Download Canada is a one of the world`s largest producers of hydrogen

WE’VE GOT THE POWER
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS
Environmentallyfriendly
thermoelectrics
Harnessing hydrogen energy
Canada is a one of the world’s largest producers of hydrogen. Hydrogen gas is an attractive green energy option, given hydrogen’s
high energy efficiency and pollutant-free emission. Separating hydrogen from other materials is a challenge; however, researchers
are working to develop techniques to separate hydrogen from biological sources. This is made possible through the use of catalysts,
materials that push chemical reactions. Using CLSanalysis, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the University of
Saskatchewan are investigating these chemical reaction systems in order to develop faster, more efficient production methods.
DOI:10.1016/j.
apcata.2015.04.004
Thermoelectric materials could be used as
alternative sources for power generation
and refrigeration. A thermoelectric material
creates voltage when a temperature
difference is applied to it, and vice versa.
Thermoelectric devices are reliable
energy converters and produce no noise
or vibration as there are no mechanical
moving parts. Researchers from Canada,
United States, and Japan are using the
CLS to characterize the electron density,
thermoelectric, and electrical transport
properties of magnesium silicide alloys with
antimony, aluminium, and zinc impurities.
Harvesting solar energy
Stronger, better solar cells
Solar photovoltaic energy is one of the fastest
growing sources of electricity in Canada.
Researchers from the CLS, University of Toronto,
and King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology in Saudi Arabia, are working to
harvest this form of energy. Quantum dots are
nanocrystals made of semiconductor materials
with electronic properties that can be tuned
to make them useful sunlight-harvesters. The
researchers used the CLS to develop a new
way to build these state-of-the art solar cells,
eliminating several wasteful steps in their
development. About half of Canada’s residential electricity needs
could be met if solar panels were installed on the
roofs of residential buildings. At a single atom thick,
graphene was the first 2D crystal ever discovered. It is a
great candidate for solar cells because it is transparent,
stronger than steel, and a better conductor than copper.
It also can’t corrode. Researchers from the University
of Saskatchewan aim to harness these qualities into
a more efficient solar cell by modifying the material
with oxygen to make a better charge collector. To do
this, they take a close look at graphene oxide’s unique
electronic signature.
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201400577
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201401300
eliseocabrera
chrischesneau
DOI: 10.1039/C5TA03751D
Myriams-Fotos
blickpixel
Saving
sunshine for
a rainy day
We can’t control when the wind
blows or when the sun shines,
so finding efficient ways to store
energy from alternative sources
remains an urgent research
problem. A team from the
University of Toronto has designed
the most efficient catalyst for
storing energy in chemical form,
by splitting water into hydrogen
and oxygen, just like plants do
during photosynthesis. Oxygen
is released harmlessly into the
atmosphere, and hydrogen, as
H2, can be converted back into
energy using hydrogen fuel cells.
The intrinsic efficiency of the new
catalyst material is over three
times more efficient than the best
state-of-the-art catalyst, and is
made from abundant low costmetals.
Jinli Yang
Rob Lavinsky
USAID
Capturing solar energy
with perovskite crystals
creativix.com
Splitting water into
hydrogen fuel
In an era of increasing energy demands, scientists are searching for the holy grail of
chemistry: a way to use renewable resources, like solar power, to split water into hydrogen
fuel. When hydrogen is used as a fuel, it leaves behind no pollutants or greenhouse gasses,
only water. It is currently an expensive process with low energy output, but researchers from
CLS, Soochow University, and Western University have identified catalysts that vastly improve
the water splitting process, and pinpointed how the catalyst works. These results could help
produce a zero emission hydrogen fuel.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b02685
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf1525
Wendy Hero
Perovskite crystals have shown great promise as materials
for harnessing solar energy, and perovskite solar cells
have rapidly reached power conversion efficiencies as
high as 21 per cent. Unfortunately, a major barrier to
their commercialization is that promising perovskites
decompose quickly in humid conditions. Though various
methods to protect the crystals have been developed,
little was known about how the crystals break down in
moisture. In order to address this question, researchers
from the University of Saskatchewan performed humiditycontrolled studies at the CLS to determine key steps in the
decomposition process. DOI: 10.1021/nn506864k
Developing new solar
materials
Solar energy is abundant, and has long been of interest as
an alternative energy source. Research in solar devices is
largely focused on identifying and improving materials that
can convert solar to usable energy more efficiently and at
low cost. Researchers from the Western University, Soochow
University, and the CLS were able to identify compositional,
as well as photoelectrochemical characteristics of high
output light-absorbing films. These findings help optimize
the design of nanocrystal films to achieve the highest
possible photovoltaic efficiency for solar cells.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b01049
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b05940