Interactive Nanomaterials for Energy Storage and Conversion

The interactive materials can rapidly respond to external signal changes and self-regulate their structures. Liu’s group and her collaborators developed sixty-two nanomaterial formulations using top-down and bottom-up methods. Some examples of energy generation or production of hydrogen are given in this chapter. Electrocatalysts and general procedures in common use through water electrolysis are summarized. Our electrocatalyst utilization for hydrogen production showed an increase of 30-65 % relative to the base metal/metal oxide. The power density and energy outputs of hydrogen fuel cells and microbial fuel cells were increased by one and three times, respectively. In energy storage, the utilization of heterogeneous metal oxides as the cathode and anode catalysts to improve the supercapacitor’s energy density was described. The average energy density of our approach in the symmetrical supercapacitor device was determined to be 138 W h kg-1 at 450 W kg-1. Other examples include the use of ceramics in extreme environments. One example cited was new materials composed of metal boride used in microwave absorption in a wide range of wavelengths. The complex permittivity and permeability of the ternary materials indicated that the microwave absorption characteristics are excellent at absorption efficiency and impedance matching characteristics, with maximum absorption of -47.8 dB at 6.0 GHz and a thickness of 2.4mm, shopping that modification of refractory materials can generate materials with superior performance and with applications as heat shields or communication antenna materials in extreme environments. This review contains some examples of engineered nanomaterials from our group and literature examples that showcase current opportunities and challenges in the sustainable energy environment in terms of design and deployment of electrocatalysts and devices for hydrogen production, generation of energy, or energy storage with a minimal carbon footprint.