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Nanotechnology is being implemented to promote alternate forms of renewable energy. Research in this
area has led to the development of materials that work more efficiently and are more cost effective.
Nanotechnology is leading the way with developments in decreasing battery size and smaller energy sources
to keep up with increasingly
compacted technologies demanded by the electronics industry. Researchers have discovered not only how to
capture natural energy, but also how to efficiently store and use energy at the nanoscale.
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Solar Energy
Nanotechnology research to develop high performance, low cost
plastic solar cells has been made possible through a unique one-step
process using organic (plastic) materials that allow low fabrication
cost and high transparency. While traditional silicon based solar cells
have to be rigid, solar cells based on plastics can be made to be
flexible and can potentially one day be widely used in the paint on
walls and in the drapes hung in windows in private homes to soak up
solar power for an increased supply of renewable energy.
Journal of
the American Chemical Society 130 (48), 16144-16145
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3-D Batteries
3-D batteries With the ever decreasing size of electronics, the development of a new generation
of small, autonomous devices capable of sensing, actuation, communication, rapid chemical/biological
analysis or medical functionality is needed. In order to operate
independently, these devices must have on-board power sources with millimeter (or smaller) dimensions
that deliver milliwatt levels of power for tens of hours. Traditional batteries based on two-dimensional
(2-D) configurations are unable to provide the power
and energy needs for these small devices. Three-dimensional (3-D) architectures as a new approach
from creating miniaturized batteries is being investigated by nanotechnology researchers. The change from
2-D to 3-D represents an important paradigm shift, one which
enables the development of small footprint batteries that
maximize energy storage without compromising power
density.
Chem. Rev., 104 (10) 4463-4492 (December 21, 2004)
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Bio-Fuel
Nanotechnology researchers are developing advanced
renewable resource-based fuels that will help address the
issues of climate change and future energy needs using
waste products. Researchers have developed an innovative
approach using E. coli bacteria to produce higher alcohols
from a renewable carbon source. In theory, these bacteria
could be farmed to generate efficient fuel.
Nature 451, 86-89 (3 January 2008)
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On-Board Hydrogen Storage
Environmentally friendly vehicles that use hydrogen gas can
dramatically reduce greenhouse emissions and lessen the country's
dependence on fossil fuels. Conventional storage of large amounts
of hydrogen in its molecular form is difficult and expensive
because it requires employing either extremely high pressures as a
gas or very low temperatures as a liquid.
Another approach to hydrogen storage involves the introduction of metal
organic frameworks (MOFs) directly into fuel tanks. MOFs function like crystal sponges soaking up hydrogen and make it possible to contain a room full of hydrogen in a small tank. Another similar structure, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), effectively doubles storage capacity for another alternative fuel, methane gas. This technology is currently being marketed in Europe and Asia by BASF.
Science 316 268-272 (13 April 2007)
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