Innovating energy materials for zero-carbon societies
Abstract
Affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly sources of energy are crucial for achieving sustainable and zero-carbon societies. Materials development plays a vital role in making significant strides in clean energy technology and energy infrastructure, utilization of renewable energy and other alternatives to fossil-fuel technology. In particular, innovative materials are important for accelerating the development of cost-effective and high-performance devices utilized for energy harvesting, conversion and storage, transmission and utilization. In recent years, nanoengineering techniques have emerged as viable tools for tuning material properties and functionalities in the nanoscale, enabling significant enhancements in the performance and reliability of energy conversion devices such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) for low-carbon electrical energy generation and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) for green hydrogen and synthetic fuels production. In addition, advanced characterization methods are being used extensively to investigate fundamental mechanisms governing ionic transport behavior across solid-gas interfaces as well as cation diffusion phenomena across heterointerfaces. In this presentation, I will discuss the latest scientific advancements in the development of nanoengineered energy materials and their characterization, and present perspectives on harnessing the potential of these materials for energy applications.