Advanced Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage Processes

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decade, energy science has experienced a notable increase in interest, primarily due to advancements in nanoscience and nanotechnology. To promote the sustainable development of humanity, considerable research has been devoted to renewable energy, including its conversion and storage. This is due to rising concerns about global climate change and the growing energy demand. Energy conversion and storage processes are essential components of modern energy systems, enabling the efficient utilization and management of various energy sources. Advanced materials offer exciting possibilities in materials science. Downsizing materials to the nanoscale produces fascinating properties. Scientists are exploring ways to fabricate nanostructures with tailored properties for technological advancements. Novel strategies such as size/facet control, engineering, atomic regulation, and nanocomposites alter the properties of active sites, leading to improved performance in energy conversion and storage. Research in this energy realm necessitates an interdisciplinary approach with synergistic collaboration from all disciplines, such as chemistry, engineering, nanotechnology, computation, and industrial thinking, to accomplish high-performance energy systems.

This Special Issue on “Advanced Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage Processes” seeks high-quality research in advanced and emerging materials for both energy conversion and storage applications.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The development of novel nanostructured materials for energy storage.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques for energy conversion and storage devices and systems.
• Battery materials: Lithium-ion cathodes (e.g., lithium iron phosphate, lithium cobalt oxide), anodes (e.g., silicon, graphene), and solid electrolytes (e.g., ceramic electrolytes) are being developed to enhance battery performance. Smart energy devices are also being developed for energy storage and conversion.
• Fuel cells, including proton exchange membranes (PEMs), catalysts (e.g., platinum-group metals, non-precious metal catalysts), and electrode materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene).
• Solar cells: Next-generation solar cells are being developed with higher efficiency and lower production costs. Materials such as perovskite-based compounds, inorganic photovoltaics, and quantum dots for improved light absorption and charge transport in solar cells are being used.
• Hydrogen storage materials, including metal hydrides, carbon-based materials (e.g., activated carbon, carbon nanotubes), and porous frameworks (e.g., metal–organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks).
• Smart grid technologies, including energy storage systems, sensors, and power electronics. Materials like superconductors, wide-bandgap semiconductors, and advanced composites are being developed to enable the integration of renewable energy sources and improve grid stability.

Dr. Pravin. S. Pawar
Dr. Krishna Rao Eswar Neerugatti
Dr. Tukaram Dattatray Dongale
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. Processes 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 2400 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.

• energy storage
• energy conversion
• nanomaterials
• 2D materials
• photovoltaics
• fuel cells
• battery materials
• supercapacitors
• hydrogen storage
• smart grid technologies