Solar fuels articles from across Nature Portfolio

Oxygen evolution is a critical reaction in the context of renewable fuel production via (photo)electrochemical approaches, yet our understanding of the molecular details of the reaction is limited. Here, the authors explore how specific spectroscopic probes and theory can be combined to reveal the elementary reaction steps.

The membrane separating anode from cathode in CO₂ electrolysers plays a key role in determining the performance, stability and material selection of the device. Here the authors argue that bipolar membranes could become the primary choice for scarce-metal-free, stable and efficient CO₂ electrolysers.

While the high concentration of CO₂ in flue gas makes it an attractive feedstock for electrocatalytic production of useful molecules, SO₂ contaminants can poison catalysts. Here the authors report a polymer/catalyst/ionomer heterojunction design with hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains that improves the SO₂ tolerance of a Cu catalyst.

Physicochemical heterogeneity poses a significant constraint in photocatalyst advancement. Here the authors introduce a multimodal optical microscopy platform to assess activity and defects concurrently in photoelectrocatalysts, revealing that disorder can unexpectedly enhance local photoelectrocatalytic performance in certain instances.

A study introduces a novel method to grow single-crystal Cu₂O thin films with selected crystal orientations, highlighting enhanced bulk carrier mobility and carrier diffusion length along the [111] direction that yields Cu₂O photocathodes with improved performance.

Photoelectrocatalytic nitrate reduction offers an opportunity for a lower carbon route to ammonia production but has not been realized due to poor efficiency. Here an efficient modified lead halide perovskite photocathode is coupled to glycerol oxidation anode resulting in a bias-free photocurrent density greater than 20 mA cm⁻².

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to fuels and chemicals is usually mediated by metal-based catalysts. Now, a carbon electrode modified with an organic molecular catalyst demonstrates promising activity and selectivity for carbon dioxide electroreduction to methane via an unusual pathway.

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ from flue gas shows promise for producing chemicals and fuels from waste streams, but its implementation is challenged by the presence of SO₂ impurities. Research now demonstrates a catalyst that effectively converts CO₂ to multi-carbon products while tolerating SO₂ impurities, advancing the feasibility of industrial CO₂ utilization.

Copper catalysts hold promise for producing multi-carbon chemicals through electrochemical CO₂ reduction, but improving performance is challenging due to the limited tunability of the copper surface. Now, research uses organic functionalization to modify the surface oxidation state of copper, yielding improved energy efficiency for ethylene production.