Frontiers in Energy

07/11/2025

🌞 2024 marked a milestone year for photovoltaic research!
Single-junction silicon, perovskite, and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells all broke their world record power conversion efficiencies.
This study summarizes 2024’s highest independently confirmed efficiencies of mainstream solar cell technologies (silicon, perovskite, and organic) and analyzes their technological progress.

Notably, passivating contact solar cells have dominated the PV market, and perovskite module production has reached several hundred-MW scale in 2024.

🎬 A highlight video is now available — read the full article here:
🔗 https://rdcu.be/eOGFT

05/11/2025

Na₂FeSiO₄ as a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries!
This study reveals key insights into its structural properties, defect behavior, sodium-ion diffusion, and doping effects.
Learn more: https://rdcu.be/eOlCb

03/11/2025

Hydrogen storage is critical for clean energy. Researchers found leverage multivalent H-bonding in HOFs, achieving 53.7 g/L volume & 9.3 wt% mass. Watch video & read more!
🔗https://rdcu.be/eNYKD

29/10/2025

2024 marked record-breaking progress in solar photovoltaics!

Prof. Wenzhong Shen, Prof. Yixin Zhao, and Prof. Feng Liu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University review the year’s major achievements and trends in mainstream solar cell technologies.

Highlights include:
⚡ n-TOPCon & HBC silicon cells exceeded 27% efficiency
⚡ Perovskite/silicon tandem cells reached a record 34.6% efficiency
⚡ Perovskite production capacity surpassed hundreds of MW

Read the 2024 solar cell efficiency summary 👇
🔗https://rdcu.be/eNbqk

28/10/2025

🔋 Toward economically viable green hydrogen production

Hydrogen plays a vital role in the sustainable energy transition, yet its economic feasibility remains a major challenge.

In this study, Yajing Chen，Mohamed Benchat, and Christine Minke developed a Python-based life cycle costing (LCC) tool that integrates a bottom-up approach, net present value (NPV) analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations. The tool enables users to quantify uncertainty and explore a range of cost outcomes—offering more flexible and realistic decision support.

Applied to a 5 MW PEM water electrolysis plant in Germany, the model estimates total ownership costs of €52–82.5 million and hydrogen production costs of €5.5–11.4 €/kg H₂ (95% confidence range). Sensitivity results highlight that energy prices dominate LCC variance, followed by iridium, membranes, and power electronics.
These insights emphasize the importance of renewable energy integration and circular economy strategies in driving down hydrogen production costs.

🔗 Read the full article: https://rdcu.be/eM0ay
📰 EurekAlert! news release: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1101487



https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1101487

A research team at Clausthal University of Technology has released the first Python-based life-cycle costing (LCC) tool that explicitly models the inherent uncertainty surrounding proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), a cornerstone technology for producing “green” hydrogen...

24/10/2025

Nobel Laureate Steven Chu on the Innovative Paths to a More Sustainable Future

A deep dive into the latest thinking: Nobel Laureate Steven Chu outlines a clear and urgent path to achieving global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in his new Perspective paper published in our journal.

His analysis indicates that tackling the climate challenge requires:
Technology-Driven Transformation: 🔋 A 4th Industrial Revolution powered by 100% renewable energy.

Societal Innovation: 💡 A mindset shift: from "re-cycling" to "re-using" & redefining "wealth" around well-being.

This is an essential guide for policymakers, engineers, and industry leaders.

Click the link to read the article: https://rdcu.be/eMsr0

22/10/2025

🌊 A rare-earth shield for seawater-to-hydrogen technology

As global demand for green hydrogen rises, seawater electrolysis offers a sustainable alternative — but chloride corrosion remains a major barrier.

In a Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS, 2025) paper, Shen et al. developed a thin Eu₂O₃ protection layer that prevents chlorine corrosion while maintaining high hydrogen production efficiency.

In Frontiers in Energy, Prof. Yangming Lin and colleagues provide an expert overview of this breakthrough, emphasizing how rare-earth materials engineering could enable durable, large-scale seawater electrolysis.

🔗 EurekAlert report: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1102143

As global demand for green hydrogen grows, scientists are exploring direct seawater electrolysis as a sustainable way to produce hydrogen without consuming scarce freshwater. Yet, seawater contains abundant chloride ions, which corrode electrodes and drastically shorten device lifetimes —...

20/10/2025

New Perspective in Frontiers in Energy
Authors: Haihong Zhong (Hainan University) & Nicolas Alonso-Vante (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-025-1038-9

This Perspective highlights how transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) undergo dynamic surface reconstruction during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER)—a critical process in sustainable hydrogen production.

Using operando XAS, Raman spectroscopy, and in situ TEM, the authors unveil atomic-scale transformations that convert TMCs (e.g., CoSₓ, NiSe₂) into catalytically active oxyhydroxides.

Key insights:

Residual S/Se modulate electronic structures, balancing AEM and LOM pathways.

Surface sulfate/selenite species improve durability in seawater electrolysis.

Future outlook: multimodal operando platforms & AI-driven structure–activity mapping.

This work provides new mechanistic understanding for designing durable, high-performance OER catalysts toward carbon-neutral hydrogen energy.

17/10/2025

☀️ BHEEM SINGH, Vishnu Aggarwal, Rahul Kumar, Govinda Chandra Behera，Sudhanshu Gautam, Somnath C Roy, M. Senthil Kumar & Suni Singh Kushvaha designed MoS₂–GaN nanorods that enhance photoelectrochemical water splitting 2.5×, advancing solar hydrogen technology.

Free Read: https://rdcu.be/eLrDv

15/10/2025

📢 New Review Alert! Aqueous Zinc-ion Batteries (AZIBs) are promising, but Zn dendrites and side reactions are huge hurdles.

A new paper published in Frontiers in Energy comprehensively maps out the latest stabilization strategies for Zn anodes—from electrolyte modification to structural design.

👉 Read the full review here: https://rdcu.be/eK2Qr

14/10/2025

Exciting news! ⚡️ The latest special issue of our journal on Electrochemical CO2​ Reduction is now live!

Dive into 8 cutting-edge papers showcasing breakthroughs in:
🔬 Catalyst material innovation (e.g., HEAs, Pd-Zr phosphate)
💡 Operando cell design & mechanistic insights
🔥 High-temperature solid oxide electrolysis
☀️ Light-driven CO2​ conversion

Explore the path to sustainable energy & value-added products! ➡️
Read the full issue: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11708-025-1034-0

​Reduction

05/10/2025

🌞 Turning plastic into power!
This review highlights solar-driven photoreforming to transform plastic waste into H₂ fuel & valuable chemicals.
🔗 https://rdcu.be/evpAj
📷 See image for more details