Nature Energy, Published online: 02 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02108-4

Manipulating surface strain in epitaxial transition metal films can enhance electrocatalytic activity, yet maintaining long-term performance is challenging due to irreversible strain relaxation. Here the authors identify a thickness-dependent critical strain in epitaxial Pt/Ir films that optimizes stability and activity for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Nature Energy, Published online: 29 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02087-6

While electrochemical degradation in lithium-ion batteries is well studied, the role of stack pressure in long-term cycling remains unclear. Here the researchers use a high-precision pressure-controlled dilatometry tool to optimize stack pressure and understand how it prolongs battery lifetime.

Nature Energy, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02069-8

Over 800 GB of high-resolution operational solar tower power plant data have been compiled to form an open-access interface that complies with FAIR data principles. This database, known as PAINT, democratizes access to structured operational data, with the goal of facilitating the development of data-driven solutions in solar tower research.

Nature Energy, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02094-7

Alkaline water electrolysers are being optimized for higher performance, but measures such as advanced electrodes or thinner separators can increase hydrogen crossover and safety risks. Here the authors analyse crossover behaviour and show that a gas recombination catalyst cuts crossover by 95% without affecting electrolyser performance.

Nature Energy, Published online: 25 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02085-8

Overcoming the trade-off between colouration and high solar reflectance is a challenge for radiative cooling materials. Now, an ethyl cellulose coating fabricated in one step achieves vibrant structural colours with negligible solar absorption and high long-wave infrared emission. This coating enables sub-ambient daytime cooling of up to 9 °C under sunlight.

Nature Energy, Published online: 25 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02088-5

Perovskite solar cells are a leading candidate for next-generation commercial photovoltaics, but their sensitivity to heat and moisture limits their practical use. Now, a cascade hole-transfer strategy is developed to suppress charge recombination in hybrid perovskite/organic solar cells while offering intrinsic moisture stability.

Nature Energy, Published online: 25 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02095-6

Decarbonizing medium- and heavy-duty vehicles is challenging, and the relative benefits of batteries versus fuel cells remain uncertain across applications. This modelling work shows that both reduce emissions versus diesel, but battery electric vehicles powered by renewable electricity deliver the lowest life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions in most cases.

Nature Energy, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02098-3

Quantifying X-ray damage

Nature Energy, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02091-w

Aqueous Zn batteries are attractive for low-cost and safe energy storage, yet their practical use is hindered by limited reversibility. Here the authors report a ligand-confined, flowable Zn slurry that enables durable and efficient operation.

Nature Energy, Published online: 23 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02053-2

Despite early promise, vanadium flow batteries struggled to move beyond pilot projects due to bottlenecks that emerged at scale. Overcoming these barriers to enable reliable, cost-effective long-duration energy storage at multi-hundred-megawatt scale is discussed by Xianfeng Li and colleagues.

Nature Energy, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02070-1

The limited availability of operational data slows the development of concentrating solar power. To address this issue, Phipps et al. developed PAINT, a FAIR, open-access database that compiles multi-year data from a plant in Jülich, Germany.

Nature Energy, Published online: 12 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02073-y

Lyu et al. show that industrial overcapacity, long viewed as a burden, can be repurposed. Using China’s aluminium sector as an example, they demonstrate that excess capacity and material storage can provide seasonal flexibility to lower energy costs.

Nature Energy, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02089-4

Electrocatalytic surfaces are dynamic, but few methods correlate nanometre-scale current with structure across large areas. Interferometric electro-optical microscopy now images electrochemical currents at 50 nm and 10 ms resolution, revealing that hydrogen evolution on MoS2 initiates and propagates along specific crystallographic directions.

Nature Energy, Published online: 09 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02097-4

Author Correction: Stable tin–lead perovskite inks for efficient all-perovskite tandems

Nature Energy, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02052-3

Achieving long-term stability in low-temperature anion exchange membrane zero-gap CO2 electrolysers is hindered by salt precipitation and flooding, which limit CO2 transport. In this Perspective, the authors explore the interplay between ion and water transport processes, emphasizing the need for strategies to simultaneously manage both to extend cell runtimes.

Nature Energy, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02080-z

The IMO Net-Zero Framework promotes adoption of low climate impact marine fuel through combination of pricing mechanism and fuel standard; however, fuel choice depends on competition for clean energy across sectors. Policies must consider life cycle perspective to avoid shifting impacts to the fuel supply chain and address wider environmental impacts, including land use and mineral resource depletion.

Nature Energy, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02079-6

Shipping is a hard-to-decarbonize sector that is competing for energy and requires effective policies to cut emissions. This study shows that combining fuel standards and levies speeds up the adoption of low-carbon fuels such as ammonia but may increase other environmental impacts.

Nature Energy, Published online: 27 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02084-9

Energy use in AI responses

Nature Energy, Published online: 27 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02082-x

Controlling phase separation

Nature Energy, Published online: 27 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02083-w

Flowing hot and cold