Discover the must-read research driving the energy transition
Expertly curated research for the energy science community.
From global energy security to the race to net zero, the challenges are mounting, and breakthroughs in science are arriving faster than ever. Across solar, hydrogen, batteries and sustainable fuels, scientists are rewriting what鈥檚 possible.
Our journals and books put these urgent discoveries in your hands. Explore peer-reviewed articles and expertly authored titles that spotlight the advances set to shape policy, industry and the next wave of innovation.
Our essential articles
Recent trends, impactful discoveries and critical advances in energy science 鈥� find them in our journals and books.
Derya Baran et al. Published in Energy & Environmental Science
Why do tin perovskites struggle with stability? This paper shows that tin vacancies and free carriers work together to drive ion migration, reshaping our understanding of transport in Pb-free perovskites. The insights offer a roadmap for designing more stable, high-performance solar cells and optoelectronics. A must-read for anyone engineering next-generation materials.
Hermenegildo Garc铆a et al. Published in EES Catalysis
Turning waste into value is at the heart of sustainable chemistry. This research shows how CO鈧� and nitrate 鈥� two major pollutants 鈥� can be directly converted into urea, an essential fertiliser and industrial feedstock. Using specially designed Ni鈥揗o atomic sites and pulsed electrocatalysis, the team achieved record efficiency and uncovered how the reaction works at the atomic level. This approach could pave the way for cleaner, greener routes to nitrogen鈥揷arbon products.
Henry J Snaith et al. Published in EES Solar
Why aren鈥檛 wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells reaching their full potential? This work shows that just blending two fullerene derivatives (PCBM + ICBA) as a thin interlayer dramatically cuts recombination losses at the electron interface. With only 2% PCBM in ICBA and additional molecular surface passivation, they hit 19.5% efficiency and an open-circuit voltage just ~10% shy of the radiative limit. Controlling interfacial energetics and ordering is the key. For anyone pushing perovskites toward commercialisation, this is a major step forward.
Showcasing articles from our journals
Energy and Environmental Science
Exceptional research to accelerate the global energy transition
Open Access: Hybrid
EES Catalysis
Exceptional research on energy and environmental catalysis.
Open Access: Gold
EES Solar
Exceptional research on solar energy and photovoltaics.
Open Access: Gold
EES Batteries
Exceptional research on batteries and energy storage.
Open Access: Gold
Taeseup Song et al. Published in EES Batteries
All-solid-state batteries are the future, but pushing them to high voltages creates serious stress at the material interfaces, cutting performance and lifespan. This study uses a Co-free layered cathode (LiNi鈧�.鈧団倕Mn鈧�.鈧傗倕O鈧�) to mitigate mechanical degradation and interfacial breakdown. The result? After 100 cycles at 2.5鈥�4.45 V, the battery retains over 80% capacity. By revealing how chemo-mechanical effects shape stability, this work moves us closer to cobalt-free, high-voltage solid batteries you can actually trust in real devices.
Ben L Feringa et al. Published in Sustainable Energy & Fuels
Hydrogen peroxide (H鈧侽鈧�) is crucial for clean chemical processes and could even act as a safe energy carrier, but current industrial methods are inefficient and wasteful. This paper shows how a modular photochemical flow reactor paired with iron-oxide nanoparticle catalysts can produce H鈧侽鈧� on demand, continuously and more efficiently (14脳 higher output vs. batch mode) while minimising degradation. The design also concentrates the product and enables other light-driven chemistry. By offering a greener, scalable route to H鈧侽鈧�, this work could transform how we power oxidation reactions and store energy.
Elisa Maruccia et al. Published in Energy Advances
Solar cells using water-based (aqueous) electrolytes offer a safer, more sustainable option, but they need better materials. This study is the first to test zinc oxide (ZnO) in different shapes (nanoparticles, multipods, 鈥渄esert-roses鈥�) as the photoanode in aqueous solar cells. Combined with computational modeling and multivariate analysis, the authors show which ZnO morphologies and surface features improve performance and point toward routes for further optimisation. Their work opens up a new materials direction for low-cost, stable aqueous photovoltaics usable in indoor or portable applications.
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