal-hydrogen system, Mg-H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, is employed to build such a g-HIB. Experimental results validate that hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the anode lead to electric energy output and input, respectively, in the Mg|3CeH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;@BaH&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;|H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; developed. This g-HIB exhibits an initial capacity of 1,526 mAh/g and maintains a capacity retention of over 70% after 60 cycles. It op","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102475"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148624264","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}

{"title":"Redox chemistry of halide materials unlocking next-generation all-solid-state batteries","authors":"Jin-Liang Li (李锦梁),&nbsp;Zhong-Yuan Huang (黄中垣),&nbsp;Chen-Zi Zhao (赵辰孜),&nbsp;Yao-Kun Ye (叶耀坤),&nbsp;Jia-Xin Zheng (郑家新),&nbsp;Qiang Zhang (张强)","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102641","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;Solid electrolytes have conventionally been engineered as electrochemically inert components that separate electrodes and conduct ions, operating strictly within their stability window. Owing to high ionic conductivity and exceptional oxidative stability, halide materials have emerged as promising solid electrolyte candidates. Beyond the established role, the intrinsic redox chemistry offers halides an underexplored opportunity to serve as active capacity contributors.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;This perspective systematically synthesizes the nascent field of halide redox chemistry in all-solid-state batteries and proposes a strategic design principle to match the halide reversible redox voltage window with the operating voltage of high-capacity electrodes, which transforms these traditionally inert components into active capacity contributors. Many central metal cations (e.g., Fe, V, and Nb) in halides undergo reversible redox between intermediate valence states without structural degradation, delivering substantial capacity. Halogen anions also exhibit partial reversible redox activity as auxiliaries to mediate conversion reactions.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The beneficial halide redox chemistry expands the application scope of solid electrolytes and provides a practical pathway to break the current bottleneck of approximately 450 Wh kg&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;. The energy gains enabled by halide redox could unlock electric aviation and deep-space exploration. Future advancement of halide redox chemistry demands AI-accelerated discovery, multi-scale &lt;em&gt;in situ&lt;/em&gt; characterization, and interfacial engineering for superior reversibility and stability. Redefining solid electrolytes from passive ion conductors into active participants in energy storage proves decisive for the development of next-generation all-solid-state batteries.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Halide materials have emerged as a promising solid electrolyte candidate for all-solid-state batteries owing to their high ionic conductivity and tunable electrochemical stability. Beyond this established role, they also offer an underexplored opportunity to contribute to energy storage as potential capacity contributors through their intrinsic redox chemistry. Herein, we synthesize the nascent field of halide redox chemistry, spanning both metal cations and halogen anions, and identify a core design principle that involves strategically matching the reversible redox voltage window of halides to the operating voltage of high-capacity electrodes. Beyond cation-centric redox, we elucidate the distinct reversibility of halogen anions (Cl, Br, and I) and illustrate their role in enhancing battery performance. By extending the function of halides from ion transport to coupled redox participation, this perspective outlines new directions for the design of next-generation all-solid-state batteries.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Halide materials have emerged as a promising solid electrolyte candidate for all-solid-state batteries owing to their high ionic conduct","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102641"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148806528","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}

{"title":"Elongated fullerene unlocks oxygen-resistant perovskite solar minimodules","authors":"Huanxin Guo,&nbsp;Angelina Noel Stein,&nbsp;Xiaoqiang Shi,&nbsp;Haoliang Wang,&nbsp;Chuanhang Guo,&nbsp;Haoyang Jiao,&nbsp;Hangyu Gu,&nbsp;Mengru Wang,&nbsp;Chengbin Fei,&nbsp;Michael Owen-Bellini,&nbsp;Jackson W. Schall,&nbsp;Dana B. Kern,&nbsp;Timothy J. Silverman,&nbsp;Laura T. Schelhas,&nbsp;Adam Lorenz,&nbsp;Kai Zhu,&nbsp;Benjia Dak Dou,&nbsp;Jinsong Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102482","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102482","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Oxygen ingress into encapsulated PSC modules in weeks or months&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Oxidation of C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt; dominates the degradation of p-i-n structured PSCs&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Elongated fullerene C&lt;sub&gt;70&lt;/sub&gt; relieves structural strain and enhances oxygen resistance&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;We discovered that perovskite solar modules become saturated with oxygen within weeks to months in the field with state-of-the-art encapsulation, leading to device degradation. Instead of the perovskite absorber, we identified the C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt;-based electron transport layer as the dominant failure bottleneck in the most common device stacking. Specifically, C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt; undergoes oxidation upon oxygen exposure, significantly impairing its electron transport properties. To address this limitation, we found that replacing C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt; with the elongated fullerene C&lt;sub&gt;70&lt;/sub&gt;, which has less structural strain, resulted in orders-of-magnitude device stability toward oxidation. In addition, a compact SnO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; layer on C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt; formed by atomic layer deposition further suppresses oxygen diffusion. This combined strategy enables unencapsulated PSCs to retain 90% of their initial efficiency (T90) after 1,200 h of operation under 1-sun illumination in pure oxygen at 70°C—representing a stability improvement of several hundred times compared with devices based on C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt;. This stability can translate to over 40 years of stability toward oxygen at 50°C.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;State-of-the-art encapsulation cannot prevent the permeation of oxygen into perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, we report the finding that p-i-n structured PSCs degrade quickly under oxygen exposure. Oxidation of C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt;, rather than perovskites, dominates the degradation. Chemical absorption of oxygen by C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt; is identified, which impairs its electron transport property. We modify the electron transport layers to address the instability under oxygen exposure. The elongated fullerene C&lt;sub&gt;70&lt;/sub&gt; is found to react with oxygen orders of magnitude slower than C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt;. In combination with a compact SnO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; buffer fabricated by atomic layer deposition, which can slow down the oxygen diffusion, the resulting unencapsulated PSCs with C&lt;sub&gt;70&lt;/sub&gt; retained 90% of their initial efficiency after 1-sun illumination in pure oxygen for 1,200 h at 70°C, improving stability by hundreds of times. Testing of unencapsulated perovskite minimodules of different perovskite compositions with C&lt;sub&gt;70&lt;/sub&gt; gives extrapolated lifetimes of 17–41 years at 50°C.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;State-of-the-art encapsulation cannot prevent the permeation of oxygen into perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, we report the finding that p-i-n structured PSCs degrade quickly under oxygen exposure. Oxidation of C&lt;sub&gt;60&lt;/sub&gt;, rather than perovskites, dominates the degradation. Chemical","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102482"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148624268","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}

{"title":"Outperforming water electrolysis through catalyst layer structuring with defective 2D mesoporous carbon","authors":"Jaeho Byeon,&nbsp;Minkyeong Ban,&nbsp;Liangliang Xu,&nbsp;Seunggeon Lee,&nbsp;Seongbeen Kim,&nbsp;Seonggyu Lee,&nbsp;Seongmin Shin,&nbsp;Donghyeok Son,&nbsp;Wonchul Park,&nbsp;Jinkyu Park,&nbsp;Hoyoung Kim,&nbsp;Dongyoon Woo,&nbsp;Seongseop Kim,&nbsp;Dong Young Chung,&nbsp;Jaewook Nam,&nbsp;Jang Yong Lee,&nbsp;Sungjun Kim,&nbsp;Jinwoo Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102478","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102478","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;A defect-rich mesoporous carbon nanosheet support boosts hydrogen evolution activity&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Interfacial ruthenium–carbon bonding tunes adsorption in alkaline water splitting&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;A low-tortuosity catalyst layer improves ion and gas transport&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Device and scale-up tests show durable performance with low noble metal loading&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) is gaining attention as a cost-effective platform for sustainable hydrogen production. However, its commercialization is limited by sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and poor mass transport, especially under high current densities. We address these challenges through the catalytic engineering of Ru nanoclusters on two-dimensional mesoporous carbon nanosheets (Ru/MNS). This structure simultaneously boosts HER kinetics via stable Ru–C bonding and enhances ion/mass transport through low-tortuosity porous architecture. As a result, Ru/MNS achieves state-of-the-art AEMWE performance (17.1 A cm&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; at 2.0 V) and excellent durability under industrial-scale operation. Notably, its performance is maintained in a 25 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; scale-up cell, a rare demonstration in this field.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) enables cost-effective hydrogen production, yet the sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and transport limitations at high current densities remain critical challenges. We present a comprehensive strategy to overcome these challenges by developing a Ru nanocluster catalyst supported on 2D mesoporous carbon nanosheets (Ru/MNS) with defect-induced Ru–C bond formation. The Ru–C bond formation optimally tunes HER intermediate binding, achieving an ultralow overpotential of 5.9 mV at 10 mA cm&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt;, while the unique 2D mesoporous architecture significantly reduces ion and transport resistances. These synergistic enhancements enable state-of-the-art AEMWE performance, delivering 17.1 A cm&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; at 2.0 V and maintaining stability for 1,000 h at 1.0 A cm&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; with only 0.09 mg&lt;sub&gt;Ru&lt;/sub&gt; cm&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt;. Notably, in a 25 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; scale-up membrane electrode assembly, it maintains 1.710 V at 3.0 A cm&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt;, closely matching 5 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; cell performance. This work highlights Ru/MNS as a promising catalyst for high-efficiency, scalable water electrolysis.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) enables cost-effective hydrogen production, yet the sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and transport limitations at high current densities remain critical challenges. We present a comprehensive strategy to overcome these challenges by developing a Ru nanocluster catalyst supported on 2D mesoporous carbon nanosheets (Ru/MNS) with defect-induced Ru–C bo","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102478"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148964727","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}

{"title":"Grain boundary complexions stabilize Mg3Sb2-based thermoelectric devices with superior performance","authors":"Yang Geng,&nbsp;Zhenyu Wang,&nbsp;Yali Liu,&nbsp;Dominique Mattlat,&nbsp;Lipeng Hu,&nbsp;Fusheng Liu,&nbsp;Christina Scheu,&nbsp;Gerald Jeffrey Snyder,&nbsp;Matthias Wuttig,&nbsp;Yuan Yu,&nbsp;Siyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Chaohua Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102443","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Ga-rich grain boundary complexions block Mg-diffusion channels&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Mg&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;Sb&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; materials stabilize at 718 K for over 80 h&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Single-leg device shows 13.7% maximum efficiency and at least 7-day stability&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;A two-pair device shows a high efficiency of 12.5% at ΔT = 450 K&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Thermoelectric materials enable the direct conversion of waste heat into electricity, holding great promise for sustainable energy supply. The broadscale application of thermoelectric devices is nevertheless limited by the scarcity of tellurium in commercial devices based on Bi&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;Te&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and PbTe. Over the past decade, Mg&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;Sb&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-based alloys have emerged as the leading candidates to replace these expensive and toxic tellurides and demonstrated high thermoelectric figure of merit (&lt;em&gt;ZT&lt;/em&gt;) in a broad temperature range. Despite their attractive performance, the practical deployment of Mg&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;Sb&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-based thermoelectrics has been largely hindered by their thermal instability at elevated temperatures, primarily due to the Mg loss issue. This issue severely restricts the usable temperature gradient and thus the energy conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;In this work, grain boundary (GB) complexion enabled by Ga segregation is introduced to solve the thermal instability issue of Mg&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;Sb&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-based thermoelectric alloys. These Ga-induced complexions acting as atomic locks at GBs effectively suppress the formation of Mg vacancies at GBs. Furthermore, they inhibit the outward diffusion of Mg along the fast GB diffusion pathways and prevent its reaction with residual gases in the environment, thereby substantially enhancing the thermal stability of Mg&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;Sb&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-based thermoelectrics. A single-leg Mg&lt;sub&gt;3+δ&lt;/sub&gt;(Sb&lt;sub&gt;0.75&lt;/sub&gt;Bi&lt;sub&gt;0.25&lt;/sub&gt;)&lt;sub&gt;1.99&lt;/sub&gt;Te&lt;sub&gt;0.01&lt;/sub&gt;Ga&lt;sub&gt;0.03&lt;/sub&gt;Y&lt;sub&gt;0.01&lt;/sub&gt; device can obtain a stabilized energy conversion efficiency of 12.5% ± 0.6% under a temperature difference of 423 K over 7 consecutive days of testing, demonstrating both high efficiency and exceptional durability. This GB complexion engineering opens a promising avenue for suppressing the thermal-driven atomic diffusion and reaction, boosting the thermal stability of thermoelectrics, as well as other Mg-based alloys that have similar Mg loss issues at high temperatures.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The practical application of Mg&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;Sb&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-based thermoelectrics has been largely retarded by their poor thermal stability, mainly due to the rapid loss of Mg at elevated temperatures. Here, we prove that grain boundaries are fast diffusion channels for Mg, and we block these channels by forming Ga-rich grain boundary complexions. This design suppresses the formation ","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"10 9","pages":"Article 102443"},"PeriodicalIF":37.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148964874","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}

{"title":"Dual-pseudohalide engineering suppresses halide segregation in wide-band-gap perovskites","authors":"Pronoy Nandi,Chiung-Han Chen,Vikram,Cheng Liu,Yurui Wang,Alekos Jackson,Levi Hoogendoorn,Shreyash S. Hadke,Mark C. Hersam,M. Saiful Islam,Bin Chen,Edward H. Sargent,Mercouri G. Kanatzidis","doi":"10.1016/j.joule.2026.102669","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2026.102669","url":null,"abstract":"Mixed-halide wide-band-gap perovskites are essential for high-efficiency tandem photovoltaics, yet light-induced halide segregation limits their operational stability. To address this, we demonstrate that incorporating bulky pseudohalide anions suppresses vacancy formation and inhibits ion migration pathways. Being large, triatomic anions, thiocyanate (SCN−) and cyanate (OCN−) locally distort the perovskite crystal structure, effectively “stuffing” the lattice. This co-doping strategy elevates the ion migration barrier and leads to a 5-fold suppression of ionic conductivity and a 10-fold delay in phase segregation under 10-sun illumination. Wide-band-gap (1.78 eV) solar cells based on this alloy deliver 20% efficiency, with 90% retention after 1,530 h of continuous operation at 65°C, placing it among the most stable wide-band-gap perovskites reported at this temperature. When integrated into all-perovskite tandems, they achieve 27.2% efficiency and retain 70% of their initial efficiency after 600 h at 65°C.","PeriodicalId":343,"journal":{"name":"Joule","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":39.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148973396","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}