Energy advances最新文献

{"title":"Cs2CuLuY6 (Y = Br, I) double halide perovskites: structural, optoelectronic, thermoelectric and thermo-mechanical insights for sustainable technologies","authors":"Md Shahazan Parves, Rashel Mohammad Khokan, Md. Zahid Hasan and Hadjer Bendjilali","doi":"10.1039/D6YA00011H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6YA00011H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This research provides an in-depth thorough assessment of the physical characteristics of Cs<small>₂</small>CuLuY<small>₆</small> (Y = Br, I) materials using DFT. Structural stability is confirmed through tolerance factors, octahedral factors, and formation energy calculations, while elastic constants satisfy the Born stability criteria, indicating mechanical robustness. Phonon dispersion analysis reveals the absence of imaginary frequencies, confirming the dynamical stability of the investigated compounds. The evaluated Pugh's and Poisson's ratios suggest ductile behavior with noticeable elastic anisotropy. Electronic band structure analysis with GGA-PBE, TB-mBJ, and YS-PBE0 reveals that all investigated compounds are semiconductors with indirect band gaps. Optical analysis demonstrates strong absorption in the visible to UV region, highlighting their potential for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. Furthermore, thermoelectric analysis indicates promising thermoelectric performance with favorable figure-of-merit (<em>ZT</em> ∼ 1.0) values over a wide temperature range, highlighting their potential for both low-temperature cooling and high-temperature heat recovery. These findings point to Cs<small>₂</small>CuLuY<small>₆</small> alloy as a versatile potential material for renewable energy applications, predominantly in solar cell and thermoelectric applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 659-680"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d6ya00011h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147978765","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":"Microporous carbon enhanced by structural modifications to suppress polysulfide shuttling and reduce capacity fading in lithium–sulfur batteries","authors":"Delvina Japhet Tarimo, Francisco J. García-Soriano, Alen Vizintin, Christian Prehal, Elena Tchernychova and Volker Presser","doi":"10.1039/D6YA00026F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6YA00026F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Commercialization of lithium–sulfur batteries (Li–S) remains complex due to limited cycling stability related to the solubility of polysulfide intermediates, specifically higher-order polysulfides (Li<small>₂</small>S<small>₄</small> to Li<small>₂</small>S<small>₈</small>). Some studies have utilized microporous carbons with pore sizes ≤0.7 nm, which can accommodate only short-chain polysulfides (Li<small>₂</small>S<small>_2–4</small>) to resolve the challenge of polysulfide shuttling. However, the discharge products of long-chain polysulfides, Li<small>₂</small>S<small>₈</small> and Li<small>₂</small>S<small>₆</small> molecules with diameters of 0.84 nm and 0.76 nm, are not entirely confined in the micropores due to the poor affinity of the carbon host and polysulfides. In this study, we created microporous carbon (AC900) with a pore size of 1.2 nm that can accommodate both long and short-chain polysulfides and infiltrated it with sulfur (AC900S). To mitigate capacity fading, we further modified the carbon using urea (AC900NS) and nickel sulfate (AC900S-Ni) treatments. The latter did not result in detectable Ni incorporation but induced partial changes in carbon hybridization and surface structure. The synthesis-driven structural adjustment in AC900S-Ni influenced solid-state conversion and improved electrochemical stability compared to AC900S and AC900NS. The AC900S-Ni cathode demonstrated a capacity retention of 72% with a capacity of 773 mAh g<small>_S</small><small>⁻¹</small> after 100 cycles and 1000 mAh g<small>_S</small><small>⁻¹</small> in the first cycle at C/20, higher than those of AC900S and AC900NS. An improvement in capacity retention to 96% was noted at C/10, with a discharge capacity of 722 mAh g<small>_S</small><small>⁻¹</small> after 100 cycles, compared to 805 mAh g<small>_S</small><small>⁻¹</small> in the first cycle. The results identify the factor contributing to capacity fading in unmodified AC900S and demonstrate that chemical/structural modification of microporous carbon combined with a carbonate electrolyte provides a promising pathway for Li–S systems. This study offers a facile approach to tune carbon hosts and expand their applicability in Li–S batteries.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 6","pages":" 810-823"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d6ya00026f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148268540","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":"Enhancing light and dark photocatalytic hydrogen production via graphene conductive networks in carbon nitride composites","authors":"Zejun Zhang, Fankai Bu, Songmei Wang, Zhidong Wei, Yong Zhu and Junying Liu","doi":"10.1039/D6YA00031B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6YA00031B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The development of photocatalysts capable of operating under both light and dark conditions is critical for sustainable solar energy utilization. This study presents a graphene-enhanced cyano-functionalized carbon nitride composite, fabricated <em>via</em> a simple electrostatic assembly method, to achieve efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution during day–night cycles. The introduction of graphene does not alter the structure of <small>^NCN</small>CN. Graphene functions as an electron-conductive network, significantly improving charge separation and storage capabilities. Under visible light (<em>λ</em> ≥ 400 nm), the optimal composite with 0.5 wt% graphene exhibited a hydrogen production rate of 3156 µmol h<small>⁻¹</small> g<small>⁻¹</small>, 35% higher than that of pure <small>^NCN</small>CN. Remarkably, under dark conditions, it achieved a hydrogen yield of 3.8 µmol, representing a 65% enhancement. Photoelectrochemical analyses validated the reduced recombination of electron–hole pairs and enhanced conductivity. The proposed mechanism highlights the role of graphene in facilitating electron transfer to Pt co-catalysts and storing electrons <em>via</em> cyanide-K<small>⁺</small> pairs for delayed hydrogen production in the dark. This work demonstrates the potential of graphene-based composites as efficient all-weather photocatalysts for sustainable energy applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 731-740"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d6ya00031b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147978692","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":"Fe-functionalised N-doped Ti3C2Tz MXene for the alkaline oxygen reduction reaction","authors":"Luc Bouscarrat, Alex Scrimshire, Paul A. Bingham, Gaurav Gupta, Richard Dawson and Nuno Bimbo","doi":"10.1039/D5YA00371G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5YA00371G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Alkaline fuel cells are promising technologies to decarbonise current energy systems. One of the main advantages they present is that non-expensive metals can be used as catalysts, reducing overall manufacturing costs. A promising family of electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, which is the most difficult reaction in most fuel cell systems, are Fe–N–C catalysts, which have shown performance close to platinum-based catalysts. Coupling these with MXenes is a promising alternative, as MXenes can act as supports that will homogeneously disperse the metal species and catalyse the formation of carbon species that increase performance for the ORR. In this paper, we intercalate Fe species and urea in Ti<small>₃</small>C<small>₂</small>T<small>_<em>z</em></small> MXene and fully characterise the materials using a range of techniques, including Mössbauer spectroscopy. The materials are then tested for the ORR in alkaline media, with one sample (Ti<small>₃</small>C<small>₂</small>-U50-Fe-800) showing excellent performance and stability in 0.1 M KOH, including an onset potential of 0.93 V <em>vs.</em> RHE, an electron transfer number of 3.8 at 0.8 V <em>vs.</em> RHE, a Tafel slope of 66 mV dec<small>⁻¹</small>, and a small shift of 37 mV for the half-wave potential for linear sweep voltammetry before and after 2000 cycles. This performance is attributed to the high nitrogen content that favourably forms pyridinic N species on this sample, and the MXene support, which disperses the Fe species and catalyses the formation of favourable carbon materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 4","pages":" 454-466"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d5ya00371g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147734809","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":"Intermediate phase modulation and defect passivation to stabilize the photoactive phase of formamidinium-based perovskites for air-ambient device fabrication","authors":"Nitin Kumar Bansal, Jinyoung Kim, Gyu Min Kim and Trilok Singh","doi":"10.1039/D5YA00348B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5YA00348B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Achieving stable and efficient formamidinium (FA)-rich perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in air-ambient conditions remains a critical challenge. In this work, we demonstrate an antisolvent engineering approach for the triple co-solvent system of perovskite formation using <em>n</em>-heptylamine (<em>n</em>-HA) to stabilize the photoactive α-FAPb(I<small>_<em>x</em></small>Br<small>_{1−<em>x</em>}</small>)<small>₃</small> phase. By incorporating <em>n</em>-HA into the antisolvent process, we mitigate moisture-induced degradation and achieve superior film morphology. <em>n</em>-HA helps to repel moisture and DMSO-based intermolecular adducts and convert the perovskite into a photoactive black phase even prior to annealing. The Lewis base functional group of <em>n</em>-HA significantly passivated the grain boundaries, resulting in the mitigation of halide vacancy and uncoordinated lead in the perovskite film. The resulting perovskite films exhibit enhanced phase stability, reduced defect density, and improved grain growth and film morphology. The devices fabricated using these films achieve a significant power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.56% with minimal hysteresis and excellent stability, highlighting the potential of this strategy for scalable air-ambient PSC fabrication.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 719-730"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d5ya00348b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147978691","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":"Study of composite polymer electrolytes incorporating LLZO particles in a PEO matrix in high voltage all solid-state lithium batteries","authors":"Sneha Subhas Malunavar, Susan Montes, Sandra Martinez-Crespiera, Gerard Pérez-Pi, Sonja Tischler, Stefano Passerini and Meisam Hasanpoor","doi":"10.1039/D5YA00355E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5YA00355E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The impact of different Li<small>₇</small>La<small>₃</small>Zr<small>₂</small>O<small>₁₂</small> (LLZO) fillers irrespective of dopants on the electrochemical performance of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) is systematically investigated. LLZO particles doped with Al and Ta/Nb were synthesized <em>via</em> electrospinning (Al-LLZO) and the solid-state reaction (bulk Al-LLZO and Ta/Nb-LLZO), alongside a commercial LLZO Ref. Three SPE composites S1 (electrospun Al-LLZO), S2 (bulk Al-LLZO), and S3 (Ta/Nb-LLZO) were fabricated by dispersing the fillers into a PEO–LiTFSI matrix. Among them, S2 exhibited the highest ionic conductivity (10<small>⁻³</small> S cm<small>⁻¹</small> at 60 °C), outperforming S1 and S3 (10<small>⁻⁴</small> S cm<small>⁻¹</small>). All SPEs demonstrated a stable electrochemical window of 2.5–4.2 V, confirmed <em>via</em> cyclic voltammetry. Symmetric cell testing revealed that the Ref sample, with smaller and more uniformly distributed LLZO particles, achieved the lowest overpotential. Full-cell cycling with an NMC811‖SPE‖Li–metal at 60 °C yielded discharge capacities of 80–115 mAh g<small>⁻¹</small> for S2, S3, and the Ref, whereas S1 underperformed. Despite these variations, the solid polymer electrolytes demonstrate promising stability when in contact with both the Li metal anode and the NMC811 cathode, highlighting its potential for use in high voltage solid-state batteries at elevated temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 707-718"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d5ya00355e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147978690","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":"Optimizing carrier collection in solar cells through nanoscale junction design","authors":"Melanie Micali, Raphaël François Lemerle, Anja Tiede, Anna Fontcuberta i Morral and Esther Alarcón-Lladó","doi":"10.1039/D5YA00251F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5YA00251F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A key challenge in thin-film photovoltaics is achieving selective carrier collection that minimizes recombination losses while maintaining efficient charge extraction. This study presents a theoretical analysis of how reducing junction contact area can enhance the open-circuit voltage (<em>V</em><small>_OC</small>) and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) in thin-film solar cells. Using a zinc-phosphide (Zn<small>₃</small>P<small>₂</small>) -based heterojunction as a model, we simulate the effect of geometrically minimizing contact <em>via</em> silicon-dioxide (SiO<small>₂</small>) layers with patterned holes. The smaller the contact area, the lower the reverse saturation current, which results in a significant increase in the <em>V</em><small>_OC</small> up to 100 mV. However, the reduced contact area also increases the series resistance, thereby limiting the gain in PCE. This approach is especially effective with non-absorbing highly-doped transport layers, such as titanium-dioxide (TiO<small>₂</small>) (PCE gain up to 1.45%). This work underscores the importance of balancing reduced recombination with parasitic resistance and current crowding for optimal performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 4","pages":" 427-433"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13001637/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500616","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":"An integrated pyrolysis approach for hydrogen production and microplastic elimination from sewage sludge: experimental and analytical perspectives","authors":"Charles Wilde, Kumar Vijayalakshmi Shivaprasad, Abdullah Malik, Yaodong Wang, Anthony Paul Roskilly and Huashan Bao","doi":"10.1039/D5YA00228A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5YA00228A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Municipal sewage sludge, a byproduct of wastewater treatment processes, is increasingly recognised as a reservoir of microplastics (MP), posing environmental risks to soil and water systems. This study evaluates pyrolysis as an integrated solution for recovering hydrogen-rich syngas and eliminating MPs from sewage sludge. The sludge, sourced from a wastewater treatment facility in the United Kingdom, was pre-treated through conditioning and drying before being thermochemically converted at 800 °C. Varying the auger speed revealed that slower speeds significantly improved hydrogen output, reaching up to 41 vol%, primarily due to extended gas residence time that favours secondary reforming and cracking reactions. Quantitative analysis of MPs showed a significant reduction, from an initial concentration of 53.7 ± 7.2 MPs per g in dried sludge to undetectable levels in the resulting biochar. Morphological characterization identified fragments (46.2%) and fibres (41.9%) as dominant MP types, with further evaluation of their size and colour profiles. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in untreated sludge and the absence of plastic-related signals in post-pyrolysis samples. The results highlight pyrolysis as a promising method for concurrent clean energy recovery and microplastic remediation, offering practical guidance for advancing circular economy goals and sustainable waste-to-hydrogen pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 696-706"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d5ya00228a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147978689","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":"Solid-state batteries: integration-ready separators, quantified interfaces and manufacturable microstructures","authors":"Bora Karasulu, Nella M. Vargas-Barbosa and Pooja Goddard","doi":"10.1039/D6YA90007K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6YA90007K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A graphical abstract is available for this content</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 4","pages":" 376-378"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d6ya90007k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147734760","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":"Metal–organic framework-derived ultra-microporous bismuth oxide synchronizing energy density and stability in symmetric supercapacitors","authors":"Maaz Khan, Adil Alshoaibi, Atizaz Ali, Qi Liu, Syeda Khalida, Maria Nazir, Baseena Sardar and Majid Khan","doi":"10.1039/D5YA00376H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5YA00376H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The development of bismuth oxide (Bi<small>₂</small>O<small>₃</small>) for supercapacitor applications is often limited by its intrinsically low electrical conductivity and structural instability during cycling. Herein, a metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived strategy is employed to engineer ultra-microporous Bi<small>₂</small>O<small>₃</small> architectures with tailored structural and electrochemical properties. Through a controlled solvothermal synthesis followed by calcination using terephthalic acid as an organic linker, a hierarchically porous Bi<small>₂</small>O<small>₃</small> structure is obtained with an enhanced surface area of 117 m<small>²</small> g<small>⁻¹</small> and dominant ultra-micropores centered at 0.42 nm. The engineered porous framework promotes efficient electrolyte infiltration and improves redox accessibility, resulting in a high specific capacitance of 876 F g<small>⁻¹</small> at 0.5 A g<small>⁻¹</small> in a three-electrode configuration. When assembled into a symmetric two-electrode supercapacitor operating within a 0–0.6 V window, the MOF-derived Bi<small>₂</small>O<small>₃</small> electrode delivers a device-specific capacitance of 950 F g<small>⁻¹</small>, achieving a maximum energy density of 47.2 Wh kg<small>⁻¹</small> at a power density of 150 W kg<small>⁻¹</small>. The device maintains 75.3% capacitance retention after 10 000 charge/discharge cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 81.4%. These findings demonstrate that MOF-assisted structural engineering effectively enhances ion transport pathways and electroactive surface utilization, offering a viable strategy for improving the electrochemical performance of metal oxide-based supercapacitors.</p>","PeriodicalId":72913,"journal":{"name":"Energy advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 681-695"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ya/d5ya00376h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147978766","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}