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Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 16197

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Muhammad Sultan Irshad

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Guest Editor

Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
Interests: crystalline functional photothermal materials for multi-functional systems e.g., water-energy nexus; disinfection and treatment of wastewater; cogeneration of water-thermoelectricity; all-in-one integrated piezo-photothermal for tactile sensing and power generation

Dr. Naveed Mushtaq

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Guest Editor

Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Interests: electrochemical energy devices; electrocatalysts; oxygen reduction reaction; ionic transport; semiconductor heterostructure materials; fuel cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the crisis of clean water resources, solar-driven interfacial evaporation has gained more and more attention for being a novel way of using renewable solar energy and potential scalable applications in water purification, such as seawater desalination, sewage treatment, and off-grid sterilization. Nano-enabled photothermal materials are being explored intensively, as dwindling freshwater resources are an issue that needs to be addressed urgently. Several attempts were made to create a highly efficient solar-driven steam generator to address the primitive water scarcity issue, as it applies to thermal management, flexibility, photothermal material adhesiveness, the water–energy nexus, the high cost, scalability, and the maximum freshwater yield. However, there still remain some significant challenges in the development of feasible and efficient solar water evaporators for implementation at the industrial level in a real-world application.

Potential topics for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

Nano-enabled materials and hierarchical structures that can accelerate the development of highly efficient, rapid, and low-cost interfacial solar evaporators for water desalination, wastewater remediation, and water disinfection.
Nano-enabled polymeric networks of functional hydrogels or aerogels for efficient solar steam generation.
Nanocavity-inspired novel structures for enhanced thermal management.
Liquid–air interfacing systems for enhanced energy conversion and catalytic performances.
Heat transfer simulations for effective heat accumulation.
We also welcome research on integrated devices, waste heat recovery via photo-thermoelectricity, hydrogen production, and fuel cell applications.
Meanwhile, we sincerely hope this Special Issue will provide some new insights into nano-enabled, heterostructured materials for enhanced energy utilization.

Dr. Muhammad Sultan Irshad
Dr. Naveed Mushtaq
Guest Editors

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Keywords

water-energy nexus
energy conversion
solar-driven evaporation
nano-enabled photothermal materials
hydrogels thermal management
thermoelectricity

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Situ Anchored, Ultrasmall, Oxygen Vacancy-Rich TiO_2−x on Carbonized Bacterial Cellulose for the Efficient Adsorption and Separation of Organic Pollutants

by Man Zhou, Yanli Zhou, Minmin Ni, Yuzhe Zhang, Song Xu, Hao Ma, Jian Zhou, Jin Zhao, Liwei Lin and Zhongyu Li

Nanomaterials 2025, 15(7), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15070514 - 28 Mar 2025

Viewed by 260

Abstract

Superior selective adsorption of organic dye is still a big challenge in the process of dye wastewater treatment. Meanwhile, low-price and environmentally friendly biomass-based adsorbents show huge potential in the fields of separation and purification. In this study, we adopted the “hydrolysis–calcination method” to develop a novel in situ anchoring strategy for ultrasmall TiO_2−x on carbonized bacterial cellulose (CBC), which was derived from natural bacterial cellulose. Notably, 3D networks of porous CBC played a dual role for both providing hydrolytic sites and controlling the oxygen vacancies (V_o) of TiO_2−x. As for the single-dye adsorption, the TiO_2−x/CBC had a strong adsorption ability (101.4 mg/g) for removing methylene blue (MB), which was much higher than that of methyl orange (MO), malachite green (MG), rhodamine B (RhB), and tetracyclines (TC). Moreover, under the optimized carbonization temperature (T_c) of 300 °C, the TiO_2−x/CBC-300 exhibited an outstanding separation efficiency of 97.07% for the MB/MO solution. Detailed analysis confirmed that T_c was a key regulator for adjusting the V_o concentration, which directly influenced the surface charge density and, further, the separation efficiency of TiO_2−x/CBC. Additionally, the used adsorbent could be easily regenerated from washing by ethanol. After 4 regenerations, the adsorption efficiency declined only by 6.9% after 20 min and 13.6% after 120 min adsorption, respectively. Ultimately, this oxygen vacancy-rich TiO_2−x/BC system illuminated good prospects for mixed dye wastewater adsorption and separation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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14 pages, 4006 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Bifunctional Nanostructured RuPt/C Electrocatalyst for Energy Storage Based on the Chlor-Alkali Process

by Nuria Romero, Mahmoud M. Gomaa, Jérôme Esvan, Manuel A. Rodrigo, Karine Philippot and Justo Lobato

Nanomaterials 2025, 15(7), 506; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15070506 - 27 Mar 2025

Viewed by 275

Abstract

This study focuses on the design of a novel electrode for an energy storage system utilizing EDEN (electrochemical-based decarbonizing energy) technology. This technology implies a chlor-alkali electrochemical cell with dual functionality: first, the electrolysis of water and NaCl to produce hydrogen (H₂) and chlorine (Cl₂), and subsequently, the utilization of these products in an H₂/Cl₂ fuel cell to generate electricity. Bimetallic RuPt nanoparticles have been synthesized on Vulcan carbon (C-V) from organometallic precursors to be used as electrocatalysts. Characterization includes transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The RuPt/C-V-based electrode demonstrated notable performance in the target reversible electrochemical cell, acting as the anode for electrolysis and as the cathode in fuel-cell mode. Testing in a 3D-printed electrochemical cell revealed high efficiency, with a coulombic efficiency exceeding 96% for hydrogen production, yielding 11.75 mg·Wh⁻¹ and achieving a power output of approximately 4.5 mW·cm⁻² in H₂/Cl₂ fuel-cell operation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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18 pages, 3751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Photocatalytic Oxidation and Reductive Activation of Peroxymonosulfate by Bi-Based Heterojunction for Highly Efficient Organic Pollutant Degradation

by Xiaopeng Zhao, Yang Wang, Fangning Liu, Xiaobin Ye, Shangxiong Wei, Yilin Sun and Jinghui He

Nanomaterials 2025, 15(6), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15060471 - 20 Mar 2025

Viewed by 306

Abstract

Organic pollutants present a substantial risk to both ecological systems and human well-being. Activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) have emerged as an effective strategy for the degradation of organic pollutants. Bi-based heterojunction is commonly used as a photocatalyst for reductively activating PMS, but single-component Bi-based heterojunction frequently underperforms due to its restricted absorption spectrum and rapid combination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Herein, BiVO₄ was selected as the oxidative semiconductor to form an S-type heterojunction with CuBi₂O₄—x-CuBi₂O₄/BiVO₄ (x = 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8) for PMS photoactivation. The built-in electric field (BEF) in x-CuBi₂O₄/BiVO₄ promoted electron transfer to effectively activate PMS. The x-CuBi₂O₄/BiVO₄ heterojunctions also demonstrate stronger adsorption of the polar PMS than pure CuBi₂O₄ or BiVO₄. In addition, the BEF prompts photoelectrons able to reduce O₂ to •O₂⁻ and photogenerated holes in the valence band of BiVO₄ able to oxidize H₂O to generate •OH. Therefore, under visible light irradiation, 95.1% of ciprofloxacin (CIP) can be degraded. The 0.5-CuBi₂O₄/BiVO₄ demonstrated the best degradation efficiency and excellent stability in cyclic tests, as well as a broad applicability in degrading other common pollutants. The present work demonstrates the high-efficiency S-type heterojunctions in the coupled photocatalytic and PMS activation technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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29 pages, 49444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Advanced Pt/Ti_(1−x)Sn_xO₂–C Composite Supported Electrocatalyst with Functionalized Carbon for Sustainable Energy Conversion Technologies

by Cristina Silva, Zoltán Pászti, Khirdakhanim Salmanzade, Dániel Olasz, Erzsébet Dodony, György Sáfrán, Ágnes Szegedi, Zoltán Sebestyén, András Tompos and Irina Borbáth

Nanomaterials 2025, 15(5), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15050342 - 22 Feb 2025

Viewed by 630

Abstract

Sn-doped TiO₂–carbon composites were identified as promising multifunctional supports for Pt electrocatalysts, in which the oxide component enhances resistance against corrosion and strong metal–support interactions at the Pt-oxide boundary ensure high stability for the Pt nanoparticles. This work is devoted to the study of the influence of preliminary functionalization of the carbon on the properties of Pt/Ti_0.9Sn_0.1O₂–C catalysts. The structural, compositional and morphological differences between the samples prepared using functionalized or unmodified carbon, as well as the effect of carbon pre-modification on the electrocatalytic behavior of the synthesized Pt catalysts, were investigated using TEM, XRD, XPS, nitrogen adsorption and electrochemical measurements. The presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on carbon treated with HNO₃ and glucose leads to the formation of a homogeneous coating of the carbon with dispersed crystallites of mixed oxide. Elemental mapping revealed the proximity of Sn species with highly dispersed (2–3 nm) Pt particles. Notably, the electrochemical results indicated enhanced activity in CO electrooxidation for both functionalized and unmodified carbon-containing catalysts. An improvement in the 10,000-cycle long-term stability of the catalyst prepared using functionalized carbon was evident compared to the catalyst with untreated carbon or reference Pt/C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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27 pages, 10894 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Prediction and Optimization of Nanofluid-Based PV/T Using Numerical Simulation and Response Surface Methodology

by Sreehari Sreekumar, Supriya Chakrabarti, Neil Hewitt, Jayanta Deb Mondol and Nikhilkumar Shah

Nanomaterials 2024, 14(9), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14090774 - 28 Apr 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1822

Abstract

A numerical investigation was carried out in ANSYS Fluent^® on a photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system with MXene/water nanofluid as heat transfer fluid (HTF). The interaction of different operating parameters (nanofluid mass fraction, mass flow rate, inlet temperature and incident radiation) on the output response of the system (thermal efficiency, electrical efficiency, thermal exergy efficiency, and electrical exergy efficiency) was studied using a predictive model generated using response surface methodology (RSM). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) method was used to evaluate the significance of input parameters affecting the energy and exergy efficiencies of the nanofluid-based PV/T system. The nanofluid mass flow rate was discovered to be having an impact on the thermal efficiency of the system. Electrical efficiency, thermal exergy efficiency, and electrical exergy efficiency were found to be greatly influenced by incident solar radiation. The percentage contribution of each factor on the output response was calculated. Input variables were optimized using the desirability function to maximize energy and exergy efficiency. The developed statistical model generated an optimum value for the mass flow rate (71.84 kgh⁻¹), the mass fraction (0.2 wt%), incident radiation (581 Wm⁻²), and inlet temperature (20 °C). The highest overall energy and exergy efficiency predicted by the model were 81.67% and 18.6%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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15 pages, 15888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Ionic Transport Using a Novel Semiconductor Co_0.6Mn_0.4Fe_0.4Al_1.6O₄ and Its Heterostructure with Zinc Oxide for Electrolyte Membrane in LT-CFCs

by Yiwang Dong, Naveed Mushtaq, Muhammad. A. K. Yousaf Shah, Muhammad Yousaf, Yuzheng Lu, Peng Cao, Qing Ma and Changhong Deng

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(12), 1887; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13121887 - 19 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1533

Abstract

Improving the ionic conductivity and slow oxygen reduction electro-catalytic activity of reactions occurring at low operating temperature would do wonders for the widespread use of low-operating temperature ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs; 450–550 °C). In this work, we present a novel semiconductor heterostructure composite made of a spinel-like structure of Co_0.6Mn_0.4Fe_0.4Al_1.6O₄ (CMFA) and ZnO, which functions as an effective electrolyte membrane for solid oxide fuel cells. For enhanced fuel cell performance at sub-optimal temperatures, the CMFA–ZnO heterostructure composite was developed. We have shown that a button-sized SOFC fueled by H₂ and ambient air can provide 835 mW/cm² of power and 2216 mA/cm² of current at 550 °C, possibly functioning down to 450 °C. In addition, the oxygen vacancy formation energy and activation energy of the CMFA–ZnO heterostructure composite is lower than those of the individual CMFA and ZnO, facilitating ion transit. The improved ionic conduction of the CMFA–ZnO heterostructure composite was investigated using several transmission and spectroscopic measures, including X-ray diffraction, photoelectron, and UV–visible spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. These findings suggest that the heterostructure approach is practical for LT-SOFCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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15 pages, 3202 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Dibenzo Crown Additive for Improving the Stability of Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells

by Miao He, Xinyu Xu, Le Zhang, Fei Lu, Chuwu Xing, Duofa Wang and Tianjin Zhang

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(11), 1751; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13111751 - 27 May 2023

Viewed by 1924

Abstract

Photovoltaics are being transformed by perovskite solar cells. The power conversion efficiency of these solar cells has increased significantly, and even higher efficiencies are possible. The scientific community has gained much attention due to perovskites’ potential. Herein, the electron-only devices were prepared by spin-coating and introducing the organic molecule dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DC) to CsPbI₂Br perovskite precursor solution. The current-voltage (I-V) and J-V curves were measured. The morphologies and elemental composition information of the samples were obtained by SEM, XRD, XPS, Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The distinct impact of organic DC molecules on the phase, morphology, and optical properties of perovskite films are examined and interpreted with experimental results. The efficiency of the photovoltaic device in the control group is 9.76%, and the device efficiency gradually increases with the increase of DC concentration. When the concentration is 0.3%, the device efficiency is the best, reaching 11.57%, short-circuit current is 14.01 mA/cm², the open circuit voltage is 1.19 V, and the fill factor is 0.7. The presence of DC molecules effectively controlled the perovskite crystallization process by inhibiting the in-situ generations of impurity phases and minimizing the defect density of the film. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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14 pages, 4931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strontium-Cobaltite-Based Perovskite (SrCoO₃) for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation Systems for Clean Water Generation

by Miao He, Muneerah Alomar, Areej S. Alqarni, Naila Arshad, Muhammad Akbar, Muhammad Yousaf, Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Yuzheng Lu and Qiang Liu

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(8), 1420; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13081420 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2662

Abstract

Solar-driven evaporation technology is often used in areas with limited access to clean water, as it provides a low-cost and sustainable method of water purification. Avoiding salt accumulation is still a substantial challenge for continuous desalination. Here, an efficient solar-driven water harvester that consists of strontium-cobaltite-based perovskite (SrCoO₃) anchored on nickel foam (SrCoO₃@NF) is reported. Synced waterways and thermal insulation are provided by a superhydrophilic polyurethane substrate combined with a photothermal layer. The structural photothermal properties of SrCoO₃ perovskite have been extensively investigated through state-of-the-art experimental investigations. Multiple incident rays are induced inside the diffuse surface, permitting wideband solar absorption (91%) and heat localization (42.01 °C @ 1 sun). Under 1 kW m⁻² solar intensity, the integrated SrCoO₃@NF solar evaporator has an outstanding evaporation rate (1.45 kg/m² h) and solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency (86.45% excluding heat losses). In addition, long-term evaporation measurements demonstrate small variance under sea water, illustrating the system’s working capacity for salt rejection (1.3 g NaCl/210 min), which is excellent for an efficient solar-driven evaporation application compared to other carbon-based solar evaporators. According to the findings of this research, this system offers significant potential for producing fresh water devoid of salt accumulation for use in industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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Review

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36 pages, 6137 KiB

Open AccessReview

Unraveling Degradation Processes and Strategies for Enhancing Reliability in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

by Syed Muhammad Kazim Abbas Naqvi, Mirza Fahad Baig, Tanveer Farid, Zahid Nazir, Syed Agha Hassnain Mohsan, Zhe Liu, Wanqing Cai and Shuai Chang

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(23), 3020; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13233020 - 25 Nov 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6085

Abstract

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have emerged as a promising technology for various applications owing to their advantages, including low-cost fabrication, flexibility, and compatibility. However, a limited lifetime hinders the practical application of OLEDs in electronic devices. OLEDs are prone to degradation effects during operation, resulting in a decrease in device lifetime and performance. This review article aims to provide an exciting overview of OLED degradation effects, highlighting the various degradation mechanisms. Subsequently, an in-depth exploration of OLEDs degradation mechanisms and failure modes is presented. Internal and external processes of degradation, as well as the reactions and impacts of some compounds on OLED performance, are then elucidated. To overcome degradation challenges, the review emphasizes the importance of utilizing state-of-the-art analytical techniques and the role of these techniques in enhancing the performance and reliability of OLEDs. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical challenges of lifetime and device stability, which are crucial for the commercialization of OLEDs. This study also explores strategies to improve OLEDs’ lifetime and stability, such as using barrier layers and encapsulation techniques. Overall, this article aims to contribute to the advancement of OLED technology and its successful integration into diverse electronic applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation)

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