Molecular Catalysts For Energy Conversion

Over the past decade the topic of energy and environment has been ackno- edged among many people as a critical issue to be solved in 21st century since the Kyoto Protocol came into e?ect in 1997. Its political recognition was put forward especially at Heiligendamm in 2007, when the e?ect of carbon dioxide emission and its hazard in global climate were discussed and shared univ- sallyascommonknowledge.Controllingtheglobalwarmingintheeconomical framework of massive development worldwide through this new century is a very challenging problem not only among political, economical, or social c- cles but also among technological or scienti?c communities. As long as the humans depend on the combustion of fossil for energy resources, the waste heat exhaustion and CO emission are inevitable. 2 In order to establish a new era of energy saving and environment benign society, which is supported by technologies and with social consensus, it is important to seek for a framework where new clean energy system is inc- porated as infrastructure for industry and human activities. Such a society strongly needs innovative technologies of least CO emission and e?cient en- 2 ergy conversion and utilization from remaining fossil energies on the Earth. Energy recycling system utilizing natural renewable energies and their c- version to hydrogen may be the most desirable option of future clean energy society. Thus the society should strive to change its energy basis, from foss- consuming energy to clean and recycling energy.

Over the past decade the topic of energy and environment has been ackno- edged among many people as a critical issue to be solved in 21st century since the Kyoto Protocol came into e?ect in 1997. Its political recognition was put forward especially at Heiligendamm in 2007, when the e?ect of carbon dioxide emission and its hazard in global climate were discussed and shared univ- sallyascommonknowledge.Controllingtheglobalwarmingintheeconomical framework of massive development worldwide through this new century is a very challenging problem not only among political, economical, or social c- cles but also among technological or scienti?c communities. As long as the humans depend on the combustion of fossil for energy resources, the waste heat exhaustion and CO emission are inevitable. 2 In order to establish a new era of energy saving and environment benign society, which is supported by technologies and with social consensus, it is important to seek for a framework where new clean energy system is inc- porated as infrastructure for industry and human activities. Such a society strongly needs innovative technologies of least CO emission and e?cient en- 2 ergy conversion and utilization from remaining fossil energies on the Earth. Energy recycling system utilizing natural renewable energies and their c- version to hydrogen may be the most desirable option of future clean energy society. Thus the society should strive to change its energy basis, from foss- consuming energy to clean and recycling energy.

This book explains the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy and its storage. It covers the basic background; interface modeling at the reacting surface; energy conversion with chemical, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical approaches and energy conversion using applied photosynthesis. The important concepts for converting solar to chemical energy are based on an understanding of the reactions’ equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. Since the energy conversion is essentially the transfer of free energy, the process are explained in the context of thermodynamics.

Photocatalytic water splitting is a promising strategy for capturing energy from the sun by coupling light harvesting and the oxidation of water, in order to create clean hydrogen fuel. Thus a deep knowledge of the water oxidation catalysis field is essential to be able to come up with useful energy conversion devices based on sunlight and water splitting. Molecular Water Oxidation Catalysis: A Key Topic for New Sustainable Energy Conversion Schemes presents a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of water oxidation catalysis in homogeneous phase, describing in detail the most important catalysts discovered today based on first and second row transition metals. A strong emphasis is placed on the description of their performance, as well as how they work from a mechanistic perspective. In addition, a theoretical description of some of the most relevant catalysts based on DFT are presented, as well as a description of related natural systems, such as the oxygen evolving system of photosystem II and the heme chlorite-dismutase. This book is a valuable resource for researchers working on water oxidation catalysis, solar energy conversion and artificial photosynthesis, as well as for chemists and materials scientists with a broad interest in new sustainable energy conversion schemes.

This book shows the different molecular devices used for solar energy conversion and storage and the important characterization techniques for this kind of device. It has five chapters describing representative molecule-based solar cells, such as organic solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells and hybrid solar cells (perovskite solar cell and quantum dots solar cells). It also includes two chapters demonstrating the use of molecular devices in the areas of solar fuel, water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction. There are further two chapters with interesting examples of solar energy storage related devices, like solar flow battery, solar capacitor and solar energy-thermal energy storage. Three chapters introduce important techniques used to characterize, investigate and evaluate the mechanism of molecular devices. The final chapter discusses the stability of perovskite solar cells. This book is relevant for a wide readership, and is particularly useful for students, researchers and industrial professionals who are working on molecular devices for solar energy utilization.

This book presents both the fundamentals concepts and latestachievements of a field that is growing in importance since itrepresents a possible solution for global energy problems. It focuses on an atomic-level understanding ofheterogeneous catalysis involved in important energy conversionprocesses. It presents a concise picture for the entire areaof heterogeneous catalysis with vision at the atomic- and nano-scales, from synthesis, ex-situ and in-situ characterization,catalytic activity and selectivity, to mechanistic understandingbased on experimental exploration and theoretical simulation. The book: Addresses heterogeneous catalysis, one of the crucialtechnologies employed within the chemical and energyindustries Presents the recent advances in the synthesis andcharacterization of nanocatalysts as well as a mechanisticunderstanding of catalysis at atomic level for important processesof energy conversion Provides a foundation for the potential design ofrevolutionarily new technical catalysts and thus the furtherdevelopment of efficient technologies for the global energyeconomy Includes both theoretical studies and experimentalexploration Is useful as both a textbook for graduate and undergraduatestudents and a reference book for scientists and engineers inchemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering

Highlighting the key aspects and latest advances in the rapidly developing field of molecular catalysis, this book covers new strategies to investigate reaction mechanisms, the enhancement of the catalysts' selectivity and efficiency, as well as the rational design of well-defined molecular catalysts. The interdisciplinary author team with an excellent reputation within the community discusses experimental and theoretical studies, along with examples of improved catalysts, and their application in organic synthesis, biocatalysis, and supported organometallic catalysis. As a result, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the catalytic transformations, allowing them to adapt the knowledge to their own investigations. With its ideal combination of fundamental and applied research, this is an essential reference for researchers and graduate students both in academic institutions and in the chemical industry. With a foreword by Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann.