Emerging Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage

Kuan Yew Cheong, Giuliana Impellizzeri, Mariana Amorim Fraga

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780128137949
• eBook ISBN: 9780128137956
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Materials Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

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

Part I

Emerging Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Thermoelectrics

Outline

1. Chapter 1. High-Performance Thermoelectric Materials for Solar Energy Application
2. Chapter 2. Metal Oxide Nanoparticles as Electron Transport Layer for Highly Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Chapter 1

High-Performance Thermoelectric Materials for Solar Energy Application

Lei Yang^1,3, Zhi-Gang Chen^2,3, and Jin Zou^{3 1}Sichuan University, Chengdu, China ²University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, Australia ³The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Abstract

Thermoelectric (TE) materials have the capability of converting heat into electricity, which can improve fuel efficiency as well as provide a robust alternative energy supply in multiple applications by collecting wasted heat, and therefore assist in finding new energy solutions. To construct high-performance TE devices, superior TE materials have to be targeted via various strategies. The development of high-performance TE devices can broaden the market for TE applications and eventually boost the enthusiasm for TE materials research. In this review, we focus on major novel strategies to achieve high-performance TE materials and their solar energy applications. Manipulating the carrier concentration and band structures of materials has been effective in optimizing the electrical transport properties, whereas nanostructure engineering and defect engineering can greatly reduce thermal conductivity approaching the amorphous limit. TE devices have been used to generate power in remote missions, solar-thermal systems, implantable or/wearable devices, the automotive industry, and many other fields; they also serve as temperature sensors and controllers, and even gas sensors. The trend of the future will be to optimize and integrate all effective factors synergistically to improve TE performance further, so that highly efficient TE materials and devices can be more beneficial in our daily lives.

Keywords

Applications; High performance; Solar energy conversion; Thermoelectric materials

Chapter Outline

1. 1.1 Introduction
2. 1.2 Strategies to Achieve a High Figure-of-Merit
   1. 1.2.1 Optimizing Carrier Concentration
   2. 1.2.2 Manipulating the Band Structure
      1. 1.2.2.1 Tuning the Band Gap
      2. 1.2.2.2 Tuning Effective Mass and Achieving Resonant States
      3. 1.2.2.3 Band Convergence
   3. 1.2.3 Nanostructure Engineering
   4. 1.2.4 Defect Engineering
3. 1.3 Thermoelectric Devices and Solar Energy Applications
   1. 1.3.1 Solar Thermoelectric Generation Directly From Solar Light
   2. 1.3.2 Solar Thermoelectric Generator Integrated With Photovoltaic Devices
   3. 1.3.3 Solar-Driven Thermoelectric Refrigeration
4. 1.4 Summary and Perspective
5. Acknowledgments
6. References

1.1. Introduction

Increasing attention has been paid to the search for alternative energies to overcome the energy crisis and environmental deterioration [1–4]. Solar cells [5,6], wind-driven generators [7,8], and nuclear power plants [9,10] have been developed and have shown reliable quality and a sustainable future for power generation over the past several decades. Fig. 1.1 shows that almost 90% of the total power supply still depends on fossil fuels, and the energy demand has been significantly rising [11]. Furthermore, about 70% of the energy consumption of fossil fuels [12] has been wasted in the form of heat by engines or factory systems, and was emitted with exhausted gas (500–800K) or used by cooling systems. Such wasted energy is tremendous considering the total consumption of energy in 2015 [11]. Therefore, there is an urgent need to seek for alternative energy sources or to apply sustainable solutions to increase the energy efficiency of fossil fuels. Fortunately, thermoelectric (TE) materials [13] harvesting electricity from waste heat offer us an appealing option. Fig. 1.2 shows a typical TE module, in which both n- and p-type TE materials are needed and can be assembled with electrodes, bonding materials, and insulators to form TE generators (TEGs) [14]. Advantages of using TEGs are that they can collect waste heat covering a wide temperature range with no noise, vibration, or gas emissions, and TEGs do not need refueling or maintenance over a long period [1,15–17]. As a consequence, TEGs can improve the energy efficiency of fossil fuels and provide power supply simultaneously. A limits of practical application of TEGs is their relatively low efficiency [3,4], which strongly depends on the TE performance of materials. Moreover, in many applications, specific power (power produced per unit of mass; W kg⁻¹) [18] and power density [19] (power produced per unit of area; W cm⁻²) are introduced to evaluate the power output ability of TEGs to achieve a high energy output with a smaller size and weight. With the development of highly efficient TEs, TEGs are expected to provide robust energy support in many fields and have important roles in reducing the consumption of fossil fuels.

Figure 1.1 Existing and estimated global energy consumption, by source, from 1990...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Preface
• Part I. Emerging Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Thermoelectrics
• Part II. Emerging Materials for Electrochemical Applications
• Part III. Emerging Materials for Supercapacitors
• Part IV. Emerging Materials for Multifunctional Applications in Energy Conversion and Storage
• Part V. Emerging Materials for Hydrogen Storage
• Index