Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Energy Harvesting

The rapid advancement in technologies and a surge in the global population with the swift Industrialization led to severe challenges in fulfilling global energy demand. In the last few decades, researchers have been fiercely looking for the development of sustainable energy sources to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality and green energy generation. Among the various approaches to green energy generation, solar and thermoelectric conversions are the most lucrative. In both solar and thermoelectric means of energy generation, direct conversion of sunlight and temperature gradient into useful electricity is possible without involving heavy mechanical instruments or hazardous gases, which makes it more robust and prone to environmental degradation. Despite the several advantages, solar cell and thermoelectric power generation are still suffering from the challenges of low power conversion efficiency and long-term stability. In 2004, graphene was discovered, ushering in a new age of 2D materials research. The family of two-dimensional materials has been intensively explored in recent years as a reliable and effective alternative material for numerous applications, including thermoelectric power conversion and solar cell components, due to their distinctive material features. Geometric symmetry has a big impact on the electrical characteristics of 2D layered nanomaterials because they are highly sensitive to structural perfection. Numerous nanomaterials have recently been exfoliated, and computational predictions have been made for their potential applications in solar cells and thermoelectric generators. In this chapter, we will basically discuss the insight of emerging nano-materials, their key properties, and applications for designing renewable energy devices. The ultra-thin layer-based solar cells and nano-materials-based thermoelectric generators will also be introduced as a section of the chapter. The concept of emerging classes of nano-materials such as Janus monolayers, van-der Waals structures, and group-IV chalcogenides further piques the interest of the reader to learn about the different perspectives of nano-materials and nano-devices.