Professor @ La Sapienza University of Rome
Nanomaterials for energy
The presentation describes the effects some materials display during operation of those devices which are designed for the generation, conversion and storage of energy, and employ the materials of interest. The active materials have size and morphology controlled at the nm level. In general, the feature of nanodimensionality can:
- impart specific quantum effects (quantization of energy levels)
- magnify interfacial effects (increase of contact area btw phases)
- allow mass transport (crossing selective membranes)
- allow space filling (permanent insertion in cavities, cracks with nm linear size)
provided that materials retain a sufficiently high chemical-physical stability in passing from bulk version (equivalent to a system with infinite extension with respect to bond length) to the nanostructured one. The advantages imparted by nanodimensionaltiy in purposely designed novel materials for energy applications are analyzed and discussed.
