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Crystals
Special Issues
Nanomaterials for Environmental and Solar Energy Applications
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Nanomaterials for Environmental and Solar Energy Applications

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials for Energy Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 17 January 2025 | Viewed by 2151

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sofia Stefa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Production Engineering and Management, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
Interests: nanometerials; nanometerial synthesis; material characterization; heterogeneous catalysis; photocatalysis; adsorption; solar cells
Dr. Emmanouil Gagaoudakis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Transparent Conductive Materials and Devices Laboratory (TCMD Laboratory), Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation of Research and Technology (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: sputtering; thin films; materials characterization; gas sensors; thermochromic materials; hydrothermal synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solar energy stands out as the most exciting form of green energy, occupying a significant share of the renewable energy landscape. In pursuit of maximizing its potential, researchers are turning their attention to developing high-performance nanomaterials to harness solar energy. The unique properties of nanomaterials at the nanoscale have turned this field into a fascinating and rapidly advancing area of study, showcasing diverse applications.

The utilization of nanomaterials promises to increase the efficiency, affordability, and environmental sustainability of solar energy technologies. This includes a wide range of applications, such as photocatalysis and solar cells, as well as energy storage and -saving technologies. Nanostructured materials have been thoroughly explored in various segments of solar energy applications, from lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors to solar cells, electrochromic devices, thermochromic coatings, electrocatalysts, and biofuel production. In addition, the application of nanomaterials extends beyond energy sectors, delving into environmental applications such as vehicle NOx emission control, nuclear waste management, electromagnetic absorption, and wastewater treatment.

Motivated by the imperative to address pressing global environmental challenges, this Special Issue aims to shed light on the complex relationship between nanomaterials, solar energy, and applications. We invite submissions to this Special Issue, entitled "Nanomaterials for Environmental and Solar Energy Applications", in the form of original research papers, reviews, or communications. Emphasis is placed on the exploration of the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, serving as foundational knowledge for the development of efficient and sustainable materials with broad applications in energy and the environment.

Dr. Sofia Stefa
Dr. Emmanouil Gagaoudakis
Guest Editors

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. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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

  • nanomaterial synthesis
  • physicochemical properties
  • band gap energy tuning
  • solar energy
  • environmental remediation
  • energy conversion
  • photocatalysis
  • thermochromic coatings
  • solar cells
  • batteries

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3025 KiB  
Article
Anion and Cation Co-Doping of NiO for Transparent Photovoltaics and Smart Window Applications
by Chrysa Aivalioti, Emmanouil G. Manidakis, Nikolaos T. Pelekanos, Maria Androulidaki, Katerina Tsagaraki and Elias Aperathitis
Crystals 2024, 14(7), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14070629 - 8 Jul 2024
Viewed by 925
Abstract
Materials engineering based on metal oxides for manipulating the solar spectrum and producing solar energy have been under intense investigation over the last years. In this work, we present NiO thin films double doped with niobium (Nb) and nitrogen (N) as cation and [...] Read more.
Materials engineering based on metal oxides for manipulating the solar spectrum and producing solar energy have been under intense investigation over the last years. In this work, we present NiO thin films double doped with niobium (Nb) and nitrogen (N) as cation and anion dopants (NiO:(Nb,N)) to be used as p-type layers in all oxide transparent solar cells. The films were grown by sputtering a composite Ni-Nb target on room-temperature substrates in plasma containing 50% Ar, 25% O2, and 25% N2gases. The existence of Nb and N dopants in the NiO structure was confirmed by the Energy Dispersive X-Ray and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy techniques. The nominally undoped NiO film, which was deposited by sputtering a Ni target and used as the reference film, was oxygen-rich, single-phase cubic NiO, having a visible transmittance of less than 20%. Upon double doping with Nb and N the visible transmittance of NiO:(Nb,N) film increased to 60%, which was further improved after thermal treatment to around 85%. The respective values of the direct band gap in the undoped and double-doped films were 3.28 eV and 3.73 eV just after deposition, and 3.67 eV and 3.76 eV after thermal treatment. The changes in the properties of the films such as structural disorder, direct and indirect energy band gaps, Urbach tail states, and resistivity were correlated with the incorporation of Nb and N in their structure. The thermally treated NiO:(Nb,N) film was used to form a diode with a spin-coated two-layer, mesoporous on top of a compact, TiO2 film. The NiO:(Nb,N)/TiO2heterojunction exhibited visible transparency of around 80%, showed rectifying characteristics and the diode’s parameters were deduced using the I-V method. The diode revealed photovoltaic behavior upon illumination with UV light exhibiting a short circuit current density of 0.2 mA/cm2 and open-circuit voltage of 500 mV. Improvements of the output characteristics of the NiO:(Nb,N)/TiO2 UV-photovoltaic by proper engineering of the individual layers and device processing procedures are addressed. Transparent NiO:(Nb,N) films can be potential candidates in all-oxide ultraviolet photovoltaics for tandem solar cells, smart windows, and other optoelectronic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Environmental and Solar Energy Applications)
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Review

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11 pages, 3178 KiB  
Review
Photo-Induced Degradation of Priority Air Pollutants on TiO2-Based Coatings in Indoor and Outdoor Environments—A Mechanistic View of the Processes at the Air/Catalyst Interface
by Dimitrios Kotzias
Crystals 2024, 14(7), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14070661 - 19 Jul 2024
Viewed by 853
Abstract
In recent decades, numerous studies have indicated the substantial role semiconductors could play in photocatalytic processes for environmental applications. Materials that contain a semiconductor as a photocatalyst have a semi-permanent capacity for removing harmful gases from the ambient air. In this paper, the [...] Read more.
In recent decades, numerous studies have indicated the substantial role semiconductors could play in photocatalytic processes for environmental applications. Materials that contain a semiconductor as a photocatalyst have a semi-permanent capacity for removing harmful gases from the ambient air. In this paper, the focus is on TiO2. Heterogeneous photocatalysis using TiO2 leads to the degradation of NO/NO2, benzene, toluene, and other priority air pollutants once in contact with the semiconductor surface. Preliminary evidence indicates that TiO2-containing construction materials and paints efficiently destroy the ozone precursors NO and NO2 by up to 80% and 30%, respectively. Therefore, the development of innovative coatings containing TiO2 as a photocatalyst was in the foreground of research activities. The aim of this was for coatings to be used as building and construction materials, mainly outdoors, e.g., on building façades on high-traffic roads for the degradation of priority air pollutants (NOx and volatile organic compounds) in the polluted urban atmosphere. Though there are advantages connected with the application of TiO2, due to its band gap of 3.2 eV, these are limited. TiO2 is effective only in the UV region (ca. 5%) of the solar spectrum with wavelengths λ < 380 nm. Hence, efforts are made here, as in many research studies, to dope TiO2 with transition metals to increase its activity using visible light, which will extend its application to indoor environments. In our studies, experiments were conducted with 0.1% (w/w) and 1% (w/w) Mn-TiO2 admixtures, and the ability of the modified photocatalysts to degrade NO by both solar and indoor illumination was evaluated. The surface chemistry at the air/catalyst interface, governed by the photoelectric characteristics of TiO2 and the formation of reactive oxygen species with co-occurring redox reactions, is reviewed in this paper. The factors affecting the application of TiO2 for the degradation of priority air pollutants as single compounds or mixtures are discussed. We investigated, particularly, the degradation of mixtures of priority compounds at typical concentrations in ambient air and confined spaces. This is a realistic approach, because pollutants are present as mixtures, rather than as individual compounds in ambient and indoor air. Moreover, organic polymers as paint constituents were found to be the primary source for carbonyl formation, e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, etc., during the heterogeneous photocatalytic processes conducted on TiO2-enriched coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Environmental and Solar Energy Applications)
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