September 2012 – EES Blog

Archive for September, 2012

Indium-tin-oxide free polymer solar cells

27 Sep 2012

Currently, polymer and organic solar cells are made using time-consuming and often toxic methods, and use expensive elements in low abundance such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and silver electrodes.

Now, scientists in Denmark have developed a solar cell stack that comprises four printed and coated layers using fully automated processing, which is free from ITO and silver.

They have moved the field from rigid, ITO single cells, made using slow vacuum and spin-coating methods, to build flexible modular solar cells, free from ITO, made by full roll-to-roll processing, which is fully scalable.

The performance of the modules is qualitatively similar to ITO based devices – but reducing cost by a factor of >10 and increasing processing speed by a factor of >10.

Read the EES ‘hot article’ hot off the press:

All printed transparent electrodes through an electrical switching mechanism: A convincing alternative to indium-tin-oxide, silver and vacuum
T T Larsen-Olsen et al, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2ee23244h

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EES Issues 9 and 10 now online!

26 Sep 2012

The latest issue of Energy & Environmental Science is now online. You can read issue 9 here and issue 10 here.

Issue 9

The outside front cover features an article on Novel nanostructures for next generation dye-sensitized solar cells by Nicolas Tétreault and Michael Grätzel

Understanding the effect of ferroelectric polarization on power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices is the article highlighted on the inside front cover by Yongbo Yuan, Pankaj Sharma, Zhengguo Xiao, Shashi Poddar, Alexei Gruverman, Stephen Ducharme and Jinsong Huang

Issue 9 contains the following Analysis Articles and Perspectives:

Analysis Articles
Fuel production from CO₂ using solar-thermal energy: system level analysis
Jiyong Kim, Terry A. Johnson, James E. Miller, Ellen B. Stechel and Christos T. Maravelias, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 8417

Perspective
Novel nanostructures for next generation dye-sensitized solar cells
Nicolas Tétreault and Michael Grätzel, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 8506

High electrode activity of nanostructured, columnar ceria films for solid oxide fuel cells
WooChul Jung, Julien O. Dereux, William C. Chueh, Yong Hao and Sossina M. Haile, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 8682

Issue 10

The outside front cover features an article on Living battery – biofuel cells operating in vivo in clams by Alon Szczupak, Jan Halámek, Lenka Halámková, Vera Bocharova, Lital Alfonta and Evgeny Katz

Sorption enhanced steam reforming of ethanol on multifunctional catalysts derived from hydrotalcite is the article highlighted on the inside front cover by Gaowei Wu, Chengxi Zhang, Shuirong Li, Zhiqi Huang, Suli Yan, Shengping Wang, Xinbin Ma and Jinlong Gong

Issue 10 contains the following Opinion and Perspective articles:

Opinion
Fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure: status 2012
Ulrich Eberle, Bernd Müller and Rittmar von Helmolt, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 8780

Perspective
Graphene quantum dots: an emerging material for energy-related applications and beyond
Zhipan Zhang, Jing Zhang, Nan Chen and Liangti Qu, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 8869

Copper molybdenum sulfide: a new efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen production from water
Phong D. Tran, Mai Nguyen, Stevin S. Pramana, Anirban Bhattacharjee, Sing Yang Chiam, Jennifer Fize, Martin J. Field, Vincent Artero, Lydia H. Wong, Joachim Loo and James Barber, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 8912

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Blue-green algae to covert CO2 into valuable organic chemicals

17 Sep 2012

Researchers in the US have used cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) to covert CO₂ into valuable organic chemicals.

Good conversion rates of 65% were obtained and the authors say that the system could be developed to harvest a range of organic compounds from phototrophs (organisms that carry out photon capture to produce energy, like algae). They add that the tool will facilitate future research on photosynthetic production of biofuels and chemicals and new insights into mechanisms for using cyanobacteria for carbon re-distribution.

Read the ‘HOT’ EES article:

Photo-catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to organic acids by a recombinant cyanobacterium incapable of glycogen storage
Damian Joseph Carrieri, Troy Paddock, Pinching Maness, Michael Seibert and Jianping Yu
Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23181F

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A method to determine conduction band energy of nanostructured semiconductors

17 Sep 2012

A new method of variable temperature spectroelectrochemistry to measure the conduction band energy of nanoparticle TiO₂ has been developed by scientists in the US. Spectroelectrochemistry combines reaction-oriented electrochemistry with species-focused spectroscopy.

Nanostructured semiconductors such as TiO₂ are important for dye-sensitised solar cells and photocatalysis. Measuring the conduction and valence band energy of semiconductors is one of the most important physical parameters. However, these are currently problematic to measure; there is no reliable method. The new method is quick, makes a minimal number of assumptions and is remarkably versatile. The team says that they expect it could be used with a variety of porous semiconductor materials.

Read the EES ‘HOT’ Communication:

Conduction Band Energy Determination by Variable Temperature Spectroelectrochemistry
Jesse Ondersma and Thomas Hamann
Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2EE22926A

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SuNEC 2012 Conference: a great success

12 Sep 2012

SuNEC 2012 took place in Sicily, Italy from 4-6 September and was deemed a great meeting by all involved.

The scientific programme featured 6 plenary lectures, 14 oral presentation and 4 poster presentation that highlighted exciting innovation in widely different approaches to exploit solar energy, including concentrated solar power (CSP), thin-film photovoltaics, artifical photosynthesis and solar thermal.

Eminent speakers at SuNEC 2012 included Aldo Steinfeld, Thomas Brown, Keith Barnham, Ruud Schropp, Bao-Lian Su and Kisuk Kang.

EES is welcoming high-quality submissions from speakers at the conference, submission deadline 30 September 2012. More information.

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Professor Mercouri G. Kanatzidis joins EES Advisory Board

11 Sep 2012

Energy & Environmental Science is delighted to announce that Professor Mercouri G. Kanatzidis of Northwestern University, USA has joined the Advisory Board of the journal.

Professor Kanatzidis’ research covers the design, synthesis, synthetic methodology, in-depth characterization, manipulation and potential applications of new substances with novel chemical, physical, or electrical properties. The work includes the solid state chemistry of chalcogenides, gamma ray detector materials, new thermoelectric materials, non-oxidic solids with open-framework structures, intermetallics from molten Al, Ga and In and redox active chalcogels.

Prof. Kanatzidis’ latest EES papers cover his exciting thermoelectrics research. Read them in full today:

PbTe–PbSnS₂ thermoelectric composites: low lattice thermal conductivity from large microstructures
Steven N. Girard, Thomas C. Chasapis, Jiaqing He, Xiaoyuan Zhou, Euripides Hatzikraniotis, Ctirad Uher, Konstantinos M. Paraskevopoulos, Vinayak P. Dravid and Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE22495J

High thermoelectric figure of merit in nanostructured p-type PbTe–MTe (M = Ca, Ba)
Kanishka Biswas, Jiaqing He, Guoyu Wang, Shih-Han Lo, Ctirad Uher, Vinayak P. Dravid and Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02297K

Prof. Kanatzidis’ papers are part of our Energy & Environmental Science themed web collection on thermoelectrics. Check out the whole collection.

Keep up to date with our latest articles and news: sign up to receive our free EES table of contents e-alerts.

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Cheap and stable fuel cell material

05 Sep 2012

Work by researchers in Singapore on mixed gold, copper and platinum nanoparticles with good electrocatalytic activity and high stability towards the oxygen reduction reaction reported in Energy & Environmental Science has been highlighted in ScienceDaily.

The material represents a cheaper alternative to pure platinum catalysts and have excellent potential for application in fuel cells.

Read the full details on this exciting development today:

Stabilization and compressive strain effect of AuCu core on Pt shell for oxygen reduction reaction
Jinhua Yang, Xiaojun Chen, Xianfeng Yang and Jackie Y. Ying
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE22172A

Table of contents image

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EES Blog

Archive for September, 2012

Indium-tin-oxide free polymer solar cells

EES Issues 9 and 10 now online!

Blue-green algae to covert CO2 into valuable organic chemicals

A method to determine conduction band energy of nanostructured semiconductors

SuNEC 2012 Conference: a great success

Professor Mercouri G. Kanatzidis joins EES Advisory Board

Cheap and stable fuel cell material

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