Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Increasing efficiency in artificial photosynthesis

Chemical engineers have developed a new approach to artificial photosynthesis, a method for harvesting solar energy that produces hydrogen as a clean fuel from water.

January 12, 2022 Read more

Recycling already considered in the development of new battery materials

Enormous potential consists in the circular value chain of batteries. A review article on battery recycling provides an overview of the challenges of new material concepts for battery recycling and 'Design for Recycling' as a promising approach of a sustainable battery economy.

January 12, 2022 Read more

Overcoming a bottleneck in carbon dioxide conversion

Study reveals why some attempts to convert the greenhouse gas into fuel have failed, and offers possible solutions.

January 12, 2022 Read more

The path to clean catalysis

Developing concepts for the catalysis of the future.

January 10, 2022 Read more

Shellac for environmentally friendly printed circuits

Metals in printing inks are expensive - and disposing of them in an environmentally sound manner is costly and exacerbates the problem of electronic waste. A new solution aims to remedy this.

December 20, 2021 Read more

New smart-roof coating enables year-round energy savings

Breakthrough technology keeps you warm in the winter, and cool in the summer, without consuming natural gas or electricity.

December 16, 2021 Read more

E-waste recycling emits emerging synthetic antioxidants

Scientists have detected a broad range of emerging synthetic antioxidants, called hindered phenol and sulfur antioxidants, in dust from electronic waste recycling workshops, possibly posing risks for the workers inside.

December 15, 2021 Read more

Understanding phase change materials for thermal energy storage

Breakthroughs in liquid state physics may accelerate clean energy technology.

December 15, 2021 Read more

Engineers developing 'smart' bikes to improve cycling safety, efficiency

Intelligent cycling project also intended to increase use of bicycles so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

December 14, 2021 Read more

Scientists use sunlight and modified sawdust to reversibly capture carbon dioxide

Researchers have found an innovative way to reversibly capture carbon dioxide (CO2) using sunlight and modified sawdust. In a proof-of-concept installation, they used solar energy to successfully drive the capture and release of CO2, with sawdust as the absorbent, creating a more sustainable pathway to CO2 carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

December 8, 2021 Read more

Are microgrids a key to grid resiliency?

New research shows that resilient, hyper-local microgrids provide economic value, if designed with the right mix of power sources. In a series of studies and a presentation, the team predicted the role that both large and small microgrids can play in the drive toward renewable and resilient power.

December 3, 2021 Read more

New computational approach predicts chemical reactions at high temperatures

Method combines quantum mechanics with machine learning to accurately predict oxide reactions at high temperatures when no experimental data is available; could be used to design clean carbon-neutral processes for steel production and metal recycling.

December 1, 2021 Read more

Life cycle assessments reveal electric vehicle roll out hazards

A new report shows that electric vehicles must still overcome big environmental challenges, even as they reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

November 30, 2021 Read more

Efficient organic solar cells processed from green solvents

A small guest molecule in the right place makes it possible to produce energy-efficient organic solar cells using eco-friendly solvents. A record efficiency over 17% is demonstrated. In addition, solar cells with larger areas can be produced.

November 29, 2021 Read more

Living walls can reduce heat lost from buildings by over 30%

Retrofitting an existing masonry cavity walled building with a green or living wall can reduce the amount of heat lost through its structure by more than 30%, according to new research.

November 24, 2021 Read more

Before geoengineering, some fundamental chemistry

Scientists examine the chemistry of a proposal to curb climate change and finds that there's more work to do to pull off such a feat.

November 23, 2021 Read more

The reasons behind lithium-ion batteries' rapid cost decline

A new study finds that investments in research and development on materials and chemistry were key, while economies of scale contributed less.

November 22, 2021 Read more

Bacteria may be key to sustainably extracting earth elements for tech

A new study describes a proof of principle for engineering a bacterium, Gluconobacter oxydans, that takes a big first step towards meeting skyrocketing rare earth element demand in a way that matches the cost and efficiency of traditional thermochemical extraction and refinement methods and is clean enough to meet U.S. environmental standards.

November 18, 2021 Read more