Batteries are a major technological challenge in this new century as they are a key method to make more efficient use of energy. Although today’s Li-ion technology has conquered the portable electronic markets and is still improving, it falls short of ...

A major challenge in obtaining long-term durability in fuel cells is to discover catalyst supports that do not corrode, or corrode much more slowly than the current carbon blacks used in today’s polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Such materials must ...

Advances in functional materials for energy conversion and storage technologies are crucial in addressing the global challenge of green sustainable energy. This article aims to demonstrate the valuable role that modern modelling techniques now play in ...

We present a comprehensive thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of the suitability of cerium oxide (ceria) for thermochemical fuel production. Both portions of the two-step cycle, (i) oxygen release from the oxide at 1773 and 1873 K under inert atmosphere, ...

When the UK’s Calder Hall nuclear power station was connected to the grid in 1956, the programmes that made this possible involved a powerful combination of basic and applied research. Both the science and the engineering were novel, addressing new and ...

The selection and design of materials that will withstand the extreme conditions of a fusion power plant has been described as one of the greatest materials science challenges in history. The high particle flux, high thermal load, thermal mechanical ...

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century the limitations of the fossil age with regard to the continuing growth of energy demand, the peaking mining rate of oil, the growing impact of CO₂ emissions on the environment and the dependency of the ...

Our present dependence on fossil fuels means that, as our demand for energy inevitably increases, so do emissions of greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide (CO₂). To avoid the obvious consequences on climate change, the concentration of such ...

In the past, material innovation has changed society through new material-induced technologies, adding a new value to society. In the present world, engineers and scientists are expected to invent new materials to solve the global problem of climate ...

We review recent developments and applications of computational modelling techniques in the field of materials for energy technologies including hydrogen production and storage, energy storage and conversion, and light absorption and emission. In addition,...

Electrochemical capacitors, also known as supercapacitors, are energy storage devices that fill the gap between batteries and dielectric capacitors. Thanks to their unique features, they have a key role to play in energy storage and harvesting, acting as ...

This paper addresses the probable levels of investment needed in new technologies for energy conversion and storage that are essential to address climate change, drawing on past evidence on the rate of cost improvements in energy technologies. A range of ...