Functional Scanning Probe Imaging of Nanostructured Solar Energy Materials

Combined Scanning Probe Microscopy and Confocal Raman Spectroscopy for Functional Imaging of the Layered Materials

Comprehensive investigations of the nano-structured materials and devices are impossible without development of the modern investigative techniques, allowing noninvasive imaging of the processes defining materials functionality on the nanoscale. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is one of such paradigmatic tools. Since its development, about thirty years ago, it has given rise to numerous ancilla...

Functional Nanostructured Molecular Materials

The Electrochemical Society Interface • Fall 2001 here has been tremendous recent interest in the design and assembly of porous nanostructured materials.1 Synthetic approaches range from coordination-polymer formation to surfactant-templated alumino-silicate growth to semiconductor nanoparticle aggregation, while functions include chemical catalysis, chemical sensing, energy storage, and energy...

Selective Solar Absorber Materials: Nanostructured Surfaces

Current solar to thermal energy conversion technologies, including concentrated solar power (CSP) and solar water heaters (SWH) utilize absorber surfaces that collect incident solar radiation. However, these absorber surfaces emit thermal energy (at their temperature) in the infrared (IR) spectrum, resulting in decreased overall efficiency for solar-to-thermal conversion. Selective absorber sur...

Theory of solar energy materials.

Thermoelectric energy conversion using nanostructured materials

High performance thermoelectric materials in a wide range of temperatures are essential to broaden the application spectrum of thermoelectric devices. This paper presents experiments on the power and efficiency characteristics of lowand mid-temperature thermoelectric materials. We show that as long as an appreciable temperature difference can be created over a short thermoelectric leg, good pow...