Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nedjeljko Seselj, David Aili, Sanser Celenk, Lars N. Cleemann, Hans Aage Hjuler, Jens Oluf Jensen, Kobra Azizi, Qingfeng Li
Summary: To address the challenges of climate change and increasing energy demand, hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, particularly the polymer electrolyte membrane type, are seen as potential solutions. Research on material degradation and mitigation is essential to improve the reliability and lifetime of this technology.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Nyuk Hien Wong, Chun Liang Tan, Dionysia Denia Kolokotsa, Hideki Takebayashi
Summary: Urban green infrastructure is crucial for reducing urban heat, alleviating heat stress, and includes ground greenery and greenery on buildings. While these strategies can effectively cool the environment, the cooling potential varies depending on factors such as scale, extent of greenery, plant selection, and placement.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pu Yang, Zhifu Mi, Yun-Fei Yao, Yun-Fei Cao, D'Maris Coffman, Lan-Cui Liu
Summary: The use of equity principles in reviewing NDCs is essential for more ambitious climate actions, but disagreements persist. By treating emission reduction as an economic behavior and exploring economic trade-offs, it is found that more ambitious NDCs are urgently needed to address climate change challenges.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Holly Jean Buck, Alexis Palumbo-Compton
Summary: This article provides a systematic review of the social science literature on farmer adoption of soil carbon sequestration practices and participation in carbon markets or programs. The findings suggest that co-benefits are a strong motivator for adoption, but the literature on the social aspects of scaling soil carbon sequestration is limited.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kai Zhao, Shihao Han, Le Ke, Xiaoyu Wu, Xiaoyu Yan, Xiaojuan Cao, Lingjiao Li, Xiaoyi Jiang, Zhiping Wang, Huijun Liu, Ning Yan
Summary: N-doped carbons (NCs) have excellent electrocatalytic performance in oxygen reduction reaction, particularly in alkaline conditions, and have the potential to replace commercial Pt/C catalysts in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. However, NCs are vulnerable to denitrogenation and carbon corrosion at high potentials, leading to a significant decrease in their activity. This study used differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy to observe the dynamic behaviors of NCs in KOH electrolyte under operando conditions, and found that carbon corrosion occurred at around 1.2 V vs RHE, releasing both NO and NO2 in parallel with denitrogenation.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kai Zhao, Shihao Han, Le Ke, Xiaoyu Wu, Xiaoyu Yan, Xiaojuan Cao, Lingjiao Li, Xiaoyi Jiang, Zhiping Wang, Huijun Liu, Ning Yan
Summary: N-doped carbons (NCs) show excellent electrocatalytic performance and have potential to replace commercial Pt/C catalysts in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. However, NCs are vulnerable to denitrogenation and carbon corrosion at high potentials, which significantly decreases their activity. In this study, the dynamic behaviors of NCs in KOH electrolyte were observed using differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy. The corrosion of carbon and denitrogenation were found to occur simultaneously. Strategies to suppress N leaching were also proposed. This work provides insight into the deactivation of NCs and has practical applications.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuxuan Zhang, Qiang Zhang, Nana Wu, Aijun Ding
Summary: One of the great challenges in mitigating haze pollution in China is the increase in ozone (O3) due to existing emission control measures. This study identifies the enhanced aging chemistries of black carbon (BC) with increasing O3 as a key driver in weakening haze mitigation. The enhanced atmospheric oxidation capacity induced by increasing O3 promotes the aging of fresh BC, leading to increased hygroscopicity and providing more surfaces and volumes for chemical reactions. The enhanced BC aging increases PM2.5 concentrations by about 20%, but can be mitigated by reducing emissions of multiple pollutants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Zhu Liu, Qiyin Zhou, Shuo Cong, Zhengang Duan, Zhaodandan Ma, Ming Shu, Zhangjian Zhou, Lefu Zhang, Xianglong Guo
Summary: The corrosion behavior of an alumina-forming duplex stainless steel was studied in supercritical carbon dioxide for specimens with different surface treatment. The polished specimens had higher weight gain compared to the ground ones. On polished specimens, an unprotective multilayer oxide scale formed above the FCC phase, while protective and continuous Cr/Al-rich oxide layers formed above the BCC phase. Similarly protective Cr/Al-rich oxide layers formed on ground specimens, regardless of the FCC or BCC phase. Grinding promoted the diffusion of Cr and Al, resulting in easier formation of continuous Cr/Al-rich oxide layers.
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ploy Achakulwisut, Peter Erickson, Celine Guivarch, Roberto Schaeffer, Elina Brutschin, Steve Pye
Summary: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's mitigation scenarios database is a valuable resource for policymakers, but there are variations in models and scenario designs. This analysis focuses on scenarios with warming limited to 2 degrees C or below, examining the feasibility and trajectory of different fossil fuel reduction pathways. The findings emphasize the importance of clear reduction benchmarks in coal, oil, and gas production and use, along with other climate mitigation targets.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caiquan Bai, Zhijun Chen, Daoping Wang
Summary: Effectively reducing transportation carbon emissions is crucial for China to achieve its carbon peaking and neutral goals. This study analyzes the carbon emission performance and reduction potential of the transportation sector in China, considering regional technology heterogeneity. The results show that the potential for carbon emission reductions from the transportation sector is 12.3 million tons, accounting for 8.4% of annual transportation carbon emissions. Filling technology gaps and removing management inefficiencies are the major contributors to the potential emission reductions, with the eastern regions having a higher focus on management inefficiencies and the central and western regions on technology gaps. Provincial-specific emission mitigation strategies are provided to facilitate low-carbon development in the transportation sector.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Luis Gonzalez-Fernandez, Argyrios Anagnostopoulos, Themistoklis Karkantonis, Oleksandr Bondarchuk, Stefan Dimov, Miroslaw Chorazewski, Yulong Ding, Yaroslav Grosu
Summary: This study explores the use of laser micro-machining technology to inhibit corrosion of CSP structural materials by molten salts. The results show that nanosecond laser treatment can slow down the corrosion process by forming carbide layers.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hongsheng Chen, Jiandong Luo, Tengfei Zhang, Changheui Jang, Rui Tang, Baojun Dong, Jin Li, Xuesong Leng
Summary: The microstructures, tensile properties and corrosion behaviors of Fe20Cr25NiNb stainless steels with different Al contents in supercritical carbon di-oxide were studied. The addition of Al increased the strength but decreased the elongation of the steel. The corrosion resistance was significantly improved by the addition of Al. The steel without Al exhibited a thick chromia scale and larger magnetite nodules, while the steels with Al formed thin oxide scales consisting of mixtures of chromia and alumina.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Xianmei Liu, Rui Peng, Caiquan Bai, Yuanying Chi, Yuxiang Liu
Summary: This study assesses the economic cost and energy transition effects of different policy scenarios based on an improved dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. The results show that energy structure optimization and integrated policy scenarios could achieve the carbon neutrality target, and carbon sink is another critical factor that can offset the remaining emissions. The study also highlights the varying impacts on GDP losses, energy consumption, and air pollutant reduction potential under different scenarios.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yanqiu Tao, Debbie Steckel, Jiri Jaromir Klemes, Fengqi You
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted event holders to shift conferences online, with virtual and hybrid conferences being greener alternatives. Research shows that transitioning from in-person to virtual conferences can significantly reduce carbon footprint and energy use, while carefully selected hubs in hybrid conferences also have the potential to reduce emissions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenbin Tu, Jianguo Tang, Lehang Ma, Yan Zhao, Weihua Chen, Shanlin Wang
Summary: The effect of Sn on the hardening and precipitation behavior of as-quenched Al-0.4Mg-1.0Si alloy at different aging temperatures was investigated. The addition of Sn had a negative effect on hardening during under-aging, but a positive effect during over-aging. The addition of Sn improved the resistance to over-aging softening at different aging temperatures, which was attributed to the increase in precipitate number density during under-aging and the decrease in precipitate size during over-aging.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cui Wang, Juan Herranz, Rene Huebner, Thomas J. Schmidt, Alexander Eychmueller
Summary: Metal aerogels assembled from nanoparticles, especially bimetallic aerogels, are highly attractive for addressing environmental and energy issues. However, the understanding of the formation mechanisms and element distribution in bimetallic aerogels is still in its early stages. This Account summarizes the current research progress on synthetic methods, structures, and evolution during electrocatalysis, aiming to provide insights into this field.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Eric Winter, Thomas J. Schmidt, Sigita Trabesinger
Summary: One of the crucial factors for metallic lithium anodes is finding a stable and safe electrolyte, as the commonly used carbonate electrolytes perform poorly. To speed up the evaluation process, potentiostatic lithium plating was investigated as a potential method for fast electrolyte suitability investigation. The correlation between lithium surface coverage and measured current response in a model carbonate electrolyte was established using scanning electron microscopy. This research may be a first step towards using potentiostatic plating as a fast and high-throughput method for investigating new electrolyte formulations for lithium metal batteries and beyond.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Michael Striednig, Adrian Mularczyk, Wenmei Liu, Dirk Scheuble, Magali Cochet, Pierre Boillat, Thomas J. Schmidt, Felix N. Buechi
Summary: Evaporative cooling has the potential to reduce the volume and cost of polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and simplify the structure of bipolar plates. This study provides experimental evidence of its feasibility by analyzing its evaporation behavior, cooling power, internal humidification, electrochemical performance and operational stability.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Justus S. Diercks, Juan Herranz, Kathrin Ebner, Natasa Diklic, Maximilian Georgi, Piyush Chauhan, Adam H. Clark, Maarten Nachtegaal, Alexander Eychmueller, Thomas J. Schmidt
Summary: In recent years, operando/in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has become an important tool in the electrocatalysis community. This study investigates the impact of catalyst layer (CL) thickness on Pd-hydride formation trends in carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles and an unsupported Pd aerogel. The results suggest the need for minimizing CL thickness in spectro-electrochemical experiments and using complementary thin-film control measurements.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Secil Unsal, Thomas J. Schmidt, Juan Herranz
Summary: Non-noble metal catalysts (NNMCs) have the potential to replace expensive Pt-based catalysts in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This study investigated the effect of film thickness and quality on the electrochemical behavior of three NNMCs with different aggregate sizes. The results showed that a smaller particle size enhanced the ORR limiting current and improving thin film quality led to a 2-fold increase in H2O2-yield.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tym de Wild, Tamas Nemeth, Pascal Becker, Detlef Gunther, Thomas Nauser, Thomas J. Schmidt, Lorenz Gubler
Summary: Hydrocarbon-based materials, commonly used as next-generation proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), suffer from radical induced degradation reactions due to aromatic groups contained within the polymer. This study focuses on repairing the damaged membranes by incorporating cerium(III) as a repair agent. The results indicate that the degradation of the polymer during fuel cell operation can be significantly reduced by immobilizing cerium(III) in the membrane.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Secil Unsal, Robin Girod, Christian Appel, Dmitry Karpov, Michel Mermoux, Frederic Maillard, Viktoriia A. Saveleva, Vasiliki Tileli, Thomas J. Schmidt, Juan Herranz
Summary: Non-noble metal catalysts (NNMCs) have the potential to replace expensive Pt-based materials in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), but their poor durability hinders their commercial implementation. The degradation mechanisms include operative demetallation, electro-oxidation of the carbonaceous matrix, and chemical degradation caused by H2O2 radicals. However, the relative contributions of these mechanisms to overall performance loss are not well understood. In this study, degradation protocols were used to determine that H2O2-related instability is dependent on the ORR charge, while electro-oxidation of the carbon matrix at high potentials is more detrimental to NNMCs' activity than demetallation at low potentials.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Misgina Tilahun Tsehaye, Gael Mourouga, Thomas J. Schmidt, Juergen O. Schumacher, Svetlozar Velizarov, Bart Van der Bruggen, Fannie Alloin, Cristina Iojoiu
Summary: Aqueous organic redox-flow batteries (AORFBs) are a promising solution for grid-scale energy storage due to their long lifetime, safety, flexibility, potential low costs, and environmental friendliness. Membranes play a crucial role in AORFBs as they impact the battery's resistance, power density, depth-of-discharge, lifetime, and levelized cost of storage. This article critically discusses the current literature on AORFB membranes, including theories for ion and species transport, experimental correlations between membrane properties and cell performance, strategies to improve performance and lower costs, remaining challenges, and future research directions.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Carl Cesar Weber, Jacob A. Wrubel, Lorenz Gubler, Guido Bender, Salvatore De Angelis, Felix N. Buchi
Summary: To decarbonize crucial industries, it is essential to reduce the cost and scale up the electrolyzer technologies. A key factor is to decrease the price and scarcity of the iridium-based catalyst used in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis. The study focuses on understanding the relationship between the interface of the porous transport layer and the catalyst layer to optimize catalyst utilization.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Piyush Chauhan, Juan Herranz, Maximilian Winzely, Maximilian Georgi, Pavel Khavlyuk, Alexander Eychmueller, Thomas J. Schmidt
Summary: Despite increased relevance in energy transition, understanding of CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is still limited, especially regarding the impact of surface-specific parameters such as interfacial pH on its kinetics and product outcome. In this study, CO2RR on polycrystalline Au and Au aerogel was investigated using a rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) setup, with the quantification of interfacial pH through measuring the pH value of the gold ring electrode. The results showed that the polycrystalline Au surface had approximately twice the current efficiency compared to the aerogel surface, suggesting a roughness factor effect on this key performance metric.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Secil Unsal, Michele Bozzetti, Yen-Chun Chen, Robin Girod, Anne Berger, Justus S. Diercks, Sofia Gialamoidou, Jike Lyu, Marisa Medarde, Hubert A. Gasteiger, Vasiliki Tileli, Thomas J. Schmidt, Juan Herranz
Summary: Non-noble metal catalysts (NNMCs) are a promising alternative to expensive Pt-based materials for catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) cathodes. By studying catalysts with different particle sizes and porosities, it was found that smaller aggregate size and higher porosity lead to improved mass transport properties and peak power density.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Natasa Diklic, Alexandra Beard, Juan Herranz, Adrian Heinritz, Tianyu Cen, Steffen Garbe, Daniel F. Abbott, Mauro Povia, Thomas J. Schmidt
Summary: Understanding the deactivation mechanisms of Ir oxide catalysts in PEWE-anodes is crucial for improving durability. We investigated various degradation mechanisms and their contributions to performance losses in RDE tests. However, these mechanisms alone cannot explain the observed losses. PEWE-tests showed that the apparent RDE-instability is not reproduced in the actual environment.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Anne Berger, Yen-Chun Chen, Jacqueline Gatzemeier, Thomas J. Schmidt, Felix N. Buechi, Hubert A. Gasteiger
Summary: This study aims to analyze the impact of fabricating a GDL with an MPL that intrudes into the GDL-S on the structure of GDL-S and PEMFC performance. The results provide design guidelines for improved GDLs.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cui Wang, Juan Herranz, Rene Huebner, Thomas J. Schmidt, Alexander Eychmueller
Summary: Metal aerogels assembled from nanoparticles are considered as ideal materials to address current environmental and energy issues due to the combination of metal and aerogel properties. Among these aerogels, those composed of two metals exhibit novel properties and have potential applications in electrocatalysis. However, the understanding of the formation mechanisms and element distributions in bimetallic aerogels is still limited.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
E. Ricardo Carreon Ruiz, Natalie Stalder, Jongmin Lee, Lorenz Gubler, Pierre Boillat
Summary: Spectral neutron imaging methods provide valuable insights into the characterization of hydrogenous materials, including battery electrolytes. However, there are constraints when studying physico-chemical changes in battery electrolytes. To address these limitations, a framework for simulating and optimizing the investigation of hydrogenous materials is presented. This framework combines quantitative modeling with experimental data to predict and optimize the achievable contrast in wavelength-resolved neutron imaging methods.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
