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Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy Applications
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Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy Applications

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 4421

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tao Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, China
2. School of Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Interests: triboelectric nanogenerators; blue energy harvesting; power management; self-powered systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jianjun Luo

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, China
2. School of Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Interests: nanogenerators; energy harvesting; energy storage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Under the dual pressures of global ecological environment deterioration and an increasing shortage of traditional fossil energy, utilizing renewable energy has become an important energy strategy for every country in the hopes of achieving social sustainability. Harvesting renewable energies from our ambient environments through the development of novel smart nanomaterials and micro/nanoscale energy technologies is of great practical significance. The emergence of nanogenerators, which can effectively harvest the environmental mechanical energy needed to generate electricity, provides a promising route to sustainable energy. The rapid development of nanogenerator technologies has gradually improved our understanding of energy harvesting. Also, new smart nanomaterials with new nanostructures need to be explored for nanogenerator systems in order to enhance the output performance and efficiency of nanogenerators.

This Special Issue on “Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy Applications” aims to cover recent achievements in the fields of novel nanomaterial fabrication and characterization as well as nanotechnology applications in environmental energy harvesting and self-powered systems.

Dr. Tao Jiang
Dr. Jianjun Luo
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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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

  • novel nanomaterials
  • nanomaterial fabrication and characterization
  • nanotechnology applications
  • environmental energy harvesting
  • nanogenerators
  • self-powered systems

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3204 KiB  
Article
Nonlinear Pyroelectric and Photoelectric Responses of GaN Nanowires to Ultraviolet Excitation
by Shikuan Chen, Guoshuai Qin, Zhenyu Wang, Mingkai Guo, Cuiying Fan, Minghao Zhao and Chunsheng Lu
Materials 2025, 18(6), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061276 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 344
Abstract
Gallium nitride (GaN), an advanced piezoelectric semiconductor, shows strong potential for ultraviolet (UV) applications due to its prominent thermoelectric, photoelectric, and mechanoelectrical coupling effects, all of which are critical to device performance. This paper focuses on one-dimensional GaN nanowires and introduces a nonlinear [...] Read more.
Gallium nitride (GaN), an advanced piezoelectric semiconductor, shows strong potential for ultraviolet (UV) applications due to its prominent thermoelectric, photoelectric, and mechanoelectrical coupling effects, all of which are critical to device performance. This paper focuses on one-dimensional GaN nanowires and introduces a nonlinear theoretical model to describe pyroelectric and photoelectron effects under UV excitation. The model accounts for both photothermal and photoconductive effects. Using the perturbation method, we derive an approximate analytical solution for the internal physical field of the nanowire under UV light irradiation, which aligns well with the results from nonlinear numerical simulations. Compared to a light intensity of 2 W/m2, a light intensity of 6 W/m2 leads to a 45% increase in electron concentration, a 235% rise in hole concentration, a 146% increase in potential, and a 274% increase in polarization charge concentration. The pyro-phototronic effect enables UV light to modulate the electrical transport characteristics of a Schottky junction. This study addresses the limitations of linearized models for handling large disturbances, providing a comprehensive theoretical and computational framework for advancing GaN micro- and nanoscale devices and enabling effective, non-contact control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy Applications)
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11 pages, 4630 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Mechanisms and Performance of a Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Nanogenerator Based on the Triboelectric Effect
by Wuliang Sun, Junhui Dong, Xiaobo Gao, Baodong Chen and Ding Nan
Materials 2024, 17(18), 4514; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17184514 - 14 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1477
Abstract
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a versatile polymer, is extensively used across many industries, such as chemicals, food, healthcare, textiles, and packaging. However, research on applying PVA to triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) remains limited. Consequently, we chose PVA as the primary material to explore its contact [...] Read more.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a versatile polymer, is extensively used across many industries, such as chemicals, food, healthcare, textiles, and packaging. However, research on applying PVA to triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) remains limited. Consequently, we chose PVA as the primary material to explore its contact electrification mechanisms at the molecular level, alongside materials like Polyethylene (PE), Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Our findings show that PVA has the highest band gap, with the smallest band gap occurring between the HOMO of PVA and the LUMO of PTFE. During molecular contact, electron transfer primarily occurs in the outermost layers of the molecules, influenced by the functional groups of the polymers. The presence of fluorine atoms enhances the electron transfer between PVA and PTFE to maximum levels. Experimental validation confirmed that PVA and PTFE contact yields the highest triboelectric performance: VOC of 128 V, ISC of 2.83 µA, QSC of 82 nC, and an output power of 384 µW. Moreover, P-TENG, made of PVA and PTFE, was successfully applied in self-powered smart devices and monitored human respiration and bodily movements effectively. These findings offer valuable insights into using PVA in triboelectric nanogenerator technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy Applications)
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14 pages, 3497 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Aminated Nano-Silica as a Novel Shale Stabilizer to Improve Wellbore Stability
by Meng Li, Jiangen Xu, Dongdong Pei, Kanhua Su and Liang Wang
Materials 2024, 17(8), 1776; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17081776 - 12 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1220
Abstract
The issue of wellbore instability poses a significant challenge in the current exploration of shale gas reservoirs. Exploring more efficient shale stabilizers has always been a common goal pursued by researchers. In this paper, a novel shale stabilizer, denoted as ANS, was prepared [...] Read more.
The issue of wellbore instability poses a significant challenge in the current exploration of shale gas reservoirs. Exploring more efficient shale stabilizers has always been a common goal pursued by researchers. In this paper, a novel shale stabilizer, denoted as ANS, was prepared by employing a silane-coupling modification method to graft (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) onto the surface of nano-silica. The structure of ANS was characterized through Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), and particle size tests (PST). The shale stabilizing properties of ANS were evaluated through tests such as pressure penetration, BET analysis, hydration expansion and dispersion. Furthermore, the interaction between ANS as a shale stabilizer and clay was explored through clay zeta potential and particle size analysis. The results indicated that ANS exhibited a stronger plugging capability compared to nano-silica, as evidenced by its ability to increase the shale pressure penetration time from 19 to 131 min. Moreover, ANS demonstrated superior hydration inhibition compared to commonly used KCl. Specifically, it reduced the expansion height of bentonite from 8.04 to 3.13 mm and increased the shale recovery rate from 32.84% to 87.22%. Consequently, ANS played a dual role in providing dense plugging and effective hydration inhibition, contributing significantly to the enhancement of wellbore stability in drilling operations. Overall, ANS proved to be a promising shale stabilizer and could be effective for drilling troublesome shales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy Applications)
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Review

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43 pages, 12779 KiB  
Review
Functionalization of Nanomaterials for Energy Storage and Hydrogen Production Applications
by Mohamed Salaheldeen, Ahmed M. Abu-Dief and Tarek El-Dabea
Materials 2025, 18(4), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18040768 - 10 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 845
Abstract
This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the pivotal role that nanomaterials, particularly graphene and its derivatives, play in advancing hydrogen energy technologies, with a focus on storage, production, and transport. As the quest for sustainable energy solutions intensifies, the use of [...] Read more.
This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the pivotal role that nanomaterials, particularly graphene and its derivatives, play in advancing hydrogen energy technologies, with a focus on storage, production, and transport. As the quest for sustainable energy solutions intensifies, the use of nanoscale materials to store hydrogen in solid form emerges as a promising strategy toward mitigate challenges related to traditional storage methods. We begin by summarizing standard methods for producing modified graphene derivatives at the nanoscale and their impact on structural characteristics and properties. The article highlights recent advancements in hydrogen storage capacities achieved through innovative nanocomposite architectures, for example, multi-level porous graphene structures containing embedded nickel particles at nanoscale dimensions. The discussion covers the distinctive characteristics of these nanomaterials, particularly their expansive surface area and the hydrogen spillover effect, which enhance their effectiveness in energy storage applications, including supercapacitors and batteries. In addition to storage capabilities, this review explores the role of nanomaterials as efficient catalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), emphasizing the potential of metal oxides and other composites to boost hydrogen production. The integration of nanomaterials in hydrogen transport systems is also examined, showcasing innovations that enhance safety and efficiency. As we move toward a hydrogen economy, the review underscores the urgent need for continued research aimed at optimizing existing materials and developing novel nanostructured systems. Addressing the primary challenges and potential future directions, this article aims to serve as a roadmap to enable scientists and industry experts to maximize the capabilities of nanomaterials for transforming hydrogen-based energy systems, thus contributing significantly to global sustainability efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy Applications)
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