EES Blog

Scientists in China have developed a smart window that not only heats and cools a building, but can also act as an energy storage device to power electrical equipment within the building.

The energy storage smart window can be bent and flexed and still do its job

Smart windows are already in use in some buildings; they are used to reduce energy consumption by keeping the interiors cool and controlling the light levels within. An example of this is in museums, where artifacts could be damaged by too much sunlight.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Integrated energy storage and electrochromic function in one flexible device: an energy storage smart window
Kai Wang, Haiping Wu, Yuena Meng, Yajie Zhang and Zhixiang Wei
Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21643D

Logitech has announced that it will use dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to power tablet computers. The cells were first produced by Michael Graetzel and co-workers at the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. The technology has been improved and developed and is now at a stage where it is finding application in these portable devices. Read the press release here.

Professor Graetzel’s has published many excellent articles on his DSSC work in Energy & Environmental Science. Read some of his exciting recent articles today:

High-conversion-efficiency organic dye-sensitized solar cells: molecular engineering on D-A-π-A featured organic indoline dyes
Yongzhen Wu, Magdalena Marszalek, Shaik M Zakeeruddin, Qiong Zhang, He Tian, Michael Grätzel and Weihong Zhu
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE22108J

Novel nanostructures for next generation dye-sensitized solar cells
Nicolas Tétreault and Michael Grätzel
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03242B

Influence of the interfacial charge-transfer resistance at the counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells employing cobalt redox shuttles
Hoi Nok Tsao, Julian Burschka, Chenyi Yi, Florian Kessler, Mohammad K. Nazeeruddin and Michael Grätzel
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02389F

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

Energy & Environmental Science publishes high impact Communications of significant general interest to the journal’s wide readership. With an official Impact Factor of 9.49, Energy & Environmental Science is the #1 ranked journal in its field.

Now Energy & Environmental Science’s Accepted Manuscript service means your research is published, in citable form, on average within one day of acceptance.

Submit your best research today.

Read a selection of our high impact Communications:

Piezo-phototronics effect on nano/microwire solar cells
Yan Zhang, Ya Yang and Zhong Lin Wang
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE00057A

Living battery – biofuel cells operating in vivo in clams
Alon Szczupak, Jan Halámek, Lenka Halámková, Vera Bocharova, Lital Alfonta and Evgeny Katz
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21626D

Solar energy generation in three dimensions
Marco Bernardi, Nicola Ferralis, Jin H. Wan, Rachelle Villalon and Jeffrey C. Grossman
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21170J

Quartz (SiO₂): a new energy storage anode material for Li-ion batteries
Won-Seok Chang, Cheol-Min Park, Jae-Hun Kim, Young-Ugk Kim, Goojin Jeong and Hun-Joon Sohn
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE00003B

Rechargeable Li–O₂ batteries with covalently coupled MnCo₂O₄–graphene hybrid as oxygen cathode catalyst
Hailiang Wang, Yuan Yang, Yongye Liang, Guangyuan Zheng, Yanguang Li, Yi Cui and Hongjie Dai
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21746E

Si microwire-array solar cells
Morgan C. Putnam, Shannon W. Boettcher, Michael D. Kelzenberg, Daniel B. Turner-Evans, Joshua M. Spurgeon, Emily L. Warren, Ryan M. Briggs, Nathan S. Lewis and Harry A. Atwater
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00014K

How copper catalyzes the electroreduction of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels
Andrew A. Peterson, Frank Abild-Pedersen, Felix Studt, Jan Rossmeisl and Jens K. Nørskov
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00071J

To draw an air electrode of a Li–air battery by pencil
Yonggang Wang and Haoshen Zhou
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00759E

An 8.2% efficient solution-processed CuInSe₂ solar cell based on multiphase CuInSe₂ nanoparticles
Sunho Jeong, Byung-Seok Lee, SeJin Ahn, KyungHoon Yoon, Yeong-Hui Seo, Youngmin Choi and Beyong-Hwan Ryu
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21269B

Bimolecular proton-coupled electron transfer from tryptophan with water as the proton acceptor
Ming-Tian Zhang, Johan Nilsson and Leif Hammarström
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03137J

Growth of ultrathin mesoporous Co₃O₄ nanosheet arrays on Ni foam for high-performance electrochemical capacitors
Xiong Wen (David) Lou
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21745G

Influence of the interfacial charge-transfer resistance at the counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells employing cobalt redox shuttles
Hoi Nok Tsao, Julian Burschka, Chenyi Yi, Florian Kessler, Mohammad K. Nazeeruddin and Michael Grätzel
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02389F

Nickel oxide functionalized silicon for efficient photo-oxidation of water
Ke Sun, Namseok Park, Zhelin Sun, Jigang Zhou, Jian Wang, Xiaolu Pang, Shaohua Shen, Sun Young Noh, Yi Jing, Sungho Jin, Paul Yu and Deli Wang
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21708B

Room-temperature sodium-ion batteries: Improving the rate capability of carbon anode materials by templating strategies
Sebastian Wenzel, Takeshi Hara, Jürgen Janek and Philipp Adelhelm
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE01744F

Borohydride hydrazinates: high hydrogen content materials for hydrogen storage
Teng He, Hui Wu, Guotao Wu, Junhu Wang, Wei Zhou, Zhitao Xiong, Juner Chen, Tao Zhang and Ping Chen
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03205H

Oligothiophene dye-sensitized solar cells
Jingyuan Liu, Renzhi Li, Xiaoying Si, Difei Zhou, Yushuai Shi, Yinghui Wang, Xiaoyan Jing and Peng Wang
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00304B

Surface modification of metal oxide nanocrystals for improved supercapacitors
Mauro Epifani, Teresa Chávez-Capilla, Teresa Andreu, Jordi Arbiol, Jesús Palma, Joan R. Morante and Raül Díaz
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE00013J

A fuel cell that runs on water and air
Andreas M. Dreizler and Emil Roduner
DOI: 10.1039/C001381A

A high mobility conjugated polymer based on dithienothiophene and diketopyrrolopyrrole for organic photovoltaics
Jae Woong Jung, Feng Liu, Thomas P. Russell and Won Ho Jo
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21149A

Graphene–sponges as high-performance low-cost anodes for microbial fuel cells
Xing Xie, Guihua Yu, Nian Liu, Zhenan Bao, Craig S. Criddle and Yi Cui
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03583A

An aqueous rechargeable lithium battery of excellent rate capability based on a nanocomposite of MoO₃ coated with PPy and LiMn₂O₄
Wei Tang, Lili Liu, Yusong Zhu, Hong Sun, Yuping Wu and Kai Zhu
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21294C

DNA-directed growth of FePO₄ nanostructures on carbon nanotubes to achieve nearly 100% theoretical capacity for lithium-ion batteries
Chun Xian Guo, Yi Qiang Shen, Zhi Li Dong, Xiao Dong Chen, Xiong Wen (David) Lou and Chang Ming Li
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21320F

Browse our website to find many more excellent Communications.

Energy & Environmental Science Advisory Board member Professor Saiful Islam, an expert in the field of batteries, has highlighted some fascinating articles recently published in this area in Energy & Environmental Science.

You can read these articles for free for a limited period by clicking on the links below.

With an Impact Factor of 9.49 and ranked #1 in its field, Energy & Environmental Science is the ideal place to publish your research.

On behalf of Editor-in-Chief Nate Lewis (Caltech) we invite ou to submit your best work to Energy & Environmental Science.

Read Professor Islam’s Editor’s Choice selection today:

Development and challenges of LiFePO₄ cathode material for lithium-ion batteries
Li-Xia Yuan, Zhao-Hui Wang, Wu-Xing Zhang, Xian-Luo Hu, Ji-Tao Chen, Yun-Hui Huang and John B. Goodenough
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00029A

Nanostructured carbon-based electrodes: bridging the gap between thin-film lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors
Seung Woo Lee, Betar M. Gallant, Hye Ryung Byon, Paula T. Hammond and Yang Shao-Horn
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00642D

Design criteria for electrochemical shock resistant battery electrodes
William H Woodford, W. Craig Carter and Yet-Ming Chiang
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE21874G

To draw an air electrode of a Li–air battery by pencil
Yonggang Wang and Haoshen Zhou
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00759E

Assembling carbon-coated α-Fe₂O₃ hollow nanohorns on the CNT backbone for superior lithium storage capability
Zhiyu Wang, Deyan Luan, Srinivasan Madhavi, Yong Hu and Xiong Wen (David) Lou
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02831F

Mesoporous TiO₂ with high packing density for superior lithium storage
Kuppan Saravanan, Krishnamoorthy Ananthanarayanan and Palani Balaya
DOI: 10.1039/C003630G

Flexible energy storage devices based on graphene paper
Hyeokjo Gwon, Hyun-Suk Kim, Kye Ung Lee, Dong-Hwa Seo, Yun Chang Park, Yun-Sung Lee, Byung Tae Ahn and Kisuk Kang
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00640H

Microscale spherical carbon-coated Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ as ultra high power anode material for lithium batteries
Hun-Gi Jung, Seung-Taek Myung, Chong Seung Yoon, Seoung-Bum Son, Kyu Hwan Oh, Khalil Amine, Bruno Scrosati and Yang-Kook Sun
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00620C

High performance Ge nanowire anode sheathed with carbon for lithium rechargeable batteries
Min-Ho Seo, Mihee Park, Kyu Tae Lee, Kitae Kim, Jeyoung Kim and Jaephil Cho
DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00552E

The discharge rate capability of rechargeable Li–O₂ batteries
Yi-Chun Lu, David G. Kwabi, Koffi P. C. Yao, Jonathon R. Harding, Jigang Zhou, Lucia Zuin and Yang Shao-Horn
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE01500A

But that’s not all… For even more high quality reviews, analysis and original research on batteries from EES click here