Researchers from Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) developed a new perovskite-based catalyst that could enhance the charge-discharge performance of Metal-Air Batteries (MABs). MABs are very interesting as they are lightweight, affordable and has a large storage capacity, but current metal-based catalysts are too expensive for wide commercial adoption.

The new catalyst is made from a very thin layer of metal oxide film that is deposited on a surface of perovskite catalysts. This new so-called "composite catalyst" combines the two types of catalysts each with its own excellent performance for charging (metal) and discharging (the perovskite catalyst).

Researchers from the University of Aberdeen have reported that a new family of chemical compounds known as ‘hexagonal perovskites’ could be extremely beneficial for ceramic fuel cell technology and reducing global carbon emissions.

Ceramic fuel cells are highly efficient devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy and produce very low emissions if powered by hydrogen, providing a clean alternative to fossil fuels. Another advantage of ceramic fuel cells is that they can also use hydrocarbon fuels such as methane, meaning they can act as a ‘bridging’ technology which is an important asset in terms of the move away from hydrocarbons towards cleaner energy sources.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and other collaborators have reported a solution-processed broadband photodetector based on organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite and organic bulk heterojunction, achieving broadband response spectra up to 1000 nm with a high EQE in the NIR region, an ultrafast response speed of 5.6 ns and a wide linear dynamic range of 191 dB.

The team stated that thanks to the high-dynamic-range imaging capacity, high-quality visible-NIR actual imaging is obtained, enabling the accelerated translation of solution-processed photodetector applications from the laboratory to the imaging market.