Energy and Resources News

November 12, 2024

Top Headlines

Fighting Microplastics for a Cleaner Future

Nov. 11, 2024 — Creating sustainable chemicals and developing better waste management will contribute to better sustainability. This research is part of figuring out how to make green hydrogen available for waste management using catalysts. The research uses ...

Discovery Taps 'Hot Carriers' for on-Demand, Emissions-Free Hydrogen and Catalyst Regeneration

Nov. 11, 2024 — Researchers have developed a new photocatalyst that could render steam methane reforming entirely emissions-free and extend catalyst ...

Power Grids Supplied Largely by Renewable Sources Experience Lower Intensity Blackouts

Nov. 6, 2024 — New research into the vulnerability of power grids served by weather-dependent renewable energy sources (WD-RESs) such as solar and wind paints a hopeful picture as various countries around the globe ...

Hydrogels Harness Sunlight: A Step Closer to Artificial Photosynthesis

Nov. 6, 2024 — Researchers designed bioinspired hydrogels capable of using sunlight to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water. Hydrogels contain polymer networks that facilitate energy conversion, offering a breakthrough approach to generating renewable hydrogen ...

Latest Headlines

updated 6:37pm EST

Researchers Are Making Jet Engines Fit for the Hydrogen Age

Nov. 8, 2024 — Hydrogen-powered planes are set to take wing around the world in the future. To make this possible, engineers have to develop the jet engines that will power them. Experiments by researchers are now ...

Towards a Hydrogen-Powered Future: Highly Sensitive Hydrogen Detection System

Nov. 5, 2024 — Hydrogen, a promising fuel, has extensive applications in many sectors. However, its safe and widespread use necessitates reliable sensing methods. ...

Cobalt-Copper Tandem Converts Carbon Dioxide to Ethanol

Nov. 4, 2024 — The continuing release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is a major driver of global warming and climate change with increased extreme weather events. Researchers have now presented a method for ...

Fueling Greener Aviation With Hydrogen

Nov. 1, 2024 — Despite ongoing efforts to curb CO2 emissions with electric and hybrid vehicles, other forms of transportation remain significant contributors of greenhouse gases. To address this issue, old ...

Paving the Way for Harvesting and Storing Solar Energy Efficiently

Oct. 29, 2024 — Approximately 50 percent of global final energy consumption is dedicated to heating. Yet, the utilization of solar power in this sector remains relatively low compared to fossil energy sources. An ...

Reactor Could Make Direct Air Capture More Energy Efficient

Oct. 29, 2024 — Researchers have developed an electrochemical reactor that has the potential to drastically reduce energy consumption and cost for direct air ...

Significant Extension of Zinc Battery Lifespan

Oct. 28, 2024 — The transition to renewable energy requires efficient methods for storing large amounts of electricity. Researchers have developed a new method that could extend the lifespan of aqueous zinc-ion ...

Improvement of Catalytic Activity by Controlling the Surface Structure of Metal Particles

Oct. 28, 2024 — Researchers are finding new ways to make the hydrogen evolution reaction harder, better, faster, and ...

Hydrogen: Breakthrough in Alkaline Membrane Electrolyzers

Oct. 28, 2024 — A team has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyser that approaches the performance of established PEM electrolysers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of ...

Ripples of Colonialism: Decarbonization Strategies Perpetuate Inequalities in Human Rights

Oct. 25, 2024 — A new study of a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo finds that the necessary process of decarbonization is repeating and recreating colonial ...

Researchers Drive Solid-State Innovation for Renewable Energy Storage

Nov. 8, 2024 — Scientists are developing a formula for success -- by studying how a new type of battery fails. The team's goal is the design for long-term storage of wind and solar energy, which are produced ...

Researchers Drive Solid-State Innovation for Renewable Energy Storage

Nov. 7, 2024 — Scientists are developing a formula for success -- by studying how a new type of battery fails. The team's goal is the design for long-term storage of wind and solar energy, which are produced ...

Next-Generation Solar Cells Become More Powerful With Silver (Ag) Doping Technology

Oct. 25, 2024 — Researchers have significantly improved the performance of kesterite (CZTSSe) thin-film solar cells. They developed a new method for doping silver (Ag) in solar cells to suppress defects that hinder ...

New AI Model Could Make Power Grids More Reliable Amid Rising Renewable Energy Use

Oct. 24, 2024 — Researchers use AI to manage the growing complexity of modern power ...

Key to Low-Cost, Long-Lasting Renewable Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Oct. 24, 2024 — Lithium-sulfur batteries have never lived up to their potential as the next generation of renewable batteries for electric vehicles and other devices. But mechanical engineers have now found a way to ...

Fire-Risk Blocking Self-Powered Hydrogen Production System

Oct. 24, 2024 — By using a water-splitting system with an aqueous electrolyte, this system is expected to block fire risks and enable stable hydrogen ...

Researchers Develop New Coatings to Boost Turbine Engine Efficiency

Oct. 23, 2024 — A multidisciplinary research group has formulated new protective coatings to allow turbine engines to run hotter -- with potential dividends for the environment and ...

Technology for Precise Diagnosis of Electric Vehicle Batteries Using Small Currents

Oct. 22, 2024 — Researchers have developed a new technology that can diagnose and monitor the state of batteries with high precision using only small amounts of current, which is expected to maximize the ...

Finding Could Help Turn Trees Into Affordable, Greener Industrial Chemicals

Oct. 18, 2024 — Specific molecular property of lignin in trees determines difficulty of using microbial fermentation to turn trees and other plants into industrial ...

Professor Tackles Graph Mining Challenges With New Algorithm

Oct. 18, 2024 — A professor has helped create a powerful new algorithm that uncovers hidden patterns in complex networks, with potential uses in fraud detection, biology and knowledge ...

Researchers Unlock the 'Silicate Magic' for Safer, Cheaper, and More Efficient Batteries

Oct. 17, 2024 — A research team is exploring new battery technologies for grid energy storage. The team's recent results suggest that iron, when treated with the electrolyte additive silicate, could create a ...

Visible Light Energy Yields Two-for-One Deal When Added to CO2 Recycling Process

Oct. 17, 2024 — By combining visible light and electrochemistry, researchers have enhanced the conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable products and stumbled upon a surprising discovery. The team found that ...

Engineers Unveil Breakthrough in Ultra-Clean Biofuel Technology

Oct. 17, 2024 — Researchers have unveiled a pioneering method for the efficient combustion of biofuels, using a revolutionary Swirl Burst (SB) injector to burn glycerol/methanol blends with near-zero emissions. This ...

New Research Reveals How Large-Scale Adoption of Electric Vehicles Can Improve Air Quality and Human Health

Oct. 15, 2024 — A new study suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits. The research team used computer simulations to show that ...

Heavy Metals in the Ocean Become More Toxic

Oct. 9, 2024 — Toxic trace elements such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium naturally occur in small quantities in coastal seas. However, human activities, such as industry and agriculture, contribute ...

New Insights Into Ammonia Decomposition

Oct. 8, 2024 — Using ammonia is regarded as a promising method of transporting hydrogen. However, an efficient process is also needed to convert it back into hydrogen and ...

Despite Progress, China Remains Tethered to Coal as Climate Change Pressures Mount

Oct. 8, 2024 — A new paper details how China faces numerous political, economic and technological obstacles as it tries to transition away from coal while balancing the need to combat climate change with the need ...

A Novel Method to Split Water to Create Hydrogen -- A Clean Source of Fuel

Oct. 7, 2024 — Researchers have developed a novel method using facet-selective, ultrafine cocatalysts to efficiently split water to create hydrogen -- a clean source of ...

Liquefied Natural Gas Carbon Footprint Is Worse Than Coal

Oct. 3, 2024 — Liquefied natural gas leaves a greenhouse gas footprint that is 33% worse than coal, when processing and shipping are taken into account, according to a new ...

Nanostructures in the Deep Ocean Floor Hint at Life's Origin

Oct. 3, 2024 — Researchers have discovered inorganic nanostructures surrounding deep-ocean hydrothermal vents that are strikingly similar to molecules that make life as we know it possible. These nanostructures are ...