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Chemical short-range disorder in lithium oxide cathodes
The introduction of chemical short-range disorder substantially affects the crystal structure of layered lithium oxide cathodes, leading to improved charge transfer and structural stability.
- Qidi Wang
- , Zhenpeng Yao
- & Chenglong Zhao
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Self-oscillating polymeric refrigerator with high energy efficiency
We report on a near-zero-power flexible heat pump that uses both electrocaloric and electrostrictive properties of a tailored polymer to create a chip-scale refrigerator device.
- Donglin Han
- , Yingjing Zhang
- & Xiaoshi Qian
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Article
| Open AccessHigh carrier mobility along the [111] orientation in Cu2O photoelectrodes
A study introduces a novel method to grow single-crystal Cu2O thin films with selected crystal orientations, highlighting enhanced bulk carrier mobility and carrier diffusion length along the [111] direction that yields Cu2O photocathodes with improved performance.
- Linfeng Pan
- , Linjie Dai
- & Samuel D. Stranks
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Article
| Open AccessA high-density and high-confinement tokamak plasma regime for fusion energy
A stable tokamak plasma has been demonstrated with a high plasma density and a high energy confinement quality, both of which are simultaneously important for fusion reactors.
- S. Ding
- , A. M. Garofalo
- & J. M. Hanson
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Giant energy storage and power density negative capacitance superlattices
- Suraj S. Cheema
- , Nirmaan Shanker
- & Sayeef Salahuddin
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Long-term continuous ammonia electrosynthesis
Use of a chain-ether-based solvent instead of tetrahydrofuran for lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction enables long-term continuous ammonia electrosynthesis with high efficiency and improved gas-phase ammonia distribution.
- Shaofeng Li
- , Yuanyuan Zhou
- & Ib Chorkendorff
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US oil and gas system emissions from nearly one million aerial site measurements
We integrate approximately one million aerial site measurements into regional emissions inventories for six regions in the USA, finding methane emission intensities that vary by more than a factor of ten.
- Evan D. Sherwin
- , Jeffrey S. Rutherford
- & Adam R. Brandt
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| Open AccessDopant-additive synergism enhances perovskite solar modules
A synergistic dopant-additive combination strategy using methylammonium chloride as the dopant and a Lewis-basic ionic-liquid additive is shown to enable the fabrication of perovskite solar modules achieving record certified performance and long-term operational stability.
- Bin Ding
- , Yong Ding
- & Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
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Triple-junction solar cells with cyanate in ultrawide-bandgap perovskites
Triple-junction solar cells with cyanate in ultrawide-bandgap perovskites exhibit enhanced defect formation energy and substantially decreased non-radiative recombination.
- Shunchang Liu
- , Yue Lu
- & Yi Hou
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Double-side 2D/3D heterojunctions for inverted perovskite solar cells
A study presents a technique to sandwich 3D perovskite with 2D perovskites at the top and bottom, improving the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells.
- Randi Azmi
- , Drajad Satrio Utomo
- & Stefaan De Wolf
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| Open AccessAvoiding fusion plasma tearing instability with deep reinforcement learning
Artificial intelligence control is used to avoid the emergence of disruptive tearing instabilities in the magnetically confined fusion plasma in the DIII-D tokamak reactor.
- Jaemin Seo
- , SangKyeun Kim
- & Egemen Kolemen
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A rechargeable calcium–oxygen battery that operates at room temperature
A Ca–O2 battery that relies on a highly reversible two-electron redox to form chemically reactive calcium peroxide as the discharge product is reported to be stable in air and rechargeable for 700 cycles at room temperature.
- Lei Ye
- , Meng Liao
- & Huisheng Peng
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Recovery of isolated lithium through discharged state calendar ageing
Calendar ageing of lithium metal batteries in the discharged state improves capacity retention through isolated lithium recovery, which is in contrast with the capacity degradation observed during charged state calendar ageing.
- Wenbo Zhang
- , Philaphon Sayavong
- & Yi Cui
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Establishing reaction networks in the 16-electron sulfur reduction reaction
We investigate the mechanism underlying the sulfur reduction reaction that plays a central role in high-capacity lithium sulfur batteries, highlighting the electrocatalytic approach as a promising strategy for tackling the fundamental challenges associated with these batteries.
- Rongli Liu
- , Ziyang Wei
- & Xiangfeng Duan
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Durable CO2 conversion in the proton-exchange membrane system
We develop a proton-exchange membrane system that reduces CO2 to formic acid at a catalyst that is derived from waste lead–acid batteries and in which a lattice carbon activation mechanism contributes.
- Wensheng Fang
- , Wei Guo
- & Bao Yu Xia
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Flexible silicon solar cells with high power-to-weight ratios
A study reports a combination of processing, optimization and low-damage deposition methods for the production of silicon heterojunction solar cells exhibiting flexibility and high performance.
- Yang Li
- , Xiaoning Ru
- & Zongping Shao
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Article
| Open AccessThe persistence of memory in ionic conduction probed by nonlinear optics
Single-cycle terahertz pumps are used to impulsively trigger ionic hopping in battery solid electrolytes, probing ion transport at its fastest limit and demonstrating the connection between activated transport and the thermodynamics of information.
- Andrey D. Poletayev
- , Matthias C. Hoffmann
- & Aaron M. Lindenberg
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| Open AccessSatellite mapping reveals extensive industrial activity at sea
Satellite imagery, vessel GPS data and deep-learning models are used to map industrial fishing vessel activities missing from public tracking systems and changes in offshore energy infrastructure in the world’s coastal waters during 2017–2021.
- Fernando S. Paolo
- , David Kroodsma
- & Patrick Halpin
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| Open AccessSpread in climate policy scenarios unravelled
A Sobol attribution analysis unveils the roles of mitigation targets, model differences and scenario assumptions in shaping climate policy scenario outcomes.
- Mark M. Dekker
- , Andries F. Hof
- & Detlef P. van Vuuren
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Ultralow-resistance electrochemical capacitor for integrable line filtering
A miniaturized narrow-channel in-plane electrochemical capacitor shows drastically reduced ionic resistances within both the electrode material and the electrolyte and an ultrahigh areal capacitance by downscaling the channel width with femtosecond-laser scribing.
- Yajie Hu
- , Mingmao Wu
- & Liangti Qu
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| Open AccessHomogenizing out-of-plane cation composition in perovskite solar cells
We added out-of-plane cations to homogenize the distribution of cations in perovskite films, resulting in a solar cell with improved efficiency and stability.
- Zheng Liang
- , Yong Zhang
- & Xu Pan
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Interface design for all-solid-state lithium batteries
The inclusion of a Mg–Bi-based interlayer between the lithium metal and solid electrolyte and a F-rich interlayer on the cathode improves the stability and performance of solid-state lithium-metal batteries.
- Hongli Wan
- , Zeyi Wang
- & Chunsheng Wang
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Low-loss contacts on textured substrates for inverted perovskite solar cells
A co-adsorbent is used to achieve a uniform self-assembled phosphonic acid monolayer on a textured substrate, leading to more efficient inverted perovskite solar cells.
- So Min Park
- , Mingyang Wei
- & Edward H. Sargent
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Enhanced optoelectronic coupling for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells
An independently certified power conversion efficiency of 32.5% for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells is achieved through improved charge transfer at the amorphous indium zinc oxide interconnecting layer and reduced optical losses at the front and rear electrodes.
- Erkan Aydin
- , Esma Ugur
- & Stefaan De Wolf
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| Open AccessLearning heterogeneous reaction kinetics from X-ray videos pixel by pixel
Analysis of a large dataset of scanning transmission X-ray microscopy images of carbon-coated lithium iron phosphate nanoparticles shows that the heterogeneous reaction kinetics of battery materials can be learned from such videos pixel by pixel.
- Hongbo Zhao
- , Haitao Dean Deng
- & Martin Z. Bazant
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Flatband λ-Ti3O5 towards extraordinary solar steam generation
A route to greatly elevate joint densities of states by introducing a flat-band electronic structure is demonstrated, showing metallic λ-Ti3O5 powders have a high solar absorptivity and offering insights into access to cost-effective solar-to-steam generation.
- Bo Yang
- , Zhiming Zhang
- & Liang Zuo
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Tautomeric mixture coordination enables efficient lead-free perovskite LEDs
Lead-free perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) prepared using tautomeric mixture coordination provide improved ordering in the crystal structure, reduced recombination and enhanced exciton binding energy compared with lead-containing perovskite-based LEDs.
- Dongyuan Han
- , Jie Wang
- & Ning Wang
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Ultrafast deposition of faceted lithium polyhedra by outpacing SEI formation
We report the discovery of lithium metal’s intrinsic growth morphology, a rhombic dodecahedron, and leverage these rhombic dodecahedra as nucleation seeds for improved battery performance.
- Xintong Yuan
- , Bo Liu
- & Yuzhang Li
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Continuous carbon capture in an electrochemical solid-electrolyte reactor
By combining O2/H2O redox electrolysis with a modular solid-electrolyte reactor, a design for continuous electrochemical carbon capture showing high capture rates, high Faradaic efficiencies and low energy consumption is demonstrated.
- Peng Zhu
- , Zhen-Yu Wu
- & Haotian Wang
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Article
| Open AccessSingle-photon absorption and emission from a natural photosynthetic complex
Using a heralded single-photon source along with coincidence counting, we establish time correlation functions for B800 excitation and B850 fluorescence emission and demonstrate that both events involve single photons.
- Quanwei Li
- , Kaydren Orcutt
- & K. Birgitta Whaley
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All-perovskite tandem solar cells with 3D/3D bilayer perovskite heterojunction
All-perovskite tandem solar cells with an immiscible 3D/3D bilayer heterojunction demonstrate a record-high PCE of 28%, as well as the ability to retain more than 90% of their initial performance after 600 h of continuous operation.
- Renxing Lin
- , Yurui Wang
- & Hairen Tan
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Dendrite initiation and propagation in lithium metal solid-state batteries
Analysis of dendrite initiation, owing to filling of pores with lithium by means of microcracks, and propagation, caused by wedge opening, shows that there are two separate processes during dendrite failure of lithium metal solid-state batteries.
- Ziyang Ning
- , Guanchen Li
- & Peter G. Bruce
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Perspective |
Lead immobilization for environmentally sustainable perovskite solar cells
An analysis of chemical processes to immobilize lead from perovskite solar cells is presented, highlighting the need for a standard lead-leakage test and mathematical model to reliably evaluate the potential environmental risk of perovskite optoelectronics.
- Hui Zhang
- , Jin-Wook Lee
- & Nam-Gyu Park
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Inverted perovskite solar cells using dimethylacridine-based dopants
A dimethylacridine-based molecular doping process is used to construct a well-matched p-perovskite/indium tin oxide contact, along with all-round passivation of grain boundaries, achieving a certified power conversion efficiency of 25.39%.
- Qin Tan
- , Zhaoning Li
- & Zhubing He
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Article
| Open AccessFlexible solar cells based on foldable silicon wafers with blunted edges
Modules of foldable crystalline silicon solar cells retain their power-conversion efficiency after being subjected to bending stress or exposure to air-flow simulations of a violent storm.
- Wenzhu Liu
- , Yujing Liu
- & Zhengxin Liu
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Mapping internal temperatures during high-rate battery applications
The state of charge, mechanical strain and temperature within lithium-ion 18650 cells operated at high rates are characterized and operando temperature rise is observed to be due to heat accumulation, strongly influenced by cell design and charging protocol.
- T. M. M. Heenan
- , I. Mombrini
- & P. R. Shearing
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| Open AccessThe electron–proton bottleneck of photosynthetic oxygen evolution
Microsecond infrared spectroscopy together with quantum chemistry reveal the rate-determining proton and electron movements and identify an oxygen-radical state of the manganese cluster as the S4 state.
- Paul Greife
- , Matthias Schönborn
- & Holger Dau
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| Open AccessUltrafiltration separation of Am(VI)-polyoxometalate from lanthanides
A new strategy to separate radioactive americium from lanthanides based on complexation with polyoxometalates and ultrafiltration technique is highly efficient and rapid, does not involve any organic components and requires minimal energy input.
- Hailong Zhang
- , Ao Li
- & Shuao Wang
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Improving interface quality for 1-cm2 all-perovskite tandem solar cells
A self-assembled monolayer of (4-(7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazol-7-yl)butyl)phosphonic acid is integrated in wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, which enables a high power conversion efficiency and low open-circuit voltage deficiency, as well as efficient centimetre-scale all-perovskite tandem solar cells.
- Rui He
- , Wanhai Wang
- & Dewei Zhao
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Controlled growth of perovskite layers with volatile alkylammonium chlorides
In situ grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the crystallization process and surface morphology of perovskite thin films coated with alkylammonium chlorides, which were used to fabricate high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.
- Jaewang Park
- , Jongbeom Kim
- & Sang Il Seok
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Water splitting with silicon p–i–n superlattices suspended in solution
The simplicity of particle suspension reactors and the precise synthetic control afforded by silicon nanowire growth are used to develop a system that can produce hydrogen fuel by splitting water with sunlight.
- Taylor S. Teitsworth
- , David J. Hill
- & James F. Cahoon
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Electrolyte design for Li-ion batteries under extreme operating conditions
An electrolyte design strategy based on a group of soft solvents is used to achieve lithium-ion batteries that operate safely under extreme conditions without lithium plating and with the capability of fast charging.
- Jijian Xu
- , Jiaxun Zhang
- & Chunsheng Wang
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Solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of more than 9% in photocatalytic water splitting
Photocatalytic water splitting with a high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of more than nine per cent is achieved using pure water, concentrated solar light and an indium gallium nitride photocatalyst.
- Peng Zhou
- , Ishtiaque Ahmed Navid
- & Zetian Mi
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A membrane-based seawater electrolyser for hydrogen generation
An efficient and scalable direct seawater electrolysis method for hydrogen production that addresses the side-reaction and corrosion problems associated with using seawater instead of pure water is demonstrated.
- Heping Xie
- , Zhiyu Zhao
- & Zongping Shao
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Regulating surface potential maximizes voltage in all-perovskite tandems
Because open-circuit voltage deficit is greater in wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, the authors introduce diammonium molecules to modify perovskite surface states and achieve a more uniform spatial distribution of surface potential, enabling record voltage all-perovskite tandem solar cells.
- Hao Chen
- , Aidan Maxwell
- & Edward H. Sargent
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Perovskite solar cells based on screen-printed thin films
Using a stable and viscosity-tunable perovskite ink, a hybrid perovskite thin-film photovoltaic device can be deposited by the screen-printing method, which exhibits higher efficiency compared with previously investigated techniques.
- Changshun Chen
- , Jianxin Chen
- & Wei Huang
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Strain-retardant coherent perovskite phase stabilized Ni-rich cathode
The introduction of a coherent perovskite phase into the layered structure of a lithium-ion battery reduces lattice strain and stress to produce a robust crystal structure.
- Liguang Wang
- , Tongchao Liu
- & Jun Lu
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Spatiotemporal imaging of charge transfer in photocatalyst particles
Photovoltage measurements on cuprous oxide photocatalyst particles are used to spatiotemporally track the charge transfer processes on the femtosecond to second timescale at the single-particle level.
- Ruotian Chen
- , Zefeng Ren
- & Can Li
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Fast charging of energy-dense lithium-ion batteries
A new approach to charging energy-dense electric vehicle batteries, using temperature modulation with a dual-salt electrolyte, promises a range in excess of 500,000 miles using only rapid (under 12 minute) charges.
- Chao-Yang Wang
- , Teng Liu
- & Brian D. McCarthy