National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Post

Whether for biological production of hydrogen or solar conversion of light to electricity, electrons are arguably the most basic currency of energy transformation. NREL’s Advanced Spin Resonance Facility has electronic paramagnetic resonance spectrometers that peer into the mysteries of an organism at the electron level. Researchers can probe subatomic, electronic, and magnetic properties of biological chemical materials relevant to catalysis, energy transfer, and conversion. Learn more about how this facility is advancing applied R&D of systems for generating sustainable low-carbon fuels, chemicals, and electricity. 

By adding an ionic pair stabilizer to perovskite cells enables coating to take place in ambient air, simplifying the manufacturing process. An international team of researchers announced an important achievement on the path to commercializing perovskite solar cells. Perovskite, a semiconducting material, is the focus of research around the globe due to its potential to convert more solar power to electricity than the commonly used silicon, and at lower cost. There are drawbacks, however, in the production of perovskite solar. One of them is that the coating process must take place inside a chamber filled with non-reactive gas because otherwise the perovskites react with oxygen, thus decreasing performance. A new paper published in the journal Nature Energy describes the work conducted by Jixian Xu and his team at the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. The team found that adding dimethylammonium formate (DMAFo) to the perovskite solution before coating could prevent the materials from oxidizing. This discovery enables coating to take in ambient air instead of having to be inside a box.

"The constantly growing demand for energy storage is driving research and development in battery technology. The sodium-ion battery is a reliable and affordable replacement for lithium-ion batteries. The easy accessibility and availability of sodium make sodium-ion batteries more attractive and competitive. By using elements that are abundant in the Earth and adjusting the phase growth of the layered oxide cathode, a long-cycle, high-energy sodium-ion battery has now been developed and validated at 165 Wh/kg with the collaboration of Dr. Qingsong Wang, junior group leader at the Chair of Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage." #batterytechnology

🌟🔋 We would like to share a high impact publication in the field of #Lithium-ion #batteries co-authored by our very own Scientific Director, Montse Casas Cabanas, and colleague, Dimitrios Chatzogiannakis, in collaboration with INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIA DE MATERIALS DE BARCELONA (ICMAB-CSIC), Umicore and ALBA Synchrotron on "Understanding charge transfer dynamics in blended positive electrodes for Li-ion batteries." 📚🔬 This study, published in Energy Storage Materials, sheds light on the intricate mechanisms of charge transfer within blended positive electrodes, marking a significant advance in #battery technology. The insights gained could lead to the development of more efficient and durable Li-ion batteries, which are crucial for #sustainable energy solutions. 🌍💡 https://lnkd.in/dKiZYk7q

🔋 Battery Updates: Researchers have developed a new method for enhancing sodium- and potassium-ion batteries by using inorganic zinc-based compounds to create nanostructured hard carbon electrodes. This development presents a significant advancement in the field of battery technology, offering potential solutions for improving the energy densities of Na-ion and K-ion batteries to levels comparable or superior to current lithium-ion batteries. Source: https://buff.ly/47o9xrk #battery #batteries #batterytechnology #batteryscience #energystorage #renewableenergy #sustainableenergy #lithiumbattery #lithiumionbattery #lithiumion #lithium #electricvehicle #ev #batterysafety #batteryresearch

🔋 ⚡ Blended electrodes can be custom-designed for specific applications if synergistic effects are well understood. In our latest study, Dimitrios Chatzogiannakis (Destiny PhD Programme MSCA COFUND PhD) looks into charge transfer dynamics in blended electrodes. We show how current distribution between blend components is influenced by their individual voltage profiles and varies across SoC. And we also captured the "buffer effect" (charge exchange between components during relaxation) in operando XRD experiments conducted at ALBA Synchrotron! In collaboration with M.Rosa Palacin (INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIA DE MATERIALS DE BARCELONA (ICMAB-CSIC)) and Umicore.

Our work on Solvation-Property Relationship of Li-S Battery Electrolytes is now published online in Nature Communications! Link: https://lnkd.in/gu8m2nud The Li-S battery is a promising next-generation battery technology due to its high energy density and cost-effectiveness. Its distinctive chemistry involves intermediate sulfur species that readily dissolve in electrolytes, and understanding their implications is important from both practical and fundamental perspectives. We use our solvation free energy measurement to establish solvation-property relationships in various electrolytes and investigate their impact on the solvated lithium polysulfides. We observe that solvation free energy significantly influences several aspects of Li-S battery performance, including voltage profiles, lithium polysulfide solubility, cyclability, and the behavior of the Li metal anode. We demonstrate that weaker solvation results in a lower first plateau voltage, higher second plateau voltage, decreased solubility of lithium polysulfides, and enhanced cyclability of both Li-S full cells and Li metal anodes. At the same time, weaker solvation can compromise reaction kinetics, calling for a careful balance in solvation strength. We believe that there are exciting future opportunities in further advancing our understanding of Li-S electrolytes and developing high-performance electrolytes. I am grateful for all of my collaborators who have been crucial in this study. Particularly, a tremendous thank you to Dr. Xin Gao, the co-lead author and currently an Assistant Professor at Peking University. I would like to thank Prof. Zhenan Bao and Prof. Jian Qin for providing guidance. Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank my PhD advisor Prof. Yi Cui, for guiding and supporting us through this work.

Water splitting cells for hydrogen generation is the hallmark of energy revolution and these researchers might have hit the sweet spot. This water splitting reaction bias between anode and cathode when made unbiased little energy is required to split the water for generating hydrogen. These researchers fabricated an unbiased PEC cell consisting only of a Ni/n-Si photoanode and a Pt cathode. Gemini AI said the following: The design of cells achieving a photocurrent density of 5.3 ± 0.2 mA cm⁻² in water splitting applications represents a promising step towards more efficient solar-driven hydrogen production. Here's a breakdown of the potential outcomes: Increased Hydrogen Production Rate: A higher photocurrent density translates to a greater number of electrons flowing through the circuit per unit area. This directly correlates to a faster rate of hydrogen evolution at the cathode. Improved Solar Energy Conversion Efficiency: With more efficient generation of photocurrent, the cell utilizes a larger portion of the absorbed solar energy for water splitting, reducing energy waste. Potential for Unbiased Operation: Depending on the specific cell design and material properties, a photocurrent density of 5.3 mA cm⁻² might be sufficient to achieve unbiased operation. This eliminates the need for an external electrical bias, making the process more energy-independent. #climatechange #solarenergy #hydrogenconomy #watersplitting

Researchers have achieved a major advance in the development of materials suitable for on-chip energy harvesting. By composing an alloy made of silicon, germanium and tin, they were able to create a thermoelectric material, promising to transform the waste heat of computer processors 💻 back into electricity. ⚡ With all elements coming from the 4th main group of the periodic table, these new semiconductor alloy can be easily integrated into the CMOS process of chip production. The research findings made it onto the cover of the scientific journal ACS Applied Energy Materials. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? A thermoelectric element converts temperature differences directly into electrical energy. When there is a temperature gradient across a thermoelectric material, it induces a flow of charge carriers, generating electricity. This process can be used to capture and recycle waste heat in electronic devices, converting it back into usable energy and reducing overall energy consumption. For thermoelectric materials, lower thermal conductivity is desirable because it allows for a greater temperature gradient, which is essential for efficient energy conversion. GeSn alloys, with their reduced thermal conductivity, excel in creating this gradient, enhancing their thermoelectric performance. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpUA3b-m Dan Buca Original publication: Room Temperature Lattice Thermal Conductivity of GeSn Alloys, by Omar Concepción, Jhonny Tiscareño-Ramírez, Ada Angela Chimienti, Thomas Classen, Agnieszka Anna Corley-Wiciak, Andrea Tomadin, Davide Spirito, Dario Pisignano, Patrizio Graziosi, Zoran Ikonic, Qing Tai Zhao, Detlev Grützmacher, Giovanni Capellini, Stefano Roddaro, Michele Virgilio*, and Dan Buca, ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2024, 7, 10, 4394–4401, DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.4c00275 Bild: ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2024, Volume 7, Issue 13 (CC-BY 4.0)

𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐅𝐃 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧-𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 (𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐅𝐎𝐀𝐌) : 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐎𝐱𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥 (x/n) Follow on LinkedIn 👉 : https://lnkd.in/dtcQm5Ap  👉  This work focuses on an open-source computational model of a solid oxide fuel cell. 👉  It contributes to the field of computational physics and fuel cell technology. 👉 The model's openness suggests it may be accessible for further research, potentially advancing the field of solid oxide fuel cells. 👉 Electrolyzer technologies, performance characteristics, and key factors in electrolyzer choice can be considered for Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOEC). Read more :  https://lnkd.in/g4AJa6a8   (Image) R.K.S.Technology & ServicesⓇ | | Raj Saini, PhD #solidoxidefuelcell #fuelcells #fuelcell #opensource #Hydrogen #HydrogenProduction #GreenHydrogen #Technologies  #Electrolyzer #SolidOxideElectrolyzer #SOEC #Hydrogen #hydrogenenergy #hydrogenproduction #hydrogentechnology #hydrogeneconomy #energy #technology #innnovation #greenh2 #greenenergy #cleanenergy  #futureofenergy #consulting #collaborator #research #collaboratetoinnovate #CFD #rksts #DrRajSaini #scienceandtechnology