Nanomaterials for Solar Applications

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that nanomaterials with sizes ranging from a few nanometers to a thousand nanometers possess unique physical and chemical properties. For example, the nanomaterials can exhibit optical, mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and eletrochemical properties which are different from their bulk counterparties due to their high surface area and nanometer scale size. The electronic structure, localized vibration, and interfaces of nanomaterials lead to these unique properties with potential applications in many emerging areas.

One of the important applications of nanomaterials is for solar energy harvesting, which has been a key research area over the last 10 years. As the most clean and abundant energy source, solar energy is the ultimate solution to address the global energy needs. The current research covers the whole spectrum of solar energy related topics from energy storage to conversion of solar energy to different formats, such as thermal, electricity, chemical energy, hydrogen, and so on. Although much effort has been devoted to the use of nanomaterials for solar applications, there are still many grand challenges to overcome before large-scale practical applications, especially regarding the stability, efficiency, lifespan, and cost of those devices.

This Special Issue aims to publish original research and review articles in the broad area of nanomaterials for solar applications. The goal is to address the aforementioned challenges for expediting applications. Researchers are invited to submit their contributions to this Special Issue for any research on materials, designs, and understandings related to solar energy applications using nanomaterials. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Solar fuel production;
• Solar to chemical energy conversion;
• Solar cells;
• Solar energy storage;
• Solar water sterilization;
• Solar hydrogen evolution/oxygen reduction;
• Solar water evaporation;
• Solar thermal energy.

Prof. Dr. Jingbiao Cui
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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.