Materials for Sustainable Energy: A Collection of Peer-reviewed Research Papers and Review Articles from Nature Publishing Group

CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 12
RESEARCH INITIATIVES TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE HANDLING OF ENERGY......Page 14
Photovoltaic cells......Page 15
Thermoelectric converters......Page 18
Batteries......Page 19
Supercapacitors......Page 20
Fuel cells......Page 22
Hydrogen storage......Page 23
Superconductors......Page 24
Outlook......Page 25
References......Page 26
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS......Page 29
Plasmonics for photovoltaics......Page 31
Plasmonic light trapping in thin-film solar cells......Page 32
Other new plasmonic solar-cell designs......Page 36
References......Page 37
Additional information......Page 39
Excitons in nanoscale systems......Page 40
Box 1: An introduction to excitons in nanoscale systems......Page 41
PHOTOSYNTHETIC LIGHT-HARVESTING COMPLEXES......Page 42
CONJUGATED POLYMERS......Page 43
SEMICONDUCTOR QUANTUM DOTS......Page 44
SIZE-TUNABLE SPECTROSCOPY AND EXCITONS......Page 45
EXCITON BINDING ENERGY......Page 47
DISORDER AND COUPLING TO VIBRATIONS......Page 49
DYNAMICS OF EXCITONS......Page 50
OUTLOOK......Page 51
References......Page 52
Acknowledgements......Page 53
Historical background......Page 54
Photosynthetic and regenerative cells......Page 55
Nanocrystalline junctions and interpenetrating networks......Page 56
Tandem cells for water cleavage by visible light......Page 58
Summary......Page 59
Acknowledgements......Page 60
High-performance dye-sensitized solar cells based on solvent-free electrolytes produced from eutectic melts......Page 61
References......Page 64
Author information......Page 65
Ultrathin silicon solar microcells for semitransparent, mechanically flexible and microconcentrator module designs......Page 66
TRANSFER PRINTING MICROCELLS......Page 72
References......Page 73
Author information......Page 74
Efficiency enhancement in low-bandgap polymer solar cells by processing with alkane dithiols......Page 75
Competing financial interests......Page 78
Metallated conjugated polymers as a new avenue towards high-efficiency polymer solar cells......Page 79
SOLAR-CELL FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION......Page 84
Competing financial interests......Page 85
Coaxial silicon nanowires as solar cells and nanoelectronic power sources......Page 86
METHODS SUMMARY......Page 90
A strong regioregularity effect in self-organizing conjugated polymer films and high-efficiency polythiophene:fullerene solar cells......Page 91
Competing financial interests......Page 97
Solution-processed PbS quantum dot infrared photodetectors and photovoltaics......Page 98
References......Page 101
Competing financial interests......Page 102
Nanowire dye-sensitized solar cells......Page 103
SOLAR CELL FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION......Page 106
Competing financial interests......Page 107
High-efficiency solution processable polymer photovoltaic cells by self-organization of polymer blends......Page 108
Competing financial interests......Page 112
A photovoltaic device structure based on internal electron emission......Page 113
Characterization......Page 115
A stable quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell with an amphiphilic ruthenium sensitizer and polymer gel electrolyte......Page 116
ONE-POT SYNTHESIS OF Z-907......Page 119
References......Page 120
Competing financial interests......Page 121
Efficient bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells using small molecular-weight organic thin films......Page 122
Methods......Page 126
THERMOELECTRIC CONVERTERS......Page 127
EFFECTIVE MASS......Page 129
ELECTRONIC THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY......Page 130
ADVANCES IN THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS......Page 131
COMPLEXITY THROUGH DISORDER IN THE UNIT CELL......Page 132
COMPLEX UNIT CELLS......Page 133
SUBSTRUCTURE APPROACH......Page 135
COMPLEX NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS......Page 136
References......Page 137
Acknowledgements......Page 138
Enhanced thermoelectric performance of rough silicon nanowires......Page 139
METHODS SUMMARY......Page 142
Silicon nanowires as efficient thermoelectric materials......Page 144
METHODS SUMMARY......Page 147
potential ideality of super lattices in the Bi2Te3 system......Page 148
variable-thickness ZT measurements......Page 150
n-type superlattices......Page 151
Thermoelectric devices for localized,rapid cooling/heating......Page 152
Acknowledgements......Page 153
BATTERIES AND SUPERCAPACITORS......Page 155
Ionic-liquid materials for the electrochemical challenges of the future......Page 157
Electrodeposition......Page 158
Energy management......Page 159
Bioscience......Page 161
Biomechanics......Page 162
Concluding remarks......Page 163
References......Page 164
Acknowledgements......Page 165
Materials for electrochemical capacitors......Page 166
HIGH SURFACE AREA ACTIVE MATERIALS......Page 167
CAPACITANCE AND PORE SIZE......Page 168
CHARGE-STORAGE MECHANISM IN SUBNANOMETRE PORES......Page 169
MECHANISM OF PSEUDO-CAPACITIVE CHARGE STORAGE......Page 170
HYBRID SYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE HIGH ENERGY DENSITY......Page 171
CURRENT COLLECTORS......Page 172
APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROCHEMICAL CAPACITORS......Page 173
References......Page 174
Acknowledgements......Page 175
LITHIUM BATTERIES......Page 176
ANODES......Page 177
CATHODES......Page 179
ELECTROLYTES......Page 180
SUPERCAPACITORS......Page 181
FUEL CELLS......Page 182
References......Page 185
Competing financial interests......Page 187
Nanoionics: ion transport and electrochemical storage in confined systems......Page 188
SIZE EFFECTS IN SOLID-STATE IONICS......Page 189
MATERIALS STRATEGIES......Page 193
APPLICATIONS......Page 194
References......Page 196
Competing financial interests......Page 198
Historical developments in Li-battery research......Page 199
Materials for positive electrodes......Page 201
Materials for negative electrodes......Page 203
Polymer and liquid electrolytes......Page 204
The electrode–electrolyte interface......Page 205
Conclusion......Page 206
Lithiumdeintercalation in LiFePO4 nanoparticles via a domino-cascademodel......Page 208
METHODS......Page 213
Author information......Page 214
High-performance lithium battery anodes using silicon nanowires......Page 215
References......Page 218
Author contributions......Page 219
The existence of a temperature-driven solid solution in LixFePO4 for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1......Page 220
References......Page 225
Competing financial interests......Page 226
Nano-network electronic conduction in iron and nickel olivine phosphates......Page 227
SYNTHESIS......Page 230
References......Page 231
Competing financial interests......Page 232
Electronically conductive phospho-olivines as lithium storage electrodes......Page 233
Competing financial interests......Page 238
FUEL CELLS......Page 239
Advanced anodes for high-temperature fuel cells......Page 241
FUELS FOR FUEL CELLS......Page 242
NICKEL-CERMET ANODES......Page 243
CATALYTIC PROPERTIES......Page 244
OTHER CERMETS......Page 245
ALTERNATIVE ANODE MATERIALS......Page 246
DIRECT CONVERSION......Page 247
MICROSTRUCTURAL COMPROMISE......Page 248
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESEARCH ON MATERIALS PROPERTIES......Page 249
References......Page 250
Competing financial interests......Page 251
Constraints on material selection......Page 252
Polymeric-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells......Page 253
Electrocatalyst......Page 254
Fuel cells operating at elevated temperatures Solid-oxide fuel cells......Page 255
Intermediate temperature solid-oxide fuel cells......Page 256
IT-SOFC stacks incorporating alternative components......Page 257
Conclusions......Page 258
One-dimensional imidazole aggregate in aluminium porous coordination polymers with high proton conductivity......Page 260
Structural information of 1 and 2......Page 261
Conductivity of 1⊃Im and 2⊃Im......Page 262
Direct observation of dynamics of imidazoles......Page 263
Methods......Page 264
Additional information......Page 265
SAXS SIMULATION USING THE PARALLEL WATER-CHANNEL MODEL......Page 266
SAXS SIMULATIONS FOR OTHER MODELS......Page 268
METHODS......Page 273
Author contributions......Page 274
A class of non-precious metal composite catalysts for fuel cells......Page 275
Disruption of extended defects in solid oxide fuel cell anodes for methane oxidation......Page 279
A high-performance cathode for the next generation of solid-oxide fuel cells......Page 283
Catalytic activity......Page 286
A redox-stable efficient anode for solid-oxide fuel cells......Page 287
References......Page 289
Competing financial interests......Page 290
HYDROGEN GENERATION AND STORAGE......Page 291
Hydrogen-storage materials for mobile applications......Page 293
Hydrogen adsorption on solids of large surface area......Page 294
Hydrogen storage by metal hydrides......Page 296
Alanates and other light hydrides......Page 297
Acknowledgements......Page 298
A metal-free polymeric photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water under visible light......Page 299
References......Page 302
Additional information......Page 303
High-capacity hydrogen storage in lithium and sodium amidoboranes......Page 304
SAMPLE PREPARATION......Page 306
Acknowledgements......Page 307
Computational high-throughput screening of electrocatalyticmaterials for hydrogen evolution......Page 308
METHODS......Page 311
Competing financial interests......Page 312
Tuning clathrate hydrates for hydrogen storage......Page 313
Hydrogen from catalytic reforming of biomass-derived hydrocarbons in liquid water......Page 317
Methods......Page 319
Competing interests statement......Page 320
Direct splitting of water under visible light irradiation with an oxide semiconductor photocatalyst......Page 321
Acknowledgements......Page 323
SUPERCONDUCTORS......Page 325
Materials science challenges for high-temperature superconducting wire......Page 327
AIMING AT A HIGHER CRITICAL CURRENT......Page 328
ENGINEERING DEFECTS FOR IMPROVED FLUX PINNING......Page 329
INCREASING THICKNESS WITHOUT DECREASING JC......Page 331
SUBSTRATE SURFACE DECORATION......Page 332
REPLACEMENT OF YTTRIUM......Page 333
MIXTURES......Page 334
COMPARING THE QUALITY OF DEFECTS......Page 335
CONCLUDING REMARKS......Page 336
References......Page 337
High-Tc superconducting materials for electric power applications......Page 339
Superconducting properties, crystal structure and anisotropy......Page 340
Flux pinning and the critical current density......Page 341
Grain boundaries......Page 343
Current percolation in polycrystals......Page 344
Materials fabrication considerations......Page 346
Summary......Page 347
Acknowledgements......Page 348
Template engineering of Co-doped BaFe2As2 single-crystal thin films......Page 349
References......Page 353
Additional information......Page 354
Strongly enhanced current densities in superconducting coated conductors of YBa2Cu3O7–x + BaZrO3......Page 355
References......Page 358
Competing financial interests......Page 359