EES Blog

‘HOT’ Perspective – read it hot off the press!

This feature review discusses the various ways to improve the light-harvesting performance of the dye-sensitized solar cell.

The dye-sensitized solar cell has been intensively investigated in recent years as a promising source of energy in the future, especially as it is a cheaper alternative to conventional photovoltaic systems.

However, higher conversion efficiencies must be achieved, and therefore the sensitizer needs to absorb as much sunlight as possible – this Perspective overviews how this could be achieved in the future.

Panchromatic engineering for dye-sensitized solar cells
Jun-Ho Yum, Etienne Baranoff, Sophie Wenger, Md. K. Nazeeruddin and Michael Grätzel
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00536C

‘HOT’ Minireview

This mini-review by Neil Rees and Richard  Compton discusses the current state-of-the-art in electrochemical capture and transformation of carbon dioxide into useful organic feedstocks.

Minireview
Electrochemical CO2 sequestration in ionic liquids: a perspective
Neil V. Rees and Richard G. Compton
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011,
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00580K

Analysis article – comparing hydrogen, ethanol, butanol, fatty acid ethyl esters

This high-profile analysis suggests that it may be difficult to produce some advanced biofuels economically through aerobic fermentations due to low energy efficiency, as compared to ethanol, butanol, and hydrogen.

Evaluation of energy-retaining efficiency from sugar to the desired biofuels is prerequisite to its R&D and technoeconomical analysis, read this insightful article now:

Analysis of biofuels production from sugar based on three criteria: Thermodynamics, bioenergetics, and product separation
Wei-Dong Huang and Y.-H. Percival Zhang
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00069H

‘HOT’ paper – carbon riveted Pt/TiO₂–C exhibits excellent stability

The significantly enhanced stability for carbon riveted Pt/TiO2–C catalyst is ascribed to:

(1) the excellent stability of anatase TiO₂
(2) the strong metal-support interaction between Pt and TiO₂
(3) the anchoring effect of the carbon layers formed during the carbon riveting process

These findings indicate that it is a promising catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells which are under long term operation.

Ultrahigh stable carbon riveted Pt/TiO₂–C catalyst prepared by in situ carbonized glucose for proton exchange membrane fuel cell
Zheng-Zhi Jiang, Zhen-Bo Wang, Yuan-Yuan Chu, Da-Ming Gu and Ge-Ping Yin
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00475H

‘HOT’ paper – read it now

CO₂ is regenerated from aqueous capture solutions using bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED), demonstrating energy consumption as low as 100 kJ mol^-1(CO₂).

CO₂ separation using bipolar membrane electrodialysis
Matthew D. Eisaman, Luis Alvarado, Daniel Larner, Peng Wang, Bhaskar Garg and Karl A. Littau
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00303D

Matthew Eisaman and colleagues have performed a comprehensive experimental investigation of CO₂ gas regeneration from aqueous potassium carbonate and bicarbonate solutions using bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED). This system allows the regeneration of pure CO₂ gas, suitable for subsequent sequestration or reaction to synthetic hydrocarbons and their products.

‘HOT’ paper by Dan Nocera (MIT)

A cobalt catalyst operating at high current and in both rivers and seawater is promising for renewable energy storage technologies.

Highly active cobalt phosphate and borate based oxygen evolving catalysts operating in neutral and natural waters
Arthur J. Esswein, Yogesh Surendranath, Steven Y. Reece and Daniel G. Nocera
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00518E

The efficacy and ease of operation of anodes functionalized with Co-OEC at appreciable current density together with its ability to operate in near neutral pH buffered natural water sources bodes well for the translation of this catalyst to a viable renewable energy storage technology.