Nanomaterials for sustainable energy production and storage: Present day applications and possible developments

Abstract

Currently used technologies in energy industry are oftentimes potentially harmful for the environment and/or not sustainable in the long run (e.g. fossil and mineral based fuels, nuclear energy). Therefore the oncoming energy crisis must be solved by developing new sustainable energy supply that has lower or, preferably, negligible impact on the environment. Any new sustainable energy solutions will have to envelope three important sets of technologies: production, storage and transportation. Additionally, in order to determine whether these solutions are truly sustainable, adequate life cycle assessment methodology (LCA) needs to be developed and properly applied. This article gives a general survey of state of the art and current research trends in application of nanostructured materials for sustainable energy production, storage and transportation, as well as review of LCA methodology implemented in this domain. A special attention is given to already existent applications and possible future developments of nanotechnology for solar energy production, hydrogen economy, batteries and electrical energy transmission.