This exciting work is available to everyone via Open Access and was featured in tce today.
Read the full details of this HOT article:
Post-combustion carbon dioxide capture using electrochemically mediated amine regeneration
Michael C. Stern, Fritz Simeon, Howard Herzog and T. Alan Hatton
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41165F
These articles are HOT as recommended by the referees.
Net primary energy balance of a solar-driven photoelectrochemical water-splitting device
Pei Zhai, Sophia Haussener, Joel Ager, Roger Sathre, Karl Walczak, Jeffery Greenblatt and Thomas McKone
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40880A, Analysis
A hybrid energy cell for self-powered water splitting
Ya Yang, Hulin Zhang, Zong-Hong Lin, Yan Liu, Jun Chen, Ziyin Lin, Yu Sheng Zhou, Ching Ping Wong and Zhong Lin Wang
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41485J, Communication
Sr- and Mn-doped LaAlO3−δ for solar thermochemical H2 and CO production
Anthony H. McDaniel, Elizabeth C. Miller, Darwin Arifin, Andrea Ambrosini, Eric N. Coker, Ryan O’Hayre, William C. Chueh and Jianhua Tong
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41372A, Communication
We are delighted to announce a big rise in the Impact Factor* of Energy & Environmental Science (EES) to a new high of 11.65.
We sincerely thank all our authors and referees for your continuing support that has made this possible – Energy & Environmental Science is your journal.
This great news demonstrates the journal continues to attract and publish outstanding, community-spanning, agenda-setting research. We have even higher aspirations for the future, and welcome your suggestions, feedback and ideas at any time.
To celebrate, we would like to share with you some of the great reviews and original research articles recently published in Energy & Environmental Science.
You can read these articles for free for a limited period by clicking on the links below.
Reviews and Analysis
Semiconductor nanowires: a platform for exploring limits and concepts for nano-enabled solar cells
Thomas J. Kempa, Robert W. Day, Sun-Kyung Kim, Hong-Gyu Park and Charles M. Lieber
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE24182C
Catalysis for CO2 conversion: a key technology for rapid introduction of renewable energy in the value chain of chemical industries
Gabriele Centi, Elsje Alessandra Quadrelli and Siglinda Perathoner
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE00056G
Reliable evaluation of dye-sensitized solar cells
Xudong Yang, Masatoshi Yanagida and Liyuan Han
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE22998F
Plasmonic solar water splitting
Scott C. Warren and Elijah Thimsen
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02875H
Solar cells with one-day energy payback for the factories of the future
Nieves Espinosa, Markus Hösel, Dechan Angmo and Frederik C. Krebs
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02728J
Perspectives on thermoelectrics: from fundamentals to device applications
M. Zebarjadi, K. Esfarjani, M. S. Dresselhaus, Z. F. Ren and G. Chen
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02497C
Na-ion batteries, recent advances and present challenges to become low cost energy storage systems
Verónica Palomares, Paula Serras, Irune Villaluenga, Karina B. Hueso, Javier Carretero-González and Teófilo Rojo
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE02781J
3D carbon based nanostructures for advanced supercapacitors
Hao Jiang, Pooi See Lee and Chunzhong Li
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23284G
Photoelectrochemical cells for solar hydrogen production: current state of promising photoelectrodes, methods to improve their properties, and outlook
Zhaosheng Li, Wenjun Luo, Minglong Zhang, Jianyong Feng and Zhigang Zou
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE22618A
Towards high-performance polymer-based thermoelectric materials
Ming He, Feng Qiu and Zhiqun Lin
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE24193A
Bio-inspired artificial light-harvesting antennas for enhancement of solar energy capture in dye-sensitized solar cells
Fabrice Odobel, Yann Pellegrin and Julien Warnan
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE24229C
Original Research
Harnessing the open-circuit voltage via a new series of Ru(II) sensitizers bearing (iso-)quinolinyl pyrazolate ancillaries
Kuan-Lin Wu, Wan-Ping Ku, John N. Clifford, Emilio Palomares, Shu-Te Ho, Yun Chi, Shih-Hung Liu, Pi-Tai Chou, Mohammad K. Nazeeruddin and Michael Grätzel
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23988D
Highly sensitive stretchable transparent piezoelectric nanogenerators
Ju-Hyuck Lee, Keun Young Lee, Brijesh Kumar, Nguyen Thanh Tien, Nae-Eung Lee and Sang-Woo Kim
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23530G
Biomass-derived electrocatalytic composites for hydrogen evolution
Wei-Fu Chen, Shilpa Iyer, Shweta Iyer, Kotaro Sasaki, Chiu-Hui Wang, Yimei Zhu, James T. Muckerman and Etsuko Fujita
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40596F
Periodic heating amplifies the efficiency of thermoelectric energy conversion
Yan Yan and Jonathan A. Malen
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE24158K
Low-temperature processed meso-superstructured to thin-film perovskite solar cells
James M. Ball, Michael M. Lee, Andrew Hey and Henry J. Snaith
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40810H
A facile approach for the synthesis of monolithic hierarchical porous carbons – high performance materials for amine based CO2 capture and supercapacitor electrode
Luis Estevez, Rubal Dua, Nidhi Bhandari, Anirudh Ramanujapuram, Peng Wang and Emmanuel P. Giannelis
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40549D
Transparent and conductive paper from nanocellulose fibers
Liangbing Hu, Guangyuan Zheng, Jie Yao, Nian Liu, Ben Weil, Martin Eskilsson, Erdem Karabulut, Zhichao Ruan, Shanhui Fan, Jason T. Bloking, Michael D. McGehee, Lars Wågberg and Yi Cui
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23635D
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
From “cyborg” lobsters to a pacemaker powered by implantable biofuel cells
Kevin MacVittie, Jan Halámek, Lenka Halámková, Mark Southcott, William D. Jemison, Robert Lobel and Evgeny Katz
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23209J
Li–S batteries: simple approaches for superior performance
Rezan Demir-Cakan, Mathieu Morcrette, Gangulibabu, Aurélie Guéguen, Rémi Dedryvère and Jean-Marie Tarascon
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23411D
Sr- and Mn-doped LaAlO3-δ for Solar Thermochemical H2 and CO Production
Anthony H. McDaniel, Elizabeth C. Miller, Darwin Arifin, Andrea Ambrosini, Eric Coker, Ryan O’Hayre, William Chueh and Jianhua Tong
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41372A
Hybrid Energy Cell for Self-Powered Water Splitting
Ya Yang, Hulin Zhang, Zong-Hong Lin, Yan Liu, Jun Chen, Ziyin Lin, Yusheng Zhou, C P Wong and Zhonglin Wang
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41485J
Please do continue to submit your best work to Energy & Environmental Science. We look forward to further success in the months and years ahead.
To keep up to date with our news visit our website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter:
Sign up to receive our free table-of-contents e-alert at http://www.rsc.org/alerts and be among the first to read our newest articles.
*The Impact Factor provides an indication of the average number of citations per paper. Produced annually, Impact Factors are calculated by dividing the number of citations in a year by the number of citeable articles published in the preceding two years. Data based on 2012 Journal Citation Reports®, (Thomson Reuters, 2013).
Scientists from Spain have found a catalyst that can use sunlight to power an important industrial reaction for the production of hydrogen at ambient temperatures.
Hydrogen is a clean and efficient alternative energy carrier to fossil fuels. However, as hydrogen does not typically exist by itself in nature, it must be released from compounds that contain it.
Most hydrogen is produced by the steam reforming reaction. Methane reacts with steam at high temperatures to produce hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO) and some carbon dioxide (CO2). In a subsequent reaction, called the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction, CO and steam react further to produce CO2 and more H2. This step requires temperatures around 350°C and either an iron oxide-based or a copper-based catalyst.
Interested to know more?
Read the article in EES:
Photocatalytic water gas shift using visible or simulated solar light for the efficient, room-temperature hydrogen generation
Francesc Sastre, Marica Oteri, Avelino Corma and Hermenegildo García
Energy Environ. Sci., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40656C
This week we have chosen one Paper, one Analysis article and one Perspective Article that we recommend you check out:
Photocatalytic water gas shift using visible or simulated solar light for the efficient, room-temperature hydrogen generation
Francesc Sastre, Marica Oteri, Avelino Corma and Hermenegildo García
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40656C, Paper
Technical and economic feasibility of centralized facilities for solar hydrogen production via photocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry
Blaise A. Pinaud, Jesse D. Benck, Linsey C. Seitz, Arnold J. Forman, Zhebo Chen, Todd G. Deutsch, Brian D. James, Kevin N. Baum, George N. Baum, Shane Ardo, Heli Wang, Eric Miller and Thomas F. Jaramillo
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40831K, Analysis
Mg rechargeable batteries: an on-going challenge
Hyun Deog Yoo, Ivgeni Shterenberg, Yosef Gofer, Gregory Gershinsky, Nir Pour and Doron Aurbach
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40871J, Perspective
Scientists in the United States demonstrated that Caldicellulosiruptor bescii bacterium was able to degrade insoluble switchgrass biomass at 78 °C. Biomass typically needs to be pretreated with strong acids at high temperatures to break it down into usable raw materials for biofuel conversion, but current industrial pre-treatment processes are inefficient and expensive, and can pollute the environment.
Analysis of the culture after incubation with C. bescii showed that the bacterium had broken down all three components of insoluble biomass – cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, which is notoriously difficult to degrade. No other anaerobic mircroorganism that can degrade lignin is currently known.
Read the full details of this exciting development today:
Carbohydrate and lignin are simultaneously solubilized from unpretreated switchgrass by microbial action at high temperature
Irina Kataeva, Marcus B. Foston, Sung-Jae Yang, Sivakumar Pattathil, Ajaya K. Biswal, Farris L. Poole II, Mirko Basen, Amanda M. Rhaesa, Tina P. Thomas, Parastoo Azadi, Victor Olman, Trina D. Saffold, Kyle E. Mohler, Derrick L. Lewis, Crissa Doeppke, Yining Zeng, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, William S. York, Mark Davis, Debra Mohnen, Ying Xu, Art J. Ragauskas, Shi-You Ding, Robert M. Kelly, Michael G. Hahnbdh and Michael W. W. Adams
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40932E
Final Chance To Submit
The poster abstract deadline for Challenges in Chemical Renewable Energy (ISACS12) is almost upon us. Take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to showcase your work to a truly global audience and submit before Friday 21 June 2013.
For full details including the speaker line up, please visit the dedicated website.
© Shutterstock
US scientists have discovered the first microorganism that anaerobically degrades plant biomass to release sugars for biofuel feedstocks. At present, this is the only known anaerobic microbe capable of solubilising all plant components – including cellulose, glucose, and lignin, which is extremely difficult to break down – at the same time and at similar rates.
Biomass typically needs to be pretreated with strong acids, at high temperatures, to break it down into usable raw materials for biofuel. However, current industrial pretreatment processes are inefficient and expensive, and can pollute the environment.
Herbs and woody plants are potential renewable biofuel feedstocks, but their chemical complexity and high lignin content make them extremely difficult to degrade. Scientists have been trying to find, or bioengineer, microorganisms that can more readily breakdown plant material and produce desired biofuels directly from untreated biomass.
Interested to know more?
Carbohydrate and lignin are simultaneously solubilized from unpretreated switchgrass by microbial action at high temperature
Irina Kataeva, Marcus B. Foston, Sung-Jae Yang, Sivakumar Pattathil, Ajaya K. Biswal, Farris L. Poole II, Mirko Basen, Amanda M. Rhaesa, Tina P. Thomas, Parastoo Azadi, Victor Olman, Trina D. Saffold, Kyle E. Mohler, Derrick L. Lewis, Crissa Doeppke, Yining Zeng, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, William S. York, Mark Davis, Debra Mohnen, Ying Xu, Art J. Ragauskas, Shi-You Ding, Robert M. Kelly, Michael G. Hahnbd and Michael W. W. Adams
Energy Environ. Sci., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40932E
Professor Amory Lovins is cofounder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of Rocky Mountain
Institute (RMI, www.rmi.org), an independent nonprofit think-and-do tank that drives the efficient and restorative use of resources.
Prof. Lovins spoke yesterday at Imperial College, London as part of their Energy Futures Lab initiative about the ideas in his 2011 business book “Reinventing Fire“. His analysis has shown that it would be possible to run a 2.6x-bigger US economy in 2050 with no oil, coal, or nuclear energy and one-third less natural gas at a much lower cost, with lower CO2 emissions and in a way that is led by business for profit.
You can read Prof. Lovins’ Opinion article in Energy & Environmental Science:
Profitable climate solutions: Correcting the sign error
Amory B. Lovins
Energy Environ. Sci., 2009, 2, 15-18
DOI: 10.1039/B814525N
These articles are HOT as recommended by the referees. Take a look…
Green chemistry for organic solar cells
Daniel J. Burke and Darren J. Lipomi
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41096J, Perspective
Carbohydrate and lignin are simultaneously solubilized from unpretreated switchgrass by microbial action at high temperature
Irina Kataeva, Marcus B. Foston, Sung-Jae Yang, Sivakumar Pattathil, Ajaya K. Biswal, Farris L. Poole II, Mirko Basen, Amanda M. Rhaesa, Tina P. Thomas, Parastoo Azadi, Victor Olman, Trina D. Saffold, Kyle E. Mohler, Derrick L. Lewis, Crissa Doeppke, Yining Zeng, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, William S. York, Mark Davis, Debra Mohnen, Ying Xu, Art J. Ragauskas, Shi-You Ding, Robert M. Kelly, Michael G. Hahn and Michael W. W. Adams
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40932E, Paper
