Nanomaterials for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation

Mu. Naushad, R. Saravanan, Raju Kumar

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9780128193556
• eBook ISBN:
  9780128193563
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Materials Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Nanostructured materials, especially, 1D, 2D and 3D nanostructures, and their engineered architectures are being increasingly used due to their potential to achieve sustainable development in energy and environmental sectors, providing a solution to a range of global challenges. A huge amount of research has been devoted in the recent past on the fine-tuning of nano-architecutres to accomplish innovations in energy storage and conversions, i.e., batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, solar cells, and electrochromic devices, bifunctional catalysts for ORR and OER, gas to fuels, liquid to fuels, and photocatalysts, corrosion, electrochemical sensors, and pollution and contaminants removal. Nanomaterials for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation describes the fundamental aspects of a diverse range of nanomaterials for the sustainable development in energy and environmental remediation in a comprehensive manner. Experimental studies of varies nanomaterials will be discussed along with their design and applications, with specific attention to various chemical reactions involving and their challenges for catalysis, energy storage and conversion systems, and removal of pollutants are addressed. This book will also emphasise the challenges with past developments and direction for further research, details pertaining to the current ground - breaking technology and future perspective with multidisciplinary approach on energy, nanobiotechnology and environmental science - Summarizes the latest advances in how nanotechnology is being used in energy and environmental science - Outlines the major challenges to using nanomaterials for creating new products and devices in the sustainable energy and environmental sectors - Helps materials scientists and engineers make selection and design decisions regarding which nanomaterial to use when creating new produts and evices for energy and environmental applications

1

Functional nanomaterial in energy and environmental science

D. Durgalakshmi ¹ , S. Balakumar ² , Saravanan Rajendran ³ , and Mu. Naushad ^{4 1} Department of Medical Physics, Anna University, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India ² National Centre for Nanosceicne and Nanotechnology, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India ³ Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tarapaca, Arica, Chile ⁴ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Nanostructured materials have been in use in various applications in day-to-day life from industries to commercial products and show steady growth for the past 20 years owing to their distinctive physiochemical properties. Even though the nanoparticle can produce both by top-down and bottom-up methods, each has been chosen based on the property defined end applications. The top-down techniques can able to cut down the material size in the range of few hundred nanometers. However, to control the structure of the nanomaterials, “bottom-up” approaches have been widely used, and they give plenty of opportunities to incorporate other functional building blocks and expand the possibility to introduce properties completely different from the base nanoparticles. Organic–inorganic combined structuring as composites or functionalization is able to merge the properties from the host elements and produce unique properties to meet out the existing demands in functional nanomaterials. The functionalization of nanomaterials with organic molecule helps to tune certain properties such as structural, electronic, optical, and magnetic. Generally, a semiconductor with organic molecules has π-bonds, which have excitons that can act as charge carriers and under functionalization with nanoparticle the electrons can move via π-electron cloud overlaps, especially by jumping, tunneling, and related mechanisms, and give the new property to the nanomaterials. In the functionalized nanomaterials, carbon family gives high open way to get the surface functionalized and adapt to the new properties and highly tunable for a lot of applications. This review gives some of the insights on the advantages of utilizing organic molecules functionalized nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications.

Keywords

Biosensors; Energy; Environment; Functionalization; Nanomaterials; Quantum dots

1.1. Introduction

Breaking down the materials at the nanoregime is one of the fascinating area of research in science and technology for potential applications with improved properties than that of bulk materials [1,2]. It influences the drastic notable change in physical, chemical, electrical, mechanical, and magnetic properties of nanomaterials [3–6]. Some of the nanomaterial-based products are commercially available in the market, for example, usage of TiO₂ for antibacterial or self-cleaning paints and ZnO in the face creams as UV-protective products. Nanostructured materials have a huge surface to volume ratios and hence possess favorable charge carriers transport, have enhanced physical and structural confinement effects ensuing from the nanoscale dimensions [7], and have been broadly deliberate toward potential application in the field energy, such as supercapacitors, hydrogen fuels, batteries, solar cells, and photocatalysis [8]. Owing to these tremendous and versatile applications, the nanotechnology zone has reached a multibillion market worldwide. With reference to the global market on nanotechnology, it is predictable to produce at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) with an approximate 17% during the forecasted period of 2018–24[www.researchandmarkets.com].

The welcoming applications and usage of nanomaterial-based products for commercial applications create an urge for manufacturing nanoscale particles at a large quantity. Metal oxide nanomaterials (e.g., ZnO, Fe₃O₄, TiO₂, and Al₂O₃), different polymeric nanomaterials, and polymeric nanocomposite are produced in tones of quantity and being applied in various commercial sectors in the past decade [9]. Compared to metal oxide, the manufacturing and applications of carbon-based materials are used in a wide spectrum. To meet this need, considerable industrial sectors are manufacturing carbon-based nanostructures. Frontier Carbon Corporation opened by Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan for the large-scale production of fullerenes worldwide, which uses a combustion process technique, yields 40 tons/year by 2005 [10]. Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc. utilizes a technique called high-pressure carbon monoxide, which has been used for the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in larger quantity [11].The Global Nanotechnology Market Outlook gives a periodical survey on the current trend, manufacturer details, applications, and future views of nanomaterials [12]. Further, the application of nanomaterial section covers the fields such as energy, environment, healthcare, cosmetics, food packaging, and agricultural divisions. It also confirms that, in future, the constituent segment covers up the separation of the nanotechnology market into nanotools, nanomaterials, and nanodevices [13]. Some of the commercially available nanomaterial products in the market are TiO₂ nanoparticles in sunscreens and paints [14], and carbon-based nanostructures in water purification [15] systems will favor the production of nanomaterials in large quantities.

In the field of applied research, the development of efficient nanoparticles continues to conspire the researchers and scientists, in the field of applied research for the development of a healthy and sustainable world. The recent works of nanomaterials in the field of healthcare, environment, and energy include hybrid nanoassemblies for bone and tissue regeneration, biomolecular sensors, water purification, and solar cells. The properties of the functional materials depend on the basic property of the nanomaterials, the choice of the functional groups, the synthesis of functional nanomaterials, and designing of the nanomaterials to appropriate device applications.

1.2. The applied functional material energy application

A material with nanoregime helps to provide a larger surface area with excellent electron transport capability, unusual physiochemical properties, and mechanical strength. With these special features, nanomaterials have been comprehensively considered for energy and environmental applications such as supercapacitors, fuel cells, solid state batteries, photocatalysis and light-emitting diodes. The dimension of the nanomaterials will alter the properties of the nanomaterials [16,17]. Briefly, once the characteristic size or dimensions of the semiconductor is reduced below a definite size, the bandgap of the semiconductor will increase due to quantum confinement effect. Optical properties such as absorption, emission, and excitation can be tuned by altering the dimension of semiconducting nanomaterials for a preferred application. For example, the size of gold nanoparticles reduces to few nanometers indicating that the color of the solution changes from yello...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Authors Biographies
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• 1. Functional nanomaterial in energy and environmental science
• 2. Engineering nanoarchitectures for high performance solar cells
• 3. 2D structures for CO2 utilization
• 4. Bifunctional nanocatalysts for water splitting and its challenges
• 5. Nanostructured advanced materials for hydrogen storage
• 6. Advanced nanocatalysts for fuel-cell technologies
• 7. Nanoscale materials with different dimensions for advanced electrocatalysts
• 8. Nanomaterials for detection and removal of gases
• 9. Nanoscale materials for the treatment of water contaminated by bacteria and viruses
• 10. Nano-based technologies for environmental soil remediation
• 11. Summary and future perspectives of nanomaterials and technologies: Special emphasis on energy and environment
• Index