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Applications of Nanomaterials in Clean Energy

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "D3: Nanoenergy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 10353

Special Issue Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Interests: nanoparticles; membrane; water treatment; clean and renewable energies; carbon dioxide capture; wastewater treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guest Editor is inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies titled “Applications of Nanomaterials in Clean Energy”. Clean energy is a critical future energy resource, and is considered as an important energy resource to replace conventional fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The applications of nanomaterials in developing a suite of clean energy production schemes is one of the most important scientific and technical challenges of the 21st century.

This Special Issue will deal with original experimental and theoretical research on all aspects related to novel synthesis methods, fabrications, characterizations, and applications of nanomaterials in clean energy production and applications. The nanomaterials include nanocrystalline materials, nanocomposites, nanocrystals, carbon-based nanomaterials, and metal-based nanomaterials. The topics of interest for publication include but are not limited to:

  • Nanomaterials for solar, hydrogen, wind, water, geothermal energies, and bioenergy applications;
  • Nanostructured carbon-based materials for clean energy;
  • Nanostructured metal-based materials for clean energy;
  • Nanomaterials for energy applications;
  • Modelling and simulation of nanomaterials;
  • Nanomaterials for clean fuel and fuel cell applications;
  • Nanomaterials for energy conversion and storage.

Dr. Nur Awanis Hashim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Nanomaterials
  • Nanoparticles
  • Nanocrystals
  • Carbon nanotubes
  • Carbon-based materials
  • Metal-based nanomaterials Nanocomposites
  • Nanotechnology
  • Clean energy
  • Renewable energy
  • Nanoscience

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Review

36 pages, 2432 KiB  
Review
Progress in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Hydrocarbon Fuels
by Mohamad Fairus Rabuni, Tao Li, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman, Faidzul Hakim Adnan and Kang Li
Energies 2023, 16(17), 6404; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16176404 - 04 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1881
Abstract
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)’ main advantage in fuel flexibility appears to be an interesting subject for further exploration. From the literature survey, direct utilisation of hydrocarbon as fuel for SOFCs has garnered attention with promising results reported. Various approaches, showcasing potential for [...] Read more.
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)’ main advantage in fuel flexibility appears to be an interesting subject for further exploration. From the literature survey, direct utilisation of hydrocarbon as fuel for SOFCs has garnered attention with promising results reported. Various approaches, showcasing potential for using methane (CH4) and heavier hydrocarbons in SOFCs, have been described. The direct use of hydrocarbons can occur through either direct internal reforming or gradual internal reforming, with requisite precautionary measures to mitigate carbon formation. While the internal reforming process could proceed via steam reforming, dry reforming or partial oxidation, an exciting development in the direct use of pure hydrocarbons, seems to progress well. Further exploration aims to refine strategies, enhance efficiency and ensure the long-term stability and performance of hydrocarbon-fuelled SOFC systems. This review delves into the progress in this field, primarily over the past two decades, offering comprehensive insights. Regardless of fuel type, studies have largely concentrated on catalyst compositions, modifications and reaction conditions to achieve better conversion and selectivity. Finding suitable anode materials exhibiting excellent performance and robustness under demanding operating conditions, remains a hurdle. Alternatively, ongoing efforts are directed towards lowering working temperatures, enabling consideration of a wider range of materials with improved electrochemical performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Nanomaterials in Clean Energy)
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29 pages, 5823 KiB  
Review
Nanoarchitectonics of Layered Metal Chalcogenides-Based Ternary Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting
by Arunachalam Arulraj, Praveen Kumar Murugesan, Rajkumar C., Alejandra Tello Zamorano and Ramalinga Viswanathan Mangalaraja
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1669; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16041669 - 07 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1504
Abstract
The research on renewable energy is actively looking into electrocatalysts based on transition metal chalcogenides because nanostructured electrocatalysts support the higher intrinsic activity for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A major technique for facilitating the conversion of [...] Read more.
The research on renewable energy is actively looking into electrocatalysts based on transition metal chalcogenides because nanostructured electrocatalysts support the higher intrinsic activity for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A major technique for facilitating the conversion of renewable and sustainable energy is electrochemical water splitting. The aim of the review is to discuss the revelations made when trying to alter the internal and external nanoarchitectures of chalcogenides-based electrocatalysts to enhance their performance. To begin, a general explanation of the water-splitting reaction is given to clarify the key factors in determining the catalytic performance of nanostructured chalcogenides-based electrocatalysts. To delve into the many ways being employed to improve the HER’s electrocatalytic performance, the general fabrication processes utilized to generate the chalcogenides-based materials are described. Similarly, to enhance the OER performance of chalcogenides-based electrocatalysts, the applied complementary techniques and the strategies involved in designing the bifunctional water-splitting electrocatalysts (HER and OER) are explained. As a conclusive remark, the challenges and future perspectives of chalcogenide-based electrocatalysts in the context of water splitting are summarized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Nanomaterials in Clean Energy)
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35 pages, 2317 KiB  
Review
A Review on Methanol as a Clean Energy Carrier: Roles of Zeolite in Improving Production Efficiency
by Aubaid Ullah, Nur Awanis Hashim, Mohamad Fairus Rabuni and Mohd Usman Mohd Junaidi
Energies 2023, 16(3), 1482; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16031482 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3994
Abstract
Clean methanol can play an important role in achieving net zero emission targets by decarbonizing the energy and chemical sectors. Conventionally, methanol is produced by using fossil fuel as raw material, which releases a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the environment. [...] Read more.
Clean methanol can play an important role in achieving net zero emission targets by decarbonizing the energy and chemical sectors. Conventionally, methanol is produced by using fossil fuel as raw material, which releases a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the environment. Clean methanol, which is produced by hydrogen (H2) from renewable sources (green H2) and captured carbon dioxide (CO2), is totally free from the influence of fossil fuel. Due to its vast applications, clean methanol has potential to substitute for fossil fuels while preventing further GHGs emissions. This review addresses the feasibility of producing clean methanol from renewable resources, i.e., green H2 and captured CO2. Availability of these raw materials is the main factor involved in establishing the circular economy of methanol, therefore, their potential sources and the possible pathways to access these sources are also summarized. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass should be utilized for producing green H2, while CO2 captured from air, and more likely from point emission sources, can be recycled to produce clean methanol. After producing methanol from CO2 and H2, the removal of by-product water by distillation is a big challenge due its high energy consumption. An alternative approach for this methanol-water separation is membrane technology, which is an energy saving option. Water-selective zeolite membranes can separate water post-synthesis, as well as during the synthesis. Production efficiency of methanol can be enhanced by utilizing zeolite membranes inside the methanol synthesis reactor. Furthermore, CO2 conversion as well as methanol selectivity, purity and yield can also be increased significantly by selectively removing by-product water using a zeolite membrane reactor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Nanomaterials in Clean Energy)
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16 pages, 1455 KiB  
Review
Novel Nanomaterials for Hydrogen Production and Storage: Evaluating the Futurity of Graphene/Graphene Composites in Hydrogen Energy
by Ahmed Hussain Jawhari
Energies 2022, 15(23), 9085; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15239085 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2087
Abstract
Using hydrogen energy as an alternative renewable source of fuel is no longer an unrealized dream, it now has real-world application. The influence of nanomaterials on various aspects of hydrogen energy, such as hydrogen production, storage, and safety, is considerable. In this review, [...] Read more.
Using hydrogen energy as an alternative renewable source of fuel is no longer an unrealized dream, it now has real-world application. The influence of nanomaterials on various aspects of hydrogen energy, such as hydrogen production, storage, and safety, is considerable. In this review, we present a brief overview of the nanomaterials that have been used as photocatalysts during hydrogen production. The use of nanomaterials and nanomaterial composites for hydrogen storage is also reviewed. The specific use of graphene and its associated nanocomposites, as well as the milestones reached through its application are elaborated. The need to widen the applicability of graphene and its allied forms for hydrogen energy applications is stressed in the future perspectives. Hydrogen energy is our future hope as an alternative renewable fuel, and graphene has the potential to become the future of hydrogen energy generation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Nanomaterials in Clean Energy)
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