Carbon Nanotubes for Sustainable Energy Applications

Abstract

The grand challenge of a sustainable production and use of energy has focused research on the nanostructure of materials. This aspect is considered of critical importance for improving the performance of advanced materials and electrodes to meet demanding expectations. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the first and most-successful example of nanomaterials, and play a central role in the development of advanced solutions for sustainable energy applications. However, notwithstanding the rising scientific and technological interest in CNTs, their use is still largely based on phenomenological observations that miss the complexities of the nanostructure and characteristics of these materials. This Concept paper addresses the need for a rational design of CNTs for energy applications, based on an understanding of the key aspects to be considered for their optimization in different applications such as lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells, and fuel cells.

Carbon Dioxide Recycling: Emerging Large‐Scale Technologies with Industrial Potential

“…There is a push in investigating nuclear energy as decarbonated energy supply for CO 2 conversion by the French government-funded research organization on atomic and alternatives energies (CEA). [90] In some special situations, renewable energies are already cost-competitive [91] and the hydrogenation of CO 2 to syngas or syngas-related products is also becoming competitive with existing routes to syngas (steam reforming or steam cracking) if H 2 could be produced at costs below about 2-4 US$ gge (gallon gasoline equivalent), [92] such as in Iceland with electrical energy produced from geothermal sources. Figure 4 reports the projected data for H 2 production costs reported from the US Fuel Cell Technologies Program.…”

Electrolyte-less design of PEC cells for solar fuels: Prospects and open issues in the development of cells and related catalytic electrodes

“…Therefore, there is an increasing R&D interest on devices for energy conversion and storage, from batteries to photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) devices, and on the nanostructured materials and catalysts needed to improve the performances in these devices [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Solar fuel is becoming a popular term to indicate the conversion of solar (or more generally renewable) energy into chemical energy form [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”

A Computational Study of a Single‐Walled Carbon‐Nanotube‐Based Ultrafast High‐Capacity Aluminum Battery

“…[30,33,34] It thus becomes important to look for other electrode materials that can overcomet he interlayer gallery openingd ifficultyi nt he first intercalation step in graphite-like layered materials [28,35] and increase the battery performance. [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] In addition, the tubulars tructure of CNTsa cts as ah ost for various molecules and atoms that can be encapsulated inside CNTs, andt hese hollow interior cavities provide ag reat deal of space for mitigating the strain associated with the structural change that is due to repeated guest intercalation/deintercalation, thereby increasing the cycle life of batteries. [36] The superior electronic and structural properties of carbon nanotubes have significantly spurredt he world's interest in the building blocks in future nanodevices.…”