Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy最新文献

This study explores the utilization of fabricated piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride nanofiber (NF-PVDF) materials in wearable electronic sensing applications by investigating their current-voltage ((:I-V)) characteristics under controlled ultra-low-frequency excitation forces. The results demonstrate a significant power harvesting capability, achieving an output power of 0.12 µW/mm² at an operating point of 5.04 V and 7.7 µA. Additionally, the piezoelectric harvester was integrated into a charging-discharge circuit alongside a rectifier capacitor and a typical IoT wearable sensor, leveraging the advantages of a flexible substrate. Experimental measurements of the charging and discharging curves confirm the effective energy management of the system, indicating a robust potential for deployment in real-world sensing applications. These findings highlight the promising application of NF-PVDF in sustainable energy harvesting for next-generation wearable technologies.

Perovskite materials have emerged as a focal point of research due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties and promising applications in photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. A thorough microscopic understanding of these materials is crucial for elucidating their intrinsic properties, defect dynamics, and interface behaviors. This paper offers a comprehensive review of advanced microscopic techniques utilized to investigate perovskite materials and devices, with a focus on their structural, morphological, and performance characteristics. The effects of synthesis conditions and electron beam-induced damage in TEM are specifically examined since they may change the actual nature of perovskite materials by causing structural deterioration, phase changes, and defect development. This paper highlights the advantages and limitations of these techniques, offering insights into optimizing imaging conditions to enhance the study of perovskites. Ultimately, improving synthesis methods, defect engineering, and imaging strategies is key to advancing perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.

The convergence of adsorption and photocatalysis in hybrid composites offers a sustainable and energy-efficient strategy for the removal of persistent organic pollutants from water systems. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of recent advances in adsorption–photocatalysis hybrid materials, focusing on the synergistic mechanisms that enhance pollutant capture, photodegradation, and material regeneration. We classify and evaluate three major categories of composites: carbon-based, metal oxide, and polymeric materials, highlighting their physicochemical characteristics, surface morphologies, and functional architectures. Special attention is given to Z-scheme and type II heterojunctions, plasmonic enhancements, and nanoscale engineering that improve solar light harvesting and charge carrier dynamics. The influence of key environmental parameters such as pH, light intensity, and contaminant load is discussed, along with strategies for material optimization and recyclability. Unlike conventional reviews, this work offers a design-focused and environmentally integrated perspective, emphasizing scalable, low-waste, and sunlight-driven solutions for water purification. The insights provided here aim to guide future research on hybrid systems that contribute to the circular economy and renewable energy-based remediation technologies.

The thermal management of cylindrical battery packs, widely used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems, is a critical aspect of ensuring their safety, performance, and longevity. As energy densities increase, effective cooling solutions become essential to address the challenges posed by excessive heat generation and uneven temperature distribution. This review has highlighted the promising potential of hybrid nanofluids and phase change materials (PCMs) in advancing thermal management systems for battery packs. Hybrid nanofluids, offering enhanced heat transfer properties, and PCMs, capable of storing and dissipating latent heat, represent a promising synergy for improving thermal management systems. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of hybrid nanofluids and PCM in addressing the thermal challenges of cylindrical battery packs. The paper discusses heat generation mechanisms, the drawbacks of existing cooling methods, and the advantages of integrating these advanced materials into thermal management systems. By identifying research gaps and opportunities, this review offers a pathway for optimizing battery performance and highlights future research directions necessary for scalable and sustainable solutions. According to this review, future research should concentrate on creating hybrid cooling systems that effectively combine active, passive, and hybrid cooling techniques. Additional advancements in computer modeling, nanotechnology, and material science will be crucial to achieving the full potential of these innovative materials and overcoming existing limitations.

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) offer a scalable and durable solution for integrating intermittent renewable energy sources into the power grid. To evaluate their performance under realistic operating conditions, we present a high-precision two-dimensional multiphysics model for VRFBs that captures the coupling relationships between electrochemical reactions and thermodynamics. A statistically derived long-term varying power profile is compared with a continuous current load of equivalent average current to evaluate battery performance under significant load variations. The results indicate a reduction in system efficiency, with an approximate 8% decrease under dynamic loading conditions, primarily due to current fluctuations and increased pump power demands. However, the state of health (SOH) remained largely unaffected, stabilizing around 99.3%, which suggests minimal degradation over a full day of intermittent operation. This suggests that VRFBs can effectively handle intermittent operation without significant degradation, making them suitable for renewable energy integration.

Developing high-performance electrocatalysts for the large-scale hydrogen evolution reaction via electrochemical water splitting is essential. In this research, nickel-aluminum-zinc nanoparticles were deposited onto three-dimensional nickel foam (NiAlZn/NF) using a hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of the synthesized electrocatalyst were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline nature was studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Also, the activity of the hydrogen evolution reaction was investigated using linear scanning voltammetry (LSV) in a 1 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte. The coated samples were compared with the bare nickel foam substrate. The results showed the potentials required to create a current density of 10 and 100 mA/cm² for the 3Ni-4Al-1Zn specimen deposited on nickel foam are 196 and 479 mV, and for the 4Ni-3Al-1Zn are 233 and 484 mV, and for the 3Ni-3Al-1Zn, are 218 and 587 mV, and for the raw nickel foam, are 251 and 624 mV, respectively. Also, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the value of R_ct for 3Ni4Al1Zn, 4Ni3Al1Zn, 3Ni3Al1Zn, and nickel foam is 6.4, 10.2, 18, and 22.1 Ω, respectively. Besides, 3Ni4Al1Zn/NF also shows long-term stability lasting six hours. The R_ct value for the 3Ni4Al1Zn sample is lower than the rest, which indicates a better charge transfer during the electrochemical process. The results showed that the coated specimens performed better catalytic behavior in hydrogen generation than the bare nickel foam sample.

The use of plasmonic nanomaterials as performance enhancers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has recently gained significant attention, with photonic excitation of metal nanoparticles resulting in improved light entrapment and near-field excitation. However, there are limited studies on using pulsed laser-synthesized colloidal silver nanoparticles as modified photoanodes within the DSSC architecture. In this study, colloids of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with varying concentrations are produced using the advanced nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in liquid technique and subsequently implanted into the TiO₂ photoanode of the N719 DSSC, forming an Ag@TiO₂ nanostructure. The optical properties, investigated through UV-visible spectroscopy, reveal a concentration-dependent absorbance of colloidal Ag NPs based on the duration of laser exposure. Using a second harmonic wavelength of 532 nm leads to the formation of spherical and quasi-spherical nanoparticles with a size range of 20–180 nm. The photovoltaic performance of a solution-processed DSSC with the Ag@TiO₂ modified photoanode at varying concentrations of Ag NPs is studied, with an optimal concentration of 13 µg/ml and doping (wt%) of 2.0%, resulting in almost a two-fold increase in photocurrent density (J_sc) of 13.56 mA/cm², and maximum power output (P_max) of 1.125 mW, with the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.50% when compared with standard DSSC. The DSSC characterizations, including transient photocurrent response, showed higher current density for Ag-doped photoanodes compared with bare TiO_2, and the electrochemical impedance of the modified DSSC showed the lowest transfer resistance (R_c-t) of 3.6 Ω. Finally, the developed plasmonic DSSC highlights the effect of enhanced light absorption through localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and enhanced charge transfer within the absorber layer, resulting in improved solar cell performance.

For commercial purposes in the solar cell field which toxicity and stability of lead-based perovskite solar cells (PSC) are important challenges, the presence of lead-free alternatives like Cs₂TiBr₆, Cs₂AgBiBr₆ and Cs₂PtI₆ double perovskites seems important. The aim of this study is to numerical evaluation of three double perovskite layers as potential photovoltaic (PV) materials in solar cells with fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/TiO₂/perovskite/Cu₂O/Au structures by using SCAPS-1D software. Different composite layers were optimized and analyzed to enable enhanced performance. Numerical results showed maximum power-conversion efficiency of 18.86%, 18.54%, and 26.50% for the suggested PSCs with Cs₂TiBr₆, Cs₂AgBiBr_6, and Cs₂PtI₆ absorbers. The achieved outcomes confirmed that Cs₂PtI₆ can contribute significantly to the development of highly efficient lead-free double-perovskite solar cell technology.

The presence of critical raw materials, primarily cobalt, in scrap and spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) constitutes an important research spot for the recycling of LIBs and cobalt recovery. Instead of solely relying on the complicated and suboptimal application of the recovered cobalt in the fabrication of the LIB cathode materials, alternative technologies can also be explored such as alkaline water electrolysis where hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the key bottlenecks. Therefore, herein a flexible and highly efficient use of Co-based materials derived from different life stages of LIBs (from production scrap, waste cathode from spent LIBs, scraps from resynthesized cathodes) have been exploited for HER in alkaline media. Particularly, production scraps from commercial lithium cobalt oxide (c-LCO), commercial scraps LCO subjected to thermal treatment (p-LCO) at three diverse temperatures (400 °C, 550 °C and 700 °C), LCO recovered from waste batteries (w-LCO), and resynthesized LCO (r-LCO) subjected to the optimum temperature identified in the p-LCO step. The structures, morphologies, and surface chemistries of obtained materials were thoroughly analyzed and compared. Furthermore, the electrocatalyst inks were optimized by mixing with two different types of carbon substrates i.e. Ketjenblack and Vulcan XC72R in varying ratios. The half-cell measurements based on a rotating disk electrode (RDE) demonstrated encouraging HER activity with overpotentials in the range of 262–347 mV at the typical current density of 10 mA cm^− 2. This work underlines novel possibilities in the valorization of waste materials, transforming waste into value-added products by combining the ambitions of the circular economy and green energy while following simpler pathways.

Silicon and silicon-based compounds are extensively used in various applications, including electronics, solar panels, construction materials, automotive technology and medical devices. What is little reported is that these materials are largely utilized in fuel cells, playing various roles. The utilization of Si-based and Si-containing compounds, such as oxide (SiO₂) and non-oxide (TiSiN) ceramics, SiOC black glasses and borosilicate glasses and glass ceramics, in composite matrices and coatings for bipolar plates/interconnects, and in sealant materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and solid oxide fuel cells fuel cells is presented and discussed.