Nanotechnology In Advanced Electrochemical Power Sources

The challenge of providing adequate power on an indefinite basis without causing long-term damage to the environment requires a versatile means of energy conversion and storage. As such, electrical energy storage is becoming more vital today than at any time in human history. Electrochemical systems, such as batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and photoelectrochemical cells, can help meet this objective. Future generations of rechargeable lithium batteries will be required to power portable electronic devices, store electricity from renewable sources, and serve as a vital component to pursuing electric mobility in the future to reduce fossil fuel demand and mitigate environmental issues. In this context, engineering of new materials, especially at the nanoscale, has become imperative to achieve enhanced energy and power density to meet the future challenges of energy storage. This book outlines the state of the art of nanoscale aspects of advanced energy storage devices, such as lithium-ion batteries, including microbatteries and electrochemical supercapacitors. It focuses on various fundamental issues related to device performance of various positive and negative electrode materials, with special reference to their nanoscale advantages. It also includes fundamentals and processing techniques with regard to synthesis, characterization, physical, and electrochemical properties, and applications of nanoscale materials pertaining to advanced electrochemical power sources. A variety of advanced nanomaterials, such as transition metal oxides, phosphates, silicates, and conversion electrodes, together with some special nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, nanorods, and mesoporous carbons are discussed by many notable authorities in the field.

The challenge of providing adequate power on an indefinite basis without causing long-term damage to the environment requires a versatile means of energy conversion and storage. As such, electrical energy storage is becoming more vital today than at any time in human history. Electrochemical systems, such as batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and photoelectrochemical cells, can help meet this objective. Future generations of rechargeable lithium batteries will be required to power portable electronic devices, store electricity from renewable sources, and serve as a vital component to pursuing electric mobility in the future to reduce fossil fuel demand and mitigate environmental issues. In this context, engineering of new materials, especially at the nanoscale, has become imperative to achieve enhanced energy and power density to meet the future challenges of energy storage. This book outlines the state of the art of nanoscale aspects of advanced energy storage devices, such as lithium-ion batteries, including microbatteries and electrochemical supercapacitors. It focuses on various fundamental issues related to device performance of various positive and negative electrode materials, with special reference to their nanoscale advantages. It also includes fundamentals and processing techniques with regard to synthesis, characterization, physical, and electrochemical properties, and applications of nanoscale materials pertaining to advanced electrochemical power sources. A variety of advanced nanomaterials, such as transition metal oxides, phosphates, silicates, and conversion electrodes, together with some special nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, nanorods, and mesoporous carbons are discussed by many notable authorities in the field.

This book provides an authoritative source of information on the use of nanomaterials to enhance the performance of existing electrochemical energy storage systems and the manners in which new such systems are being made possible. The book covers the state of the art of the design, preparation, and engineering of nanoscale functional materials as effective catalysts and as electrodes for electrochemical energy storage and mechanistic investigation of electrode reactions. It also provides perspectives and challenges for future research. A related book by the same editors is: Nanomaterials for Fuel Cell Catalysis.

Energy storage devices are considered to be an important field of interest for researchers worldwide. Batteries and supercapacitors are therefore extensively studied and progressively evolving. The book not only emphasizes the fundamental theories, electrochemical mechanism and its computational view point, but also discusses recent developments in electrode designing based on nanomaterials, separators, fabrication of advanced devices and their performances.

This book offers comprehensive coverage of carbon-based nanomaterials and electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies such as batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, and hydrogen generation and storage, as well as the latest material and new technology development. It addresses a variety of topics such as electrochemical processes, materials, components, assembly and manufacturing, degradation mechanisms, challenges, and strategies. With in-depth discussions ranging from electrochemistry fundamentals to engineering components and applied devices, this all-inclusive reference offers a broad view of various carbon nanomaterials and technologies for electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices.

The unfortunate and serious accident at the nuclear power plants in Fukushima, Japan caused by the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 dealt Japan a serious blow. Japan was nearly deprived of electric power when in response to the accident all nuclear reactors in Japan were shut down. This shortage further accelerated the introduction of renewable energies. This book surveys the new materials and approaches needed to use nanotechnology to introduce the next generation of advanced lithium batteries, currently the most promising energy storage devices available. It provides an overview of nanotechnology for lithium batteries from basic to applied research in selected high technology areas. The book especially focuses on near-term and future advances in these fields. All contributors to this book are expert researchers on lithium batteries.

This book presents a comprehensive review of recent developments in vanadium-based nanomaterials for next-generation electrochemical energy storage. The basic electrochemical energy storage and conversion equipment are elaborated, and the vanadium-based nanomaterials of the synthesis approaches, characterizations, electrochemical storage mechanisms, and performance optimization tactics are discussed. Examples are taken from various chemical energy storage devices to expound the functions of advanced vanadium-based nanomaterials for specific applications. Finally, various challenges and perspectives on vanadium-based nanomaterial development as an emerging energy storage solution are considered.

This book combines two areas of intense interest: nanotechnology, and energy conversion and storage devices. In particular, Li-ion batteries have enjoyed conspicuous success in many consumer electronic devices and their projected use in vehicles that will revolutionize the way we travel in the near future. For many applications, Li-ion batteries are the battery of choice. This book consolidates the scattered developments in all areas of research related to nanotechnology and lithium ion batteries.