Nanotechnology in the Service of Solar Energy Systems

Nanotechnology can help to address the existing efficiency hurdles and greatly increase the generation and storage of solar energy. A variety of physical processes have been established at the nanoscale that can improve the processing and transmission of solar energy. The application of nanotechnology in solar cells has opened the path to the development of a new generation of high-performance products. When competition for clean energy options is growing, a variety of potential approaches have been discussed in order to expand the prospects. New principles have been explored in the area of solar cell generation, multi-generation, spectrum modulation, thermo-photoelectric cells, hot carrier, the middle band, and many other techniques. Nanoparticles and nanostructures have been shown to enhance the absorption of light, increase the conversion of light to energy, and have improved thermal storage and transport.

Novel Slow Release Nanocomposite Fertilizers

Nanotechnology deals with atom-by-atom manipulation and the strategies and products developed are quite precise. Despite the fact that the nanotechnology is noticeably exploited in the subject of energy, environment and health, the research is agricultural sciences had just scratched the surface. However, the potentials of nanotechnology in agricultural sciences had been reviewed. Among the applications, nanofertilizers technology is very revolutionary and known to exhibit economic advantage if the products advanced are economically feasible and socially sustainable. These nano fertilizers are pronounced to reduce nutrient loss due to leaching, emissions, and long-term incorporation by soil microorganisms.

Ultrasound-Assisted Preparation Methods of Nanoparticles for Energy-Related Applications

Ultrasound (US) technology is already into the research field providing a powerful tool of producing nanomaterials or being implicated in decoration procedures of catalyst supports for energy applications and material production. Toward this concept, low or/and high-frequency USs are used for the production of nanoparticles, the decoration of catalytic supported powders (carbon-based, titania, and alumina) with nanoparticles, and the production of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). MOFs are porous, crystalline materials, which consist of metal centers and organic linkers. Those structures demonstrate high surface area, open metal sites, and large void space. All the above produced materials are used in heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and energy storage. Batteries and fuel cells are popular systems for electrochemical energy storage, and significant progress has been made in nanostructured energy materials in order to improve these storage devices. Nanomaterials have shown favorable properties, such as enhanced kinetics and better efficiency as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Graphene Oxide-Based Nanohybrids as Pesticide Biosensors: Latest Developments

Graphene is the most significant two-dimensional nanomaterial with sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in a honeycomb arrangement with an extremely high surface area, excellent electrical properties, high mechanical strength, and advantageous optical properties and is relatively easy to functionalize and mass produce. Various inorganic nanoparticles incorporated with graphene, such as gold, silver, and palladium nanoparticles are brought into sharp focus due to their catalytic, optical, electronic, and quantized charging/discharging properties. Graphene oxide-based nanohybrids are particularly well suited for biosensing applications and catalysis. Consequently, this area of research has grown to represent one of the largest classes within the scope of materials science and is rapidly becoming a key area in nanoscience and nanotechnology offering significant potential in the development of advanced materials in multiple and diverse applications. Here in this present chapter, synthesis, characterization of graphene oxide, and their nanohybrids are discussed thoroughly with their application in the field of pesticide biosensors. This chapter will help in a further understanding of graphene-based nanohybrids as a biosensing platform for their future applications in a sustainable environment.

Application of Nanomaterials in Environmental Improvement

In recent years, researchers used many scientific studies to improve modern technologies in the field of reducing the phenomenon of pollution resulting from them. In this chapter, methods to prepare nanomaterials are described, and the main properties such as mechanical, electrical, and optical properties and their relations are determined. The investigation of nanomaterials needed high technologies that depend on a range of nanomaterials from 1 to 100 nm; these are scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffractions (XRD). The applications of nanomaterials in environmental improvement are different from one another depending on the type of devices used, for example, solar cells for producing clean energy, nanotechnologies in coatings for building exterior surfaces, and sonochemical decolorization of dyes by the effect of nanocomposite.

Nanocomposite Materials

Nanocomposites are the heterogeneous/hybrid materials that are produced by the mixtures of polymers with inorganic solids (clays to oxides) at the nanometric scale. Their structures are found to be more complicated than that of microcomposites. They are highly influenced by the structure, composition, interfacial interactions, and components of individual property. Most popularly, nanocomposites are prepared by the process within in situ growth and polymerization of biopolymer and inorganic matrix. With the rapid estimated demand of these striking potentially advanced materials, make them very much useful in various industries ranging from small scale to large to very large manufacturing units. With a great deal to mankind with environmental friendly, these offer advanced technologies in addition to the enhanced business opportunities to several industrial sectors like automobile, construction, electronics and electrical, food packaging, and technology transfer.

Biological Synthesis of Nanoparticles Using Endophytic Microorganisms: Current Development

Nanotechnology is a new emerging interdisciplinary approach created by pairing of engineering, chemical, and biological approaches. This technology produces nanoparticles using different methods of traditional physical and chemical processes; however, the outlook in this field of research is to use ecofriendly, nontoxic, and clean methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Biological entities, such as plants, bacteria, fungi, algae, yeast, and actinomycetes, are the best candidate to achieve this goal. Among the biological route, those involve endophtic microorganisms to reduce metallic ions into nanoparticles. This method is considered as an attractive option and can open a new horizon on the interface of biology and nanotechnology. The present chapter highlights the latest research about endophytic microorganisms and their application in the synthesis of nanoparticles, as well as the mechanisms involved in the formation of nanoparticles.

Modern Trends in Uses of Different Wastes to Produce Nanoparticles and Their Environmental Applications

Wastes are produced at large amounts all over the world. These wastes cause a variety of problems to the ecosystem, plants, animals, and humans. In this chapter, we discuss the wastes, types of wastes, sources of wastes, and problems related to wastes, especially health-related problems. Then we discuss agricultural wastes and how we can synthesize different nanoparticles from them. Also, we discuss industrial wastes and different nanoparticles synthesized from them. Additionally, we discuss fruit wastes and production of different nanoparticles and also food wastes and their uses in nanoparticle syntheses. Also, we can use other wastes to produce nanoparticles. In applications section, we discuss the use of different nanoparticles produced in agriculture, removal of heavy metals and pollutants from environment, industry and finally medical applications. We will finish our chapter with the topic of healthy and safe synthesis of nanoparticles produced by different wastes and then conclusion.