One-Dimensional (1D) Nanostructured Materials for Energy Applications

Abstract

At present, the world is at the peak of production of traditional fossil fuels. Much of the resources that humanity has been consuming (oil, coal, and natural gas) are coming to an end. The human being faces a future that must necessarily go through a paradigm shift, which includes a progressive movement towards increasingly less polluting and energetically viable resources. In this sense, nanotechnology has a transcendental role in this change. For decades, new materials capable of being used in energy processes have been synthesized, which undoubtedly will be the cornerstone of the future development of the planet. In this review, we report on the current progress in the synthesis and use of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructured materials (specifically nanowires, nanofibers, nanotubes, and nanorods), with compositions based on oxides, nitrides, or metals, for applications related to energy. Due to its extraordinary surface–volume relationship, tunable thermal and transport properties, and its high surface area, these 1D nanostructures have become fundamental elements for the development of energy processes. The most relevant 1D nanomaterials, their different synthesis procedures, and useful methods for assembling 1D nanostructures in functional devices will be presented. Applications in relevant topics such as optoelectronic and photochemical devices, hydrogen production, or energy storage, among others, will be discussed. The present review concludes with a forecast on the directions towards which future research could be directed on this class of nanostructured materials.

All Shapes and Phases of Nanometer-Sized Iron Oxides Made from Natural Sources and Waste Material via Green Synthesis Approach: A Review

“…57,58 From their structure, 1D materials are grown in only one crystallization direction. Several names can represent 1D materials, 59 namely, nanowire, 60 nanorods, 61 nanoribbon, 62 nanobelt, 63 and nanotubes. 64 Uniquely, iron oxide is one of the materials that can easily be synthesized in 1D form, 65 as shown in Figure 3b.…”

“…From a physics point of view, low-dimensional (1D) materials refer to the meaning of the nanomaterials having a shape that allows the electron to move freely only in one direction and confines it across two directions. , From their structure, 1D materials are grown in only one crystallization direction. Several names can represent 1D materials, namely, nanowire, nanorods, nanoribbon, nanobelt, and nanotubes . Uniquely, iron oxide is one of the materials that can easily be synthesized in 1D form, as shown in Figure b.…”

A Comprehensive Study of Synthesis and Analysis of Anisotropic Iron Oxide and Oxyhydroxide Nanoparticles

“…Recently, one-dimensional (1D) nanosized structures (nanorods, nanowires, nanoellipsoids, nanoneedles) including iron oxides and oxyhydroxides have been in the focus of scientific research due to their fundamental importance and practical significance for materials science and medicine [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. For example, magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanorods have found many applications in industry as magnetic storage devices, catalysts, cooling devices, gas sensors, electrodes in lithium-ion batteries, as well as in various medical diagnostics contexts [ 5 , 6 ].…”

Charge Transport Dynamics in Microwave Synthesized One-Dimensional Molybdenum Chalcogenides

“…To this end, metal chalcogenides are exceptionally promising, because of their readily interchangeable binary and ternary compositions, their tendency to form well-defined 0D–3D dimensionalities at different composition thresholds, as well as their proven applications in electronics, − energy conversion, ,− and energy storage. ,, While much attention has been afforded to understand composition-dependent properties in transition-metal dichalcogenides (MX 2 ; M = transition metal; X = S, Se, Te) in particular, ,,,,, far fewer experimental investigations have been dedicated to understanding ternary chalcogenides such as the interesting one-dimensional (1D) M 2 Mo 6 X 6 (M= alkali metal; X = S, Se, Te) system, also known as pseudo-Chevrel–Phases (PCPs). − Besides the interesting properties associated with 1D systems due to electron confinement, − PCPs have been identified as alternative materials for nanodevices, because of their predicted high elasticity, stiffness, thermal stability, and conductivity. , Furthermore, properties that lend themselves to composites, , sensors, and photovoltaic devices have also been explored for this family of materials.…”