Ultra-lightweight CdTe thin film solar cells in space: The cover image depicts ultra-lightweight thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells as applied to the solar panels that power satellites. In the space environment, there are various radiation sources such as energetic particles and solar flares. Thus, solar cells that are robust to radiation are necessary for performing tasks in space successfully. Among various solar cell materials, CdTe thin films have the intrinsic radiation hardness suitable for aerospace applications. This work demonstrates robust and stable CdTe thin film solar cells on ultra-thin glass substrates. The cell secured its high specific power even after severe proton irradiation. High radiation hardness makes these CdTe solar cells feasible for long-term space missions. More details can be found in the Full Paper by G. Yang and E. Cho et al. from Korea University on page 1463 in Issue 11, 2016 (DOI: 10.1002/ente.201600346).

What a fuel! Urea and urine can be directly used as fuels to produce power using membrane fuel cells. Oxidation of urea to nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide is catalyzed by oxidation-active Ni^III species, which can be generated from non-precious nickel-based anode catalysts.

Tarred and feathered: Transportation fuels obtained from mid-to-low-temperature coal tar hydrogenation do not meet the national standards. Therefore, the transformation of the development direction is particularly important. If high-value-added specialty oil is developed, technical and economic advantages can be achieved from this raw material. The naphtha produced from coal tar hydrogenation can be used to make a variety of organic chemicals.

Core–shell structure: Various structures of NiFe₂O₃/Al₂O₃ sphere materials are prepared by simple pretreatment of the support. The sample core–shell structure displays a high redox capacity and reproducibility for the thermochemical CO₂ splitting based on chemical looping.

Mind the gap: Binder-free self-supporting (BFSS) cathodes are prepared from redox-active, high aspect ratio, fibrous, potassium-containing α-MnO₂ nanofibers (K-OMS-2). This approach eliminates the need for a binder and current collector, which decreases the gap between the actual and theoretical battery gravimetric energy density through minimizing the passive components of the electrode.

Making fuels from sunlight, CO₂, and water: We present a general framework for 1) the economic assessment and 2) the identification of key process targets of two possible solar refinery configurations that convert CO₂ and water directly into fuels. The processes employ the single-step direct conversion of CO₂ to fuels, using methanol as a representative product.

Under pressure: Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) is a suitable means for onboard storage of methane in vehicles. Three different micro-mesoporous carbons are examined for methane adsorption at low- (1 bar) and ultra-high-pressures (400 bar). The highest volumetric storage densities obtained are higher than most of the metal–organic framework (MOF) and covalent–organic framework (COF) materials reported in the literature, and show that porous carbons are an optimum choice for onboard methane storage.

What′s in store: A porous-resin-supported calcium sulfate (CaSO₄-PSM) material with high-density and high reactivity is developed for chemical heat storage, based on its hydration/dehydration cycle. Aggregation of the CaSO₄ particles before and after repetitive operations can be eliminated, and a good durability of the new porous supported thermal energy storage material CaSO₄ is obtained.

Composite adsorbent: We synthesize a γ-alumina nanorod/reduced graphene oxide composite with a high surface area and enhanced thermal conductivity. This composite is an excellent support for poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) for the capture of CO₂ from flue gas at a high temperature (75 °C). The composite shows an excellent performance for CO₂ capture (≈200 mg g_PEI⁻¹ with an amine efficiency of 0.22) at 75 °C and release at 100 °C with recyclability.

Composite delight: Nanocomposites of molybdenum disulfide and lithium titanium oxide (MoS₂@Li₄Ti₅O₁₂) are fabricated through a hydrothermal process. When applied in lithium-ion batteries, the prepared samples exhibit high capacity, good rate capability, outstanding cycle stability, and a wide operating temperature range extending from −15 to 55 °C. The innovative materials offer a novel method for the synthesis of composites used batteries.

Maximum power point tracking for MFCs: Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electricity from various organic materials and wastewaters by using a dynamic exoelectrogenic biocatalyst. A logic-based algorithm to achieve maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for MFC interfaced to a digitally actuated variable resistive load is developed. The effects of operational parameters such as organic loading rate (OLR), hydraulic retention time (HRT), and sampling interval (SI) are examined.

Looking to get arrays: Arrays of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanowire on a titanium substrate are synthesized by a hydrothermal process and subsequent annealing approach. A layer of tin is deposited onto the Co₃O₄ nanowire arrays by direct RF-sputtering. When used as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries, the Co₃O₄–Sn core–shell nanowire electrodes show better cyclability and enhanced rate capacities compared to bare Co₃O₄ electrodes.

The benefits of urea in energy: Urea, a low-cost precursor was utilized to enhance the nitrogen content in the carbon nanofibers. The as-prepared carbon nanofibers show high nitrogen content and enhanced electrochemical performance as sodium-ion battery anode material.

Mn-O-O-H, that spells…: A porous hierarchical nanostructure of manganese(III) oxyhydroxide (MnOOH) is successfully grown on a flexible carbon fiber fabric (CFF) by a facile hydrothermal method. The porous hierarchical structure offers a large surface area, an abundance of electroactive sites, and efficient ion transport paths. These features greatly improve the electrochemical performance of MnOOH supercapacitors (SCs).

Ultrahigh barriers for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells: Both shelf-life and accelerated-light-soaking tests are performed to evaluate different barriers to gas/water permeation for dye solar cells. Ultrahigh barriers improve device stability by 33 % compared to other barriers, doubling the lifetime of the cells. The reduced, though still noticeable, performance loss is due to lateral permeation. Efficient solutions for edge encapsulation must be developed to extend lifetimes further.

Apt for aerospace applications: Ultralightweight thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells are tested in realistic space conditions. The cells demonstrate remarkable radiation hardness for outer-space tasks. Even after severe proton irradiation, corresponding to over 2000 years in low earth orbit, they achieve high specific power values. Such high radiation hardness shows the feasibility of the CdTe solar cells for long-term space missions.