Molecular Lock Design Pushes Perovskite Solar Cell Efficiency Past 26 Percent
Researchers at SUSTech and PolyU introduced a rigid‑backbone molecule that locks the interface of inverted perovskite solar cells, pushing power conversion efficiency to a record 26.54 % and retaining 90 % of output after 1,000 hours of stress testing. The same report highlighted a new AI‑driven “computational time machine” that forecasts on‑shore wind will provide roughly 25 % and solar about 20 % of global electricity by 2050, but notes the COP28 pledge to triple renewables by 2030 sits at the 95th percentile of likely outcomes. Both advances underscore the technical and policy challenges of scaling next‑generation clean energy.
Crystal Seed Method Boosts Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells
A research team at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology has introduced a crystal‑solvate (CSV) pre‑seeding technique that precisely engineers the buried bottom interface of inverted perovskite solar cells. The method deposits rod‑like PDPbI₄‑DMSO nanocrystals on SAM‑modified substrates,...
Carbon Nanotube Textile Heaters Push Industrial Gas Systems Toward Electrification
Rice University researchers have created electric heating elements from carbon‑nanotube fibers (CNTFs) that outperform traditional metal‑alloy heaters in gas‑flow applications. By exploiting CNTFs' high specific power loading, lightweight strength and superior thermal conductivity, the team built filament, array and textile‑style...
HKUST Team Advances Vacuum Grown Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have shown a fully solvent‑free, all‑vacuum deposition method for perovskite solar cells that delivers a certified 18.35% efficiency on a 0.25 cm² device and 19.3% in the lab. The technique uses lead‑chloride...
Light Responsive Molecules Boost Durable Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers at the University of Stuttgart and partners introduced light‑responsive, photoswitchable molecules into the grain boundaries of triple‑cation perovskite solar cells. The additive acts as a dynamic buffer, relieving mechanical stress and protecting the crystal lattice under fluctuating light, heat...
Molecular Vibrations Hurl Electrons at Extreme Speeds
Researchers at the University of Cambridge demonstrated that electrons can traverse a polymer‑non‑fullerene interface in just 18 femtoseconds, matching the period of a single molecular vibration. By deliberately engineering a weakly coupled junction, they showed that specific high‑frequency vibrational modes...
United Semiconductors Secures Starlab Payload Capacity for In-Space Semiconductor Crystal Production
United Semiconductors has signed a payload reservation with Starlab Space to shift its microgravity semiconductor crystal growth from the ISS to the commercial Starlab station in low‑Earth orbit. The agreement gives United access to internal and external platforms, including pure‑vacuum...
Defect Networks Boost Performance of Next Generation Perovskite Solar Cells
A study by the Institute of Science and Technology Austria reveals that networks of flexoelectric domain walls generate internal electric fields that separate and transport charge carriers in solution‑processed lead halide perovskites. Using a novel silver‑ion electrochemical staining technique, researchers...
Carbon Fibers Bend and Straighten Under Electric Control
Researchers at the Polish Academy of Sciences have shown that bare carbon fibers can be bent and straightened reversibly using electricity, without any coatings or structural modifications. The fibers act as bipolar electrodes in a closed electrochemical cell, where asymmetric...
Quantum Team Reads Information From Robust Majorana Qubits Using Quantum Capacitance
Researchers demonstrated a quantum‑capacitance technique that reads the parity of Majorana‑based qubits in a minimal Kitaev chain, achieving single‑shot, real‑time detection. The modular device—two semiconductor quantum dots linked by a superconducting segment—revealed parity coherence times exceeding one millisecond. This global...
Carbon Fibers Bend and Straighten Under Electric Control
Researchers at the Polish Academy of Sciences have demonstrated that bare carbon fibers can be reversibly bent and straightened using electric fields in a closed bipolar electrochemical cell. The actuation relies on asymmetric ion insertion and redox reactions at the...
Dutch Tech Giant ASML Posts Bumper Profits, Eyes Bright AI Future
ASML reported a 2025 after‑tax profit of €9.6 billion, up €2 billion from the prior year, and record net sales of €32.7 billion. CEO Christophe Fouquet highlighted robust AI‑related demand as the primary growth driver and forecast 2026 sales between €34 billion and €39 billion....
US Contract Vehicle to Speed US Made Defense Semiconductors Into Military Systems
Northrop Grumman has secured a $25 billion, ten‑year award under the Defense Microelectronics Activity’s Advanced Technology Support Program V (ATSP‑5). The indefinite‑delivery, indefinite‑quantity contract lets the company respond to proposals within 30 days and move from award to delivery in roughly 80‑90 days, dramatically shortening...
Acid Treated Carbon Nanotubes Raise Efficiency and Durability of Flexible Perovskite Solar Modules
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhengzhou University have demonstrated flexible perovskite solar modules exceeding 20% efficiency using sulfuric‑acid‑treated single‑walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) window electrodes. The acid treatment raises the conductivity of the SWCNT network and creates a...
Polymer Nanoparticles Drive Platinum Free Solar Hydrogen
A research team at Chalmers University has demonstrated that conjugated polymer nanoparticles can photocatalytically split water into hydrogen using sunlight, eliminating the need for costly platinum. By engineering hydrophilic, loosely packed polymer chains, the particles achieve a production rate of...