Starting from the traditional enzyme-based biosensing method to functionalized nanostructure-based sensors, this book provides a detailed overview of some of the advanced sensing methodologies based on photonic crystal cavity-based sensing devices. The authors have compiled the book keeping in mind the extraordinary success history of nanomaterials, their current strategical exploitation, and an unprecedented pool of possibilities they hold for the future. The book looks at the various sensors, such as for biosensing, electrochemical sensing, gas sensing, photo-electrochemical sensing, and colorimetric sensing, all of which have shown potential.

This new volume discusses new and well-known electrochemical energy harvesting, conversion, and storage techniques. It provides significant insight into the current progress being made in this field and suggests plausible solutions to the future energy crisis along with approaches to mitigate environmental degradation caused by energy generation, production, and storage. Topics in Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems for Future Sustainability: Technological Advancements address photoelectrochemical catalysis by ZnO, hydrogen oxidation reaction for fuel cell application, and miniaturized energy storage devices in the form of micro-supercapacitors. The volume looks at the underlying mechanisms and acquired first-hand information on how to overcome some of the critical bottlenecks to achieve long-term and reliable energy solutions. The detailed synthesis processes that have been tried and tested over time through rigorous attempts of many researchers can help in selecting the most effective and economical ways to achieve maximum output and efficiency, without going through time-consuming and complex steps. The theoretical analyses and computational results corroborate the experimental findings for better and reliable energy solutions.

This new volume discusses new and well-known electrochemical energy harvesting, conversion, and storage techniques. It provides significant insight into the current progress being made in this field and suggests plausible solutions to the future energy crisis along with approaches to mitigate environmental degradation caused by energy generation, production, and storage. Topics in Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems for Future Sustainability: Technological Advancements address photoelectrochemical catalysis by ZnO, hydrogen oxidation reaction for fuel cell application, and miniaturized energy storage devices in the form of micro-supercapacitors. The volume looks at the underlying mechanisms and acquired first-hand information on how to overcome some of the critical bottlenecks to achieve long-term and reliable energy solutions. The detailed synthesis processes that have been tried and tested over time through rigorous attempts of many researchers can help in selecting the most effective and economical ways to achieve maximum output and efficiency, without going through time-consuming and complex steps. The theoretical analyses and computational results corroborate the experimental findings for better and reliable energy solutions.

This book covers the recent development of metal oxides, hydroxides and their carbon composites for electrochemical oxidation of water in the production of hydrogen and oxygen as fuels. It includes a detailed discussion on synthesis methodologies for the metal oxides/hydroxides, structural/morphological characterizations, and the key parameters (Tafel plot, Turnover frequency, Faradic efficiency, overpotential, long cycle life etc.) needed to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity of the materials. Additionally, the mechanism behind the electro oxidation process is presented. Readers will find a comprehensive source on the close correlation between metal oxides, hydroxides, composites, and their properties and importance in the generation of hydrogen and oxygen from water. The depletion of fossil fuels from the earth's crust, and related environmental issues such as climate change, demand that we search for alternative energy resources to achieve some form of sustainable future. In this regard, much scientific research has been devoted to technologies such as solar cells, wind turbines, fuel cells etc. Among them fuel cells attract much attention because of their versatility and efficiency. In fuel cells, different fuels such as hydrogen, CO2, alcohols, acids, methane, oxygen/air, etc. are used as the fuel, and catalysts are employed to produce a chemical reaction for generating electricity. Hence, it is very important to produce these fuels in an efficient, eco-friendly, and cost effective manner. The electrochemical splitting of water is an environmentally friendly process to produce hydrogen (the greener fuel used in fuel cells), but the efficiencies of these hydrogen evolution reactions (cathodic half reaction) are strongly dependent on the anodic half reaction (oxygen evolution reaction), i.e., the better the anodic half, the better will be the cathodic reaction. Further, this oxygen evolution reaction depends on the types of active electrocatalysts used. Though many more synthetic approaches have been explored and different electrocatalysts developed, oxide and hydroxide-based nanomaterials and composites (with graphene, carbon nanotubes etc.) show better performance. This may be due to the availability of more catalytic surface area and electro active centers to carry out the catalysis process.

Rapid growth in the research and development of clean energy storage techniques has yielded a significant number of electrochemically active compounds/materials possessing enormous potential to facilitate the fabrication of next generation devices such as the supercapacitor. This Brief describes recent progress in the field of metal-ion based hybrid electrical energy storage devices, with emphasis on the effect of different metal ions and other constituent components on the overall electrochemical performance of battery-supercapacitor hybrids (BSHs). Although significant efforts have been made to create an effective electrical energy storage system that would have the energy density of a battery and the power density of a supercapacitor, persistent challenges still lie in combining these two altogether different systems to form a cost-effective and safe storage device. Detailed comparisons of output performance and longevity (in terms of cyclic stability) are provided, including device fabrication cost and safety. Of the several proposed schematics/prototypes, hybrid supercapacitors, with both carbon-based EDLC electrode and pure faradic (battery type) electrode can work in tandem to yield high energy densities with little degradation in specific power. As a promising electric energy storage device, supercapacitors address several critical issues in various fields of applications from miniaturized electronic devices and wearable electronics to power hungry heavy automobiles. Depending on the electrode configuration and other controlling parameters, these BSHs can have contrasting performance statistics. Metal ion BSHs such as Li+, Na+, Mg+2, Zn+2 etc., acid-alkaline BSHs, and redox electrolyte based BSHs all represent recent approaches, with BSHs based on metal ions, particularly Lithium, of particular interest because of the extreme popularity of Li-ion based batteries. This book is written for a broad readership of graduate students and academic and industrial researchers who are concerned with the growth and development of sustainable energy systems where efficient and cost-effective storage is key.