Functional Materials for Sustainable Energy Applications

Contributor contact details Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy Preface Part I: Functional materials for solar power Chapter 1: Silicon-based photovoltaic solar cells Abstract: 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Polysilicon production 1.3 Crystallisation and wafering 1.4 Solar cells: materials issues and cell architectures 1.5 Conclusions Chapter 2: Photovoltaic (PV) thin-films for solar cells Abstract: 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Amorphous silicon thin-film photovoltaic (PV) 2.3 Cadmium telluride thin-film PV 2.4 Copper indium diselenide thin-film PV 2.5 Materials sustainability 2.6 Future trends 2.7 Sources of further information and advice Chapter 3: Rapid, low-temperature processing of dye-sensitized solar cells Abstract: 3.1 Introduction to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) 3.2 Manufacturing issues 3.3 Sensitization 3.4 Electrodes 3.5 Electrolyte 3.6 Quality control (QC)/lifetime testing 3.7 Conclusions and future trends 3.8 Acknowledgements Chapter 4: Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices: introduction and modelling Abstract: 4.1 Introduction to thermophotovoltaics (TPVs) 4.2 Practical TPV cell performance 4.3 Modelling TPV cells 4.4 Tandem TPV cells 4.5 Conclusions Chapter 5: Photoelectrochemical cells for hydrogen generation Abstract: 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Photoelectrochemical cells: principles and energetics 5.3 Photoelectrochemical cell configurations and efficiency considerations 5.4 Semiconductor photoanodes: material challenges 5.5 Semiconductor photocathodes: material challenges 5.6 Advances in photochemical cell materials and design 5.7 Interfacial reaction kinetics 5.8 Future trends 5.9 Acknowledgements 5.11 Appendix: abbreviations Part II: Functional materials for hydrogen production and storage Chapter 6: Reversible solid oxide electrolytic cells for large-scale energy storage: challenges and opportunities Abstract: 6.1 Introduction to reversible solid oxide cells 6.2 Operating principles and functional materials 6.3 Degradation mechanisms in solid oxide electrolysis cells 6.4 Research needs and opportunities 6.5 Summary and conclusions Chapter 7: Membranes, adsorbent materials and solvent-based materials for syngas and hydrogen separation Abstract: 7.1 Introduction 7.2 H2-selective membrane materials 7.3 CO2-selective membrane materials 7.4 Adsorbent materials for H2/CO2 separation 7.5 Solvent-based materials for H2/CO2 separation 7.6 Future trends 7.7 Sources of further information and advice Chapter 8: Functional materials for hydrogen storage Abstract: 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Hydrogen storage with metal hydrides: an introduction 8.3 Hydrogen storage with interstitial hydrides, AlH3 and MgH2 8.4 Hydrogen storage with complex metal hydrides 8.5 Hydrogen storage using other chemical systems 8.6 Hydrogen storage with porous materials and nanoconfined materials 8.7 Applications of hydrogen storage 8.8 Conclusions Part III: Functional materials for fuel cells Chapter 9: The role of the fuel in the operation, performance and degradation of fuel cells Abstract: 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Thermodynamics of fuel cell operation and the effect of fuel on performance 9.3 Hydrocarbon fuels and fuel processing 9.4 Methanol 9.5 Other fuels 9.6 Deleterious effects of fuels on fuel cell performance 9.7 Conclusions 9.8 Acknowledgements Chapter 10: Membrane electrode assemblies for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells Abstract: 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Requirements for membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) 10.3 Porous backing layer materials 10.4 Membrane materials 10.5 MEA electrode catalyst layer 10.6 MEA performance 10.7 Conclusions Chapter 11: Developments in membranes, catalysts and membrane electrode assemblies for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) Abstract: 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Historica! development and technical challenges 11.3 Methanol oxidation reaction catalysts 11.4 Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts 11.5 Proton exchange membranes 11.6 Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabrication and structure 11.7 Conclusions and future trends 11.