Nanostructured, Functional, and Flexible Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems gathers and reviews developments within the field of nanostructured functional materials towards energy conversion and storage. Contributions from leading research groups involved in interdisciplinary research in the fields of chemistry, physics and materials science and engineering are presented. Chapters dealing with the development of nanostructured materials for energy conversion processes, including oxygen reduction, methanol oxidation, oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, formic acid oxidation and solar cells are discussed. The work concludes with a look at the application of nanostructured functional materials in energy storage system, such as supercapacitors and batteries. With its distinguished international team of expert contributors, this book will be an indispensable tool for anyone involved in the field of energy conversion and storage, including materials engineers, scientists and academics.

Emerging Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage presents the state-of-art of emerging materials for energy conversion technologies (solar cells and fuel cells) and energy storage technologies (batteries, supercapacitors and hydrogen storage). The book is organized into five primary sections, each with three chapters authored by worldwide experts in the fields of materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering. It covers the fundamentals, functionalities, challenges and prospects of different classes of emerging materials, such as wide bandgap semiconductors, oxides, carbon-based nanostructures, advanced ceramics, chalcogenide nanostructures, and flexible organic electronics nanomaterials. The book is an important reference for students and researchers (from academics, but also industry) interested in understanding the properties of emerging materials. - Explores the fundamentals, challenges and prospects for the application of emerging materials in the development of energy conversion and storage devices - Presents a discussion of solar cell and photovoltaic, fuel cell, battery electrode, supercapacitor and hydrogen storage applications - Includes notable examples of energy devices based on emerging materials to illustrate recent advances in this field

First authored book to address materials' role in the quest for the next generation of energy materials Energy balance, efficiency, sustainability, and so on, are some of many facets of energy challenges covered in current research. However, there has not been a monograph that directly covers a spectrum of materials issues in the context of energy conversion, harvesting and storage. Addressing one of the most pressing problems of our time, Materials in Energy Conversion, Harvesting, and Storage illuminates the roles and performance requirements of materials in energy and demonstrates why energy materials are as critical and far-reaching as energy itself. Each chapter starts out by explaining the role of a specific energy process in today’s energy landscape, followed by explanation of the fundamental energy conversion, harvesting, and storage processes. Well-researched and coherently written, Materials in Energy Conversion, Harvesting, and Storage covers: The availability, accessibility, and affordability of different energy sources Energy production processes involving material uses and performance requirements in fossil, nuclear, solar, bio, wind, hydrothermal, geothermal, and ocean energy systems Issues of materials science in energy conversion systems Issues of energy harvesting and storage (including hydrogen storage) and materials needs Throughout the book, illustrations and images clarify and simplify core concepts, techniques, and processes. References at the end of each chapter serve as a gateway to the primary literature in the field. All chapters are self-contained units, enabling instructors to easily adapt this book for coursework. This book is suitable for students and professors in science and engineering who look to obtain comprehensive understanding of different energy processes and materials issues. In setting forth the latest advances and new frontiers of research, experienced materials researchers and engineers can utilize it as a comprehensive energy material reference book.

Expanding on the first edition, ‘Energy: Production, Conversion, Storage, Conservation, and Coupling (2nd Ed.)’ provides readers with a practical understanding of the major aspects of energy. It includes extended chapters with revised data and additional practice problems as well as a new chapter examining sustainability and sustainable energy technologies. Like the first edition, it also explores topics such as energy production, conservation of energy, energy storage and energy coupling. Written for students across a range of engineering and science disciplines, it provides a comprehensive study guide. It is particularly suitable for courses in energy technology, sustainable energy technologies and energy conversion & management, and offers an ideal reference text for students, engineers, energy researchers and industry professionals. * Presents a clear introduction to the basic properties, forms and sources of energy * Includes a range of supporting figures, tables and thermodynamic diagrams * Provides course instructors with a solution manual for practice problems

This book focuses on novel electrochemical materials particularly designed for specific energy applications. It presents the relationship between materials properties, state-of-the-art processing, and device performance and sheds light on the research, development, and deployment (RD&D) trend of emerging materials and technologies in this field. Features: Emphasizes electrochemical materials applied in PEM fuel cells and water splitting Summarizes anode, cathode, electrolyte, and additive materials developed for lithium-ion batteries and reviews other batteries, including lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, sodium- and potassium-ion batteries, and multivalent-ion batteries Discusses advanced carbon materials for supercapacitors Highlights catalyst design and development for CO2RR and fundamentals of proton facilitated reduction reactions With a cross-disciplinary approach, this work will be of interest to scientists and engineers across chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, and other disciplines working to advance electrochemical energy conversion and storage capabilities and applications.

Sustainable Materials and Green Processing for Energy Conversion provides a concise reference on green processing and synthesis of materials required for the next generation of devices used in renewable energy conversion and storage. The book covers the processing of bio-organic materials, environmentally-friendly organic and inorganic sources of materials, synthetic green chemistry, bioresorbable and transient properties of functional materials, and the concept of sustainable material design. The book features chapters by worldwide experts and is an important reference for students, researchers, and engineers interested in gaining extensive knowledge concerning green processing of sustainable, green functional materials for next generation energy devices. Additionally, functional materials used in energy devices must also be able to degrade and decompose with minimum energy after being disposed of at their end-of-life. Environmental pollution is one of the global crises that endangers the life cycles of living things. There are multiple root causes of this pollution, including industrialization that demands a huge supply of raw materials for the production of products related to meeting the demands of the Internet-of-Things. As a result, improvement of material and product life cycles by incorporation of green, sustainable principles is essential to address this challenging issue. Offers a resourceful reference for readers interested in green processing of environmentally-friendly and sustainable materials for energy conversion and storage devices Focuses on designing of materials through green-processing concepts Highlights challenges and opportunities in green processing of renewable materials for energy devices

The research and development activities in energy conversion and storage are playing a significant role in our daily lives owing to the rising interest in clean energy technologies to alleviate the fossil-fuel crisis. Polymers are used in energy conversion and storage technology due to their low-cost, softness, ductility and flexibility compared to carbon and inorganic materials. Polymers in Energy Conversion and Storage provides in-depth literature on the applicability of polymers in energy conversion and storage, history and progress, fabrication techniques, and potential applications. Highly accomplished experts review current and potential applications including hydrogen production, solar cells, photovoltaics, water splitting, fuel cells, supercapacitors and batteries. Chapters address the history and progress, fabrication techniques, and many applications within a framework of basic studies, novel research, and energy applications. Additional Features Include: Explores all types of energy applications based on polymers and its composites Provides an introduction and essential concepts tailored for the industrial and research community Details historical developments in the use of polymers in energy applications Discusses the advantages of polymers as electrolytes in batteries and fuel cells This book is an invaluable guide for students, professors, scientists and R&D industrial experts working in the field.

The use of nanomaterials in energy conversion and storage represents an opportunity to improve the performance, density and ease of transportation in renewable resources. This book looks at the most recent research on the topic, with particular focus on artificial photosynthesis and lithium-ion batteries as the most promising technologies to date. Research on the broad subject of energy conversion and storage calls for expertise from a wide range of backgrounds, from the most fundamental perspectives of the key catalytic processes at the molecular level to device scale engineering and optimization. Although the nature of the processes dictates that electrochemistry is a primary characterization tool, due attention is given to advanced techniques such as synchrotron studies in operando. These studies look at the gap between the performance of current technology and what is needed for the future, for example how to improve on the lithium-ion battery and to go beyond its capabilities.Suitable for students and practitioners in the chemical, electrochemical, and environmental sciences, Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Storage provides the information needed to find scalable, economically viable and safe solutions for sustainable energy.

The impending energy crisis brought on by the running out of finite and non-homogenously distributed fossil fuel reserves and the worldwide increase in energy demand has prompted vast research in the development of sustainable energy technologies in the last few decades. However, the efficiency of most of these new technologies is relatively small and therefore it needs to be increased to eventually replace conventional technologies based on fossil fuels. The required efficiency increase primarily relies on the ability to improve the performance of the functional materials which are at the heart of these technologies. The purpose of this book is to give a unified and comprehensive presentation of the fundamentals and the use and design of novel materials for efficient sustainable energy applications, such as conversion, storage, transmission, and consumption. The book presents general coverage of the use and design of advanced materials for sustainable energy applications. Thus, the book addresses all the relevant aspects, such as materials for energy conversion, storage, transmission, and consumption.

Volume 1 of a 4-volume series is a concise, authoritative and an eminently readable and enjoyable experience related to hydrogen production, storage and usage for portable and stationary power. Although the major focus is on hydrogen, discussion of fossil fuels and nuclear power is also presented where appropriate. This monograph is written by recognized experts in the field, and is both timely and appropriate as this decade will see application of hydrogen as an energy carrier, for example in transportation sector. The world's reliance on fossil fuels is due to the ever growing need for energy to sustain life and on-going progress; however exploitation also brings consequences such as emission of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur dioxides into the atmosphere. The collective influence of these photochemical gases is production of acid rain and an alternation of global temperatures, leading to record high temperatures in many parts of the world. The fossil fuel is unsustainable and thus there is a critical need for alternative sustainable energy resources. One universal energy carrier is hydrogen, which is the focus of this volume. This book is suitable for those who work in the energy field as technical experts, including engineers and scientists, as well as managers, policy and decision-makers, environmentalists and consultants. Students and practitioners such as lectures, teachers, legislators and their aids in the field of energy will find this book invaluable and a practical handbook or guide in the field of sustainable energy with emphasis on hydrogen as an energy carrier.