Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

New sustainable method for creating organic semiconductors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a new, more environmentally friendly way to create conductive inks for use in organic electronics such as solar cells, artificial neurons, and soft sensors. The findings pave the way for future sustainable technology.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General
Published

Breakthrough research enhances stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has achieved remarkable advancements in the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells.

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General
Published

Machine learning method speeds up discovery of green energy materials      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a framework that uses machine learning to accelerate the search for new proton-conducting materials, that could potentially improve the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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Efficiently moving urea out of polluted water is coming to reality      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a material to remove urea from water and potentially convert it into hydrogen gas. By building these materials of nickel and cobalt atoms with carefully tailored electronic structures, the group has unlocked the potential to enable these transition metal oxides and hydroxides to selectively oxidize urea in an electrochemical reaction. The team's findings could help use urea in waste streams to efficiently produce hydrogen fuel through the electrolysis process, and could be used to sequester urea from water, maintaining the long-term sustainability of ecological systems, and revolutionizing the water-energy nexus.

Biology: Botany Chemistry: General Ecology: Endangered Species Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Artificial 'power plants' harness energy from wind and rain      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fake plants are moving into the 21st century! Researchers developed literal 'power plants' -- tiny, leaf-shaped generators that create electricity from a blowing breeze or falling raindrops. The team tested the energy harvesters by incorporating them into artificial plants.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology
Published

Study reveals a reaction at the heart of many renewable energy technologies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chemists have mapped how proton-coupled electron transfers happen at the surface of an electrode. Their results could help researchers design more efficient fuel cells, batteries, or other energy technologies.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology
Published

Advancement in thermoelectricity could light up the Internet of Things      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have improved the efficiency of heat-to-electricity conversion in gallium arsenide semiconductor microstructures. By judicious spatial alignment of electrons within a two-dimensional electron gas system with multiple subbands, one can substantially enhance the power factor compared with previous iterations of analogous systems. This work is an important advance in modern thermoelectric technology and will benefit the global integration of the Internet of Things.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Using idle trucks to power the grid with clean energy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers are tapping into idled electric vehicles to act as mobile generators and help power overworked and aging electricity grids. After analyzing energy demand on Alberta's power grid during rush hour, the research proposes an innovative way to replenish electrical grids with power generated from fuel cells in trucks.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Bulky additives could make cheaper solar cells last longer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An insight into preventing perovskite semiconductors from degrading quickly could help enable solar cells estimated to be two to four times cheaper than today's thin-film solar panels.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water
Published

Highly durable, nonnoble metal electrodes for hydrogen production from seawater      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The water electrolysis method, a promising avenue for hydrogen production, relies on substantial freshwater consumption, thereby limiting the regions available with water resources required for water electrolysis . Researchers have developed highly durable electrodes without precious metals to enable direct hydrogen production from seawater.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General
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New findings regarding the high efficiency of perovskite solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Free charge carriers in perovskite solar cells likely have a special form of protection from recombination, researchers have discovered. This may be key to the high efficiency of this cell type, which has been increased to over 25 % within a decade.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Green wheels, bright skies: Analysis unveils the connection between electric vehicles and photovoltaics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

People who own electric vehicles (EVs) are more likely to go a step further and add solar panels to their home, according to an analysis of a behavioral study. Conversely, the impact of owning solar panels also has a bearing on whether a homeowner buys an electric vehicle but not as strongly.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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Green ammonia could decarbonize 60% of global shipping when offered at just 10 regional fuel ports      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study has found that green ammonia could be used to fulfill the fuel demands of over 60% of global shipping by targeting just the top 10 regional fuel ports. Researchers looked at the production costs of ammonia which are similar to very low sulphur fuels, and concluded that the fuel could be a viable option to help decarbonize international shipping by 2050.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology
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High-performance stretchable solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have succeeded in implementing a stretchable organic solar cell by applying a newly developed polymer material that demonstrated the world's highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency (19%) while functioning even when stretched for more than 40% of its original state. This new conductive polymer has high photovoltaic properties that can be stretched like rubber. The newly developed polymer is expected to play a role as a power source for next-generation wearable electronic devices.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
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Conflict in full swing: Forest bats avoid large areas around fast-moving wind turbines      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Not only do many bats die at wind turbines, the turbines also displace some species from their habitats over large areas. When the turbines are in operation at relatively high wind speeds, the activity of bat species that hunt in structurally dense habitats such as forests drops by almost 80 per cent within a radius of 80 to 450 meters around the turbine.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels
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Nature-inspired advanced materials achieves 99.6% solar reflectivity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientific researchers draw inspiration from nature's brilliance as they seek to develop transformative solutions to unresolved challenges.

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Batteries Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General
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New material allows for better hydrogen-based batteries and fuel cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a solid electrolyte for transporting hydride ions at room temperature. This breakthrough means that the full advantages of hydrogen-based solid-state batteries and fuel cells can be had without the need for constant hydration. This will reduce their complexity and cost, which is essential for advancing towards a practical hydrogen-based energy economy.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Physics: General
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Filming the microscopic flow of hydrogen atoms in a metal      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using conventional X-rays and lasers to detect the atomic state of hydrogen is challenging, given its small size. A group of researchers may have overcome this barrier by unveiling a new visualization technique that employs an optical microscope and polyaniline to paint a better picture of how hydrogen behaves in metals.

Chemistry: General Ecology: Nature Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

The solar forest      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What would be the most effective use of a certain plot of land in terms of the climate crisis: planting a forest, which is a natural means of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or erecting fields of solar panels, which reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? This dilemma has long been debated by decision-makers around the world. Now, for the first time -- based on findings from arid areas and on comprehensive measurements of the energy flow exchanged between the ground and the atmosphere -- we may have an answer to this question.