Let's be Positive
There are some worries about how nanotechnology will effect our environment a.k.a. nanopollution. For more on the negative impacts of nanotechnology on the environment click here. In this section we will look at the major benefits nanotechnology is bringing to our environmental issues. Nanomaterials have the potential to improve the environment through the development of new solutions to environmental problems, by direct application of nano-materials to detect, prevent and remove pollutants or by using nanotechnology to design cleaner industrial processes and and create environmentally-friendly products, [22]
Creating devices smaller than 100 nanometers opens many doors for the development of new ways to capture, store, and transfer energy. Benefits already observed from the design of these products are an increased efficiency of lighting and heating, increased electrical storage capacity, and a decrease in the amount of pollution from the use of energy.
Creating devices smaller than 100 nanometers opens many doors for the development of new ways to capture, store, and transfer energy. Benefits already observed from the design of these products are an increased efficiency of lighting and heating, increased electrical storage capacity, and a decrease in the amount of pollution from the use of energy.
Roll up Solar Cells, The Global Energy Challenge needs You
Image Courtesy of G24i.Ltd
A solar cell (also called photovoltaic cell or photoelectric cell) is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect.
IBM set a new world record for solar cell efficiency in 2010. The world record is for solar cells composed of copper, tin, zinc, sulfur, selenium, or similar materials. The new record is about 40% better than the previous best for solar cells using such materials. The efficiency rate of IBM’s new technology is 9.6%. The previous best was 6.7%. According to IBM, the only other solar cells that can boast an efficiency rate of 9 to 11% are made of extremely costly indium gallium selenide or cadmium telluride.[23]
IBM set a new world record for solar cell efficiency in 2010. The world record is for solar cells composed of copper, tin, zinc, sulfur, selenium, or similar materials. The new record is about 40% better than the previous best for solar cells using such materials. The efficiency rate of IBM’s new technology is 9.6%. The previous best was 6.7%. According to IBM, the only other solar cells that can boast an efficiency rate of 9 to 11% are made of extremely costly indium gallium selenide or cadmium telluride.[23]
The image above is of the first commercial flexible lightweight cell produced by G24 Innovation on a large scale for use as telephone chargers, G24 has been the first to realize large-scale, role to role production of lightweight flexible cells, which are sold presently on the market for mobile telephone charging. G24 said the module (pictured above) generates electricity both indoors and out to recharge devices such as mobile phones, cameras and portable LED lights. It is produced using a “roll-to-roll” manufacturing process. This was brought out in 2009.
Even more innovative; researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have developed an inexpensive solar cell that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets. “The process is simple,” said lead researcher and author Somenath Mitra, PhD, professor and acting chair of NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. “Someday homeowners will even be able to print sheets of these solar cells with inexpensive home-based inkjet printers. Consumers can then slap the finished product on a wall, roof or billboard to create their own power stations.” Application of this DSC (Dye Sensitive Cell) in building integrated PV has already started and will become a fertile field of future commercial development.[24]
Global Photonic Energy Corporation says that you can use a spray painting method to paint their solar cells onto a car or other places that use spray paint, such as cell phone cases. The paint can come in virtually any color. They want to license their PowerPaint solar cells to manufacturers, but so far, they haven’t announced which car manufacturer will be the first to use it.
The rate at which developments are occurring in the field of solar cells and solar power is becoming increasingly expeditious. Every week there seems to be new developments and improvements in the world of solar cells. Watch this space for updates.
Even more innovative; researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have developed an inexpensive solar cell that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets. “The process is simple,” said lead researcher and author Somenath Mitra, PhD, professor and acting chair of NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. “Someday homeowners will even be able to print sheets of these solar cells with inexpensive home-based inkjet printers. Consumers can then slap the finished product on a wall, roof or billboard to create their own power stations.” Application of this DSC (Dye Sensitive Cell) in building integrated PV has already started and will become a fertile field of future commercial development.[24]
Global Photonic Energy Corporation says that you can use a spray painting method to paint their solar cells onto a car or other places that use spray paint, such as cell phone cases. The paint can come in virtually any color. They want to license their PowerPaint solar cells to manufacturers, but so far, they haven’t announced which car manufacturer will be the first to use it.
The rate at which developments are occurring in the field of solar cells and solar power is becoming increasingly expeditious. Every week there seems to be new developments and improvements in the world of solar cells. Watch this space for updates.
The Fuel Cell
Definition: A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by a chemical reaction. Every fuel cell has two electrodes, one positive and one negative, called, respectively, the anode and cathode. The reactions that produce electricity take place at the electrodes. [25]
Small fuel cells are being developed which lend themselves to eliminating the use of batteries in PDAs and other handheld devices such as laptops. Companies are calling them direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) as methanol is the fuel of choice. DMFCs last longer than conventional batteries and can be plugged in and out in order of required usage, which means no more plugging in of devices to electrical outlets. In 2007, Angela Belcher of MIT developed a new battery using an environmentally harmless virus, demonstrating that biotechnology and nanotechnology will become closely intertwined.
Small fuel cells are being developed which lend themselves to eliminating the use of batteries in PDAs and other handheld devices such as laptops. Companies are calling them direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) as methanol is the fuel of choice. DMFCs last longer than conventional batteries and can be plugged in and out in order of required usage, which means no more plugging in of devices to electrical outlets. In 2007, Angela Belcher of MIT developed a new battery using an environmentally harmless virus, demonstrating that biotechnology and nanotechnology will become closely intertwined.
There are also fuel cells (in which hydrogen is the fuel of choice) in development which are proposed to replace batteries in electric cars. It is estimated that widespread usage of these hydrogen powered cars will occur around 2020. Researchers attempt to perfect the hydrogen fuel cell for use in cars and other vehicles, a far cleaner and hopefully more efficient source of power for transportation.[26] The major obstacles to widespread use of hydrogen fuel cell–powered cars in the next few years are the lack of a network of hydrogen fuel stations, the high cost of hydrogen fuel cells, and the need for lightweight and safe hydrogen fuel tanks
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Water Treatment
Advocates of nanotechnology suggest that this area of research could contribute to solutions for some of the major problems we face on the global scale such as ensuring a supply of safe drinking water for a growing population, as well as addressing issues in medicine, energy, and agriculture. Nanoparticles can be used to convert pollutants to less harmful chemicals in the environment using the properties of large surface area, high reactivity and enhanced transport of nanoparticles. For instance, zero-valent iron nanoparticles have been used primarily in the United States to remediate ground water contaminated with chlorinated carbon compounds and for the removal of arsenic from anoxic groundwater. Dendrimers can be used for chelating metal ions such as Cu(II), Ag(I), Fe(III) and so on from the aqueous phase and from soils (Xu and Zhao, 2006)
Nanosensors and semi-conductor nanostructures can play an important role in developing smart materials that can simultaneoulsy sense and destroy contaminants from the environment (Kamat and Meisel, 2003). With these degradation becomes operational only when contaminants are sensed.
Nanosensors and semi-conductor nanostructures can play an important role in developing smart materials that can simultaneoulsy sense and destroy contaminants from the environment (Kamat and Meisel, 2003). With these degradation becomes operational only when contaminants are sensed.
Improvements Nanoparticle by Nanoparticle
- Cerium oxide nanoparticles can be used as additive in diesel and diesel-biodiesel-ethanol blend to improve complete combustion of the fuel and reduce the exhaust emissions significantly [27].
- Nanoparticles in paint technology offer the possibility of thinner, and therefore lighter, coatings, which could reduce, for example, the weight of aircraft, increase fuel efficiency and so reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
- More efficient windmills
- Advanced filtration may enable more water recycling and desalination, which enable more energy-efficient water purification (Miyaki et al. , 2000) .
- Nanoparticles in paint technology offer the possibility of thinner, and therefore lighter, coatings, which could reduce, for example, the weight of aircraft, increase fuel efficiency and so reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
- More efficient windmills
- Advanced filtration may enable more water recycling and desalination, which enable more energy-efficient water purification (Miyaki et al. , 2000) .
Batteries
The US-based Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. has developed battery electrode materials that bring about a three-fold increase in the power observed in the existing lithium ion batteries. In addition to having the advantage of recharge times measured in a few minutes rather than hours, these batteries would cost the same as lithium ion batteries available in the market. Altair Nanotechnologies Inc policy:
''Whether it’s reducing our dependencies on coal-fired generation facilities, reducing carbon emissions, or accelerating the adoption of renewable integration and alternative-fuel vehicles, Altairnano is helping to achieve sustainable, and economically sensible, power and energy management practices.''[28]
''Whether it’s reducing our dependencies on coal-fired generation facilities, reducing carbon emissions, or accelerating the adoption of renewable integration and alternative-fuel vehicles, Altairnano is helping to achieve sustainable, and economically sensible, power and energy management practices.''[28]
Cracking Cellulose
Cracking Cellulose
Scientists from the University of York have played a pivotal role in a discovery which could finally unlock the full potential of waste plant matter to replace oil as a fuel source. Professor Paul Walton and Professor Gideon Davies, of the University's Department of Chemistry, were part of an international team that has found a method to overcome the chemical intractability of cellulose, thus allowing it to be converted efficiently into bioethanol. They identified the molecular mechanism behind an enzyme found in fungi which can degrade the cellulose chains of plant cell walls to release shorter sugars for biofuels. . This represents a major breakthrough as cellulose is the world's most abundant biopolymer. Global generation of cellulose is equivalent in energy to 670 billion barrels of oil -- some 20 times the current annual global oil consumption. The discovery opens the way for the industrial production of fuels and chemicals from plentiful and renewable cellulose in waste plant matter. - ScienceDaily, Aug. 31, 2011