Advanced Materials for Clean Energy

Research for clean energy is booming, driven by the rapid depletion of fossil fuels and growing environmental concerns as well as the increasing growth of mobile electronic devices. Consequently, various research fields have focused on the development of high-performance materials for alternative energy technologies.Advanced Materials for Clean Energy surveys the key developments in the science and engineering of the state-of-the-art materials for clean energy. The book provides a broad overview of materials for photovoltaics, solar energy conversion, thermoelectrics, piezoelectrics, supercapacitors, rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, and hydrogen production and storage.Each of these topics is covered by an experienced international group of contributors, all of whom are experts in their respective fields. The books gives you a valuable information for maximizing the efficiency of alternative energy approaches.

Qiang Xu is a chief senior researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and adjunct professor at Kobe University in Japan. He received his PhD in physical chemistry in 1994 from Osaka University in Japan. After working as a postdoctoral fellow at Osaka University, he became a research scientist at the Osaka National Research Institute (ONRI). Dr. Xu’s research interests include porous materials and nanostructured materials and related functional applications, especially for clean energy.Tetsuhiko Kobayashi is the director general for Environment and Energy Research at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan. He received his PhD in electrochemistry from Osaka University in Japan. After working as a JSPS postdoctoral fellow at Osaka University, he became a research scientist at the Government Industrial Research Institute of Osaka (GIRIO). He worked as group leader at the Osaka National Research Institute (ONRI) and as director of the Special Division for Green Life Technology, Research Institute for Ubiquitous Energy Devices, and Kansai Research Center in the AIST. He also worked as a guest professor in Kyoto, Kobe, and Osaka Universities. Dr. Kobayashi’s research interests include electrochemistry, catalytic chemistry, and materials chemistry, especially for clean energy applications.