Nature Energy is an online-only journal interested in all aspects of energy, from its generation and storage, to its distribution and management, the needs and demands of the different actors involved, and the impacts that energy technologies and policies have on different societies. The journal has a particular interest in studies that advance our knowledge and inform the development of next-generation technologies and solutions. Nature Energy publishes research from the natural, behavioural and social sciences.
Updated: 1 hour 52 min ago
The high cost of importing green hydrogen from Africa to Europe
Nature Energy, Published online: 13 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01775-z
Although the export of green hydrogen from Africa could support decarbonization in Europe, results from a geospatial model suggest that high investment risks make such exports economically unviable in most areas. Guaranteed offtake agreements from Europe can reduce investment risks to achieve cost competitiveness in some locations.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Durability research is pivotal for perovskite photovoltaics
Nature Energy, Published online: 13 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01786-w
Perovskite photovoltaics have achieved high power conversion efficiencies, yet their durability remains to be proven. This Perspective presents a number of approaches with a view to addressing durability challenges.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Mapping, understanding and reducing belief in misinformation about electric vehicles
Nature Energy, Published online: 09 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01790-0
Across four countries, more people agree with misinformation statements about electic vehicles than disagree with them, and conspiracist mentality is the strongest predictor of this agreement. Interactions with artificial intelligence show promise in reducing misinformation agreement.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Fluorinated isopropanol for improved defect passivation and reproducibility in perovskite solar cells
Nature Energy, Published online: 09 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01791-z
The passivation of surface defects is critical in perovskite photovoltaics yet challenging to implement in practice. Wang et al. show that fluorinated isopropanol allows the use of a high concentration of passivator molecules, ensuring the complete passivation of defects.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Cathode catalyst layers modified with Brønsted acid oxides to improve proton exchange membrane electrolysers for impure water splitting
Nature Energy, Published online: 09 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01787-9
Ultrapure water is usually used as a feedstock for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers because trace contaminants can cause failure. Here the authors show that PEM electrolysers can run on impure tap water when Brønsted acid oxides are used at the cathode to create a strongly acidic microenvironment.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Carrier management through electrode and electron-selective layer engineering for 10.70% efficiency antimony selenosulfide solar cells
Nature Energy, Published online: 09 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01792-y
Dong et al. achieve Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells with 10.7% efficiency by increasing charge generation with a textured electrode and reducing charge recombination and transport loss with a conformal electron-selective layer.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Compounding injustices can impede a just energy transition
Nature Energy, Published online: 05 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01785-x
Coal and carbon-intensive regions have lagged behind in socioeconomic development, long before any transition-related structural changes were foreseeable. Acknowledging and tackling the compounding effects of old legacy and new transition injustices is vital for realizing a truly just energy transition.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Redesigning electrification of China’s ammonia and methanol industry to balance decarbonization with power system security
Nature Energy, Published online: 05 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01779-9
Electrification is a promising way to decarbonize the chemical industry but could also have important effects on power systems. Here the authors assess the impact of electrifying the production of methanol and ammonia on the Chinese power system in terms of emissions and potential security risks.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Efficient and luminescent perovskite solar cells using defect-suppressed SnO<sub>2</sub> via excess ligand strategy
Nature Energy, Published online: 04 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01781-1
Seo et al. present an approach to regulate the formation and optoelectronic quality of the SnO2 electrodes, improving electroluminescence and efficiency in perovskite solar cells.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Easing liquidity constraints might be insufficient for exclusive clean cooking fuel use
Nature Energy, Published online: 03 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01784-y
Clean cooking fuels can be unaffordable. A year-long randomized control trial in Tanzania finds that a lockbox with savings nudges modestly increases participants’ liquified petroleum gas (LPG) use but does not result in exclusive use. Easing liquidity constraints is insufficient to foster exclusive clean fuel use when women save alone and must choose between LPG and other household needs.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Deconstructing the (un)affordability of clean cooking fuels through a randomized trial in rural Tanzania
Nature Energy, Published online: 03 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01778-w
Clean cooking fuels can be unaffordable. A year-long randomized control trial in Tanzania finds that a lockbox intervention along with behavioural nudging to encourage savings modestly increased liquefied petroleum gas use but did not lead to exclusive adoption, and that gendered financial constraints explain these results.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Mapping the cost competitiveness of African green hydrogen imports to Europe
Nature Energy, Published online: 02 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01768-y
A geospatial levelized cost model shows that green hydrogen imports from Africa to Europe remain uncompetitive without major policy support. De-risking policies and strategic site selection are key, but major risks remain.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Na and Ti share roles
Nature Energy, Published online: 27 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01788-8
Na and Ti share roles
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Contamination control
Nature Energy, Published online: 27 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01789-7
Contamination control
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Ambient pressure storage of high-density methane in nanoporous carbon coated with graphene
Nature Energy, Published online: 23 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01783-z
High-density methane storage typically requires high pressures and/or low temperatures, which can pose operational challenges. Here the authors report graphene-coated carbons that, after high-pressure charging, can store methane at high densities even at ambient external pressure.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Author Correction: US industrial policy may reduce electric vehicle battery supply chain vulnerabilities and influence technology choice
Nature Energy, Published online: 19 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01799-5
Author Correction: US industrial policy may reduce electric vehicle battery supply chain vulnerabilities and influence technology choice
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Stabilizing lithium-metal electrodes with polymer coatings
Nature Energy, Published online: 14 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01767-z
The instability of lithium metal hinders the commercialization of lithium-metal batteries. This Review explores polymer coatings as a promising solution, summarizing key design principles, effective coatings and future interface strategies.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Small-battery calorimetry for enhanced safety
Nature Energy, Published online: 12 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01776-y
The increasing energy density and size requirements for batteries demand better safety technologies, but size limits and high costs hinder effective testing. Now, accelerated rate calorimetry tests on small batteries with an optimal thermal runaway factor enable rapid screening and provide early-stage feedback for improving safety features.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Gender equality in Africa’s energy transition
Nature Energy, Published online: 09 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01774-0
Nature Energy talks to Sheila Oparaocha (pictured), Director of the ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, and Magi Matinga, Technical Advisor at ENERGIA, about challenges and opportunities for ensuring gender equality in Africa’s energy transition, and how well aligned the fields of advocacy, policy and research are on this issue.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Analysis and research at the supranational level
Nature Energy, Published online: 09 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01769-x
Salvatore Finamore speaks with Nature Energy about what the Analysis and Research Team at the Council of the European Union does and how they measure impact, while offering insight for researchers looking to reach a policy audience.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)