Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy

MATERIALS FOR RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY is a single-blind peer-reviewed open access journal published under the SpringerOpen brand.Energy is the single ...

List of Papers (Total 300)

Incorporation of multilayered double hydroxides/sepiolite augments proton conductivity performance in low sulfonated polyether sulfone octyl sulfonamide

Low-sulfonation-level polyether sulfone octyl sulfonamide (LSPSO) was blended with a layered double hydroxides (LDHs, Mg2AlCl)/sepiolite nanostructure clay as a filler to create an electrolyte membrane for fuel cell applications. Comprehensive characterization of the composite membranes was conducted, encompassing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction...

The future of tire energy: a novel one-end cap structure for sustainable energy harvesting

Piezoelectric energy harvesting is gaining popularity as an eco-friendly solution to harvest energy from tire deformation for tire condition monitoring systems in vehicles. Traditional piezoelectric harvesters, such as cymbal and bridge structures, cannot be used inside tires due to their design limitations. The wider adoption of renewable energy sources into the energy system is...

Photoconductivity in self-assembled CuO thin films

Self-assembly is the most promising low-cost and high-throughput methodology for nanofabrication. This paper reports the optimization of a self-assembly process at room temperature for the growth of copper oxide (CuO) based nanostructures over a copper substrate using aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution as the oxidizing agent. The monoclinic phase of CuO nanostructures...

Desirable candidates for high-performance lead-free organic–inorganic halide perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are currently demonstrating tremendous potential in terms of straightforward processing, a plentiful supply of materials, and easy architectural integration, as well as high power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, the elemental composition of the widely utilized organic–inorganic halide perovskites (OIHPs) contains the hazardous lead (Pb). The...

Significant augmentation of proton conductivity in low sulfonated polyether sulfone octyl sulfonamide membranes through the incorporation of hectorite clay

An innovative methodology was employed to fabricate ion exchange membranes tailored for fuel cell applications. This approach entailed blending low sulfonated polyether sulfone octyl sulfonamide (LSPSO) with Hectorite (Hect) clay at varying weight percentages (1 wt%, 3 wt%, and 6 wt%). The resultant composite membranes underwent comprehensive characterization via Fourier...

Influence of the 3D architecture and surface roughness of SiOC anodes on bioelectrochemical system performance: a comparative study of freeze-cast, 3D-printed, and tape-cast materials with uniform composition

3D-printed anodes for bioelectrochemical systems are increasingly being reported. However, comparisons between 3D-printed anodes and their non-3D-printed counterparts with the same material composition are still lacking. In addition, surface roughness parameters that could be correlated with bioelectrochemical performance are rarely determined. To fill these gaps, slurries with...

Review of flexible perovskite solar cells for indoor and outdoor applications

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown a significant increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) under laboratory circumstances from 2006 to the present, rising from 3.8% to an astonishing 25%. This scientific breakthrough corresponds to the changing energy situation and rising industrial potential. The flexible perovskite solar cell (FPSC), which capitalizes on the benefits...

The thermophysical properties of a promising composite adsorbent based on multi-wall carbon nanotubes for heat storage

The use of energy from alternative energy sources as well as the use of waste heat are key elements of an efficient energetics. Adsorption heat storage is a technology that allows solving such problems. For the successful operation of an adsorption heat accumulator, it is necessary to analyze the thermophysical characteristics of the system under the conditions of the operating...

Production and characterization of briquettes from sugarcane bagasse of Wonji Sugar Factory, Oromia, Ethiopia

Briquetted biomass, like sugarcane bagasse, a by-product of sugar mills, is a renewable energy source. This study aimed at the production and characterization of bagasse briquettes. The production of briquettes was carried out with different blending ratios (5, 10, and 15%) and average particle sizes (0.75, 2.775, and 4.8 mm) with various binders of cow dung, waste paper, and...

Utilizing the lignocellulosic fibers from Pineapple Crown Leaves extract for enhancing TiO2 interfacial bonding in dye-sensitized solar cell photoanodes

The crown leaves of pineapple possess a wealth of smooth and glossy silk medium-length fibers, primarily composed of cellulose and lignin, accompanied by constituents such as fats, waxes, pectin, uronic acid, anhydride, pentosan, color pigments, and inorganic substances. These fibers exhibit an anisotropic nature and are characterized by hydrogen bonding interactions, rendering...

Platinum nanoparticles decorated multiwalled carbon nanotube composites as highly transparent, bifacial counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are low-cost solar energy conversion devices with variable color and transparency advantages. DSSCs

Variability of temperature on the electrical properties of heterostructured CIS/Cds through SCAPS simulation for photovoltaic applications

Renewable energy research has received tremendous attention in recent years in a quest to circumvent the current global energy crisis. This study carefully selected and simulated the copper indium sulfur ternary compound semiconductor material with cadmium sulfide owing to their advantage in photovoltaic applications. Despite the potential of the materials in photovoltaic devices...

Biodiesel production from transesterified yellow grease by ZSM-5 zeolite-supported BaO catalyst: process optimization by Taguchi’s experimental design approach

Methanolysis of yellow grease (YG) was performed to synthesize its corresponding methyl ester (YGME) using BaO loaded on ZSM-5 (BaO/ZSM-5) as a heterogeneous base catalyst that was prepared via metallic solution hydrolysis method and characterized using N2 adsorption–desorption (BET), surface basicity, XRD, TGA/DTA, SEM, FTIR and Raman techniques.### The Taguchi design approach...

Performance evaluation of solar panels under different dust accumulation conditions using thermography: focusing on PV temperature variation

Degradation performance of photovoltaic modules (SPV) by real conditions has become increasingly problematic. In dusty areas, dust accumulation is one of the main concerns that may cause a significant determination of SPV efficiency. In the current study, the effect of four dust-accumulated densities of 6, 12, 18, and 24 g/m2 have been investigated in outdoor conditions in Cairo...

Green-based modifiable CaZnBr4 for solar cells application

Future revolution in photovoltaics will be hinged mainly on cost, health implication, and material stability and performance. Based on these criteria, lead-based inorganic photovoltaics, organic–inorganic hybrid, and silicon photovoltaics are screened-out. According to the literature, the lead-free inorganic perovskite solar cell is favorably disposed to cost and safe-health...

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on critical raw material-free Fe–N–C counter electrodes

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) rely heavily on the counter electrode for their performance, which is responsible for collecting and transferring electrons generated at the photoanode. While platinum (Pt) has traditionally been used as a counter-electrode material, its cost, limited availability, and environmental concerns make it an unsuitable option for large-scale...

Selecting an appropriate machine-learning model for perovskite solar cell datasets

Utilizing artificial intelligent based algorithms in solving engineering problems is widely spread nowadays. Herein, this study provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the application of machine learning (ML) models to complex datasets in the field of solar cell power conversion efficiency (PCE). Mainly, perovskite solar cells generate three datasets, varying dataset...

Exploratory study of potential usefulness of cost-effective composites thin films for energy device

In this study, we synthesized neat and loaded lead phosphate glass (PbO–P2O5) with the inclusion of Cr, Co, Ni, and Zn using an inexpensive sol–gel technique. These composites were then deposited on silica glass substrates. Our objective was to investigate the influence of these fillers on the properties of the glass. The concentrations of the fillers were varied from 0 to 16 wt...

Low-temperature synthesis of doped MnO2–carbon dots nanocomposite: an analysis of nanostructure and electrical properties

The synthesis of δ-MnO2, δ-MnO2 carbon dots nanocomposite, and Fe/Cu-doped δ-MnO2 carbon dots nanocomposite has been successfully carried out through a stirring process at room temperature and 80 °C. The synthesized powder shows a low crystallization determined through XRD and TEM analysis. Furthermore, the carbon dots are well attached to MnO2 performing a core–shell composite...

Synthesis and application of biomass-derived magnetic biochar catalyst for simultaneous esterification and trans-esterification of waste cooking oil into biodiesel: modeling and optimization

This work created, characterized, and used a magnetic biochar catalyst that is both eco-friendly and very effective. Sugarcane bagasse was selected as primary raw material for catalyst preparation, because it is renewable and ecofriendly biomass. Catalyst created by doping sugarcane bagasse biochar with magnetic material in the form of (FeSO4·7H2O). Thermogravimetric Analysis...

Alkaline electrolysis using CuOx cathode for the conversion of carbon dioxide into liquid fuels

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 is an effective method for storing intermittent renewable energy. This could result in fuel additives and chemical feedstocks such as alcohols. A challenge of electrochemical alcohol production is the transfer of electrons and protons, as well as the formation of C–C bonds. As of now, copper-based materials are the most commonly used and effective...

A review on recent research on bio-based building materials and their applications

Bio-based materials represent a promising alternative in building envelope applications, with the aim of improving in-use energy efficiency. They have the advantage of being renewable, low embodied energy and CO2 neutral or negative. In addition, they are excellent thermal regulators. This paper presents an overview of the state-of-the-art of bio-based materials used in building...

N-type H2-doped amorphous silicon layer for solar-cell application

In this work, we report that hydrogen (H2) doped in n-type a-Si:H thin films strongly influences the electronic correlation in increasing the conversion output power of solar cells. Type n a-Si:H thin films were grown using PECVD on ITO substrates with various H2-doping, to obtain various thin films for solar-cell applications. N-type a-Si:H thin films were prepared, and then...

Modeling and simulation of biomass anaerobic digestion for high biogas yield and CO2 mineralization

Bioenergy is one of several renewable energy options derived from biomass that can help satisfy our energy needs. Anaerobic digestion is a viable method for producing bioenergy in the form of biogas from biomass. The anaerobic digestion process is challenged with low biogas recovery, and low-quality effluent or CO2 emission, which contribute to environmental pollution and the...

Development of polymer blend electrolytes for battery systems: recent progress, challenges, and future outlook

Nowadays, addressing the drawbacks of liquid electrolyte-based batteries is a hot and challenging issue, which is supposed to be fulfilled through solid electrolyte systems such as polymer electrolytes. Polymer blend electrolytes (PBEs) are widely investigated as viable options to solve the undesired characteristics of their liquid counterparts and also the poor ionic...