Waste-Derived Catalysts for Water Electrolysis:Circular Economy-Driven Sustainable Green Hydrogen Energy

The sustainable production of green hydrogen via water electrolysis necessitates cost-effective electrocatalysts.By following the circular economy principle,the utilization of waste-derived catalysts significantly promotes the sustainable development of green hydrogen energy.Currently,diverse waste-derived catalysts have exhibited excellent catalytic performance toward hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),oxygen evolution reaction(OER),and overall water electrolysis(OWE).Herein,we systematically examine recent achievements in waste-derived electrocatalysts for water electrolysis.The general principles of water electrolysis and design principles of efficient electrocatalysts are discussed,followed by the illustration of current strategies for transforming wastes into electrocatalysts.Then,applications of waste-derived catalysts(i.e.,carbon-based catalysts,transitional metal-based catalysts,and carbon-based heterostructure catalysts)in HER,OER,and OWE are reviewed successively.An emphasis is put on correlating the catalysts’structure-performance relationship.Also,challenges and research directions in this booming field are finally highlighted.This review would provide useful insights into the design,synthesis,and applications of waste-derived electrocatalysts,and thus accelerate the development of the circular economy-driven green hydrogen energy scheme.

Recent advances in graphene-based phase change composites for thermal energy storage and management

Energy storage and conservation are receiving increased attention due to rising global energy demands.Therefore,the development of energy storage materials is crucial.Thermal energy storage(TES)systems based on phase change materials(PCMs)have increased in prominence over the past two decades,not only because of their outstanding heat storage capacities but also their superior thermal energy regulation capability.However,issues such as leakage and low thermal conductivity limit their applicability in a variety of settings.Carbon-based materials such as graphene and its derivatives can be utilized to surmount these obstacles.This study examines the recent advancements in graphene-based phase change composites(PCCs),where graphene-based nanostructures such as graphene,graphene oxide(GO),functionalized graphene/GO,and graphene aerogel(GA)are incorporated into PCMs to substantially enhance their shape stability and thermal conductivity that could be translated to better storage capacity,durability,and temperature response,thus boosting their attractiveness for TES systems.In addition,the applications of these graphene-based PCCs in various TES disciplines,such as energy conservation in buildings,solar utilization,and battery thermal management,are discussed and summarized.

Sustainable Energy Management with Traffic Prediction Strategy for Autonomous Vehicle Systems

Recent advancements of the intelligent transportation system(ITS)provide an effective way of improving the overall efficiency of the energy management strategy(EMSs)for autonomous vehicles(AVs).The use of AVs possesses many advantages such as congestion control,accident prevention,and etc.However,energy management and traffic flow prediction(TFP)still remains a challenging problem in AVs.The complexity and uncertainties of driving situations adequately affect the outcome of the designed EMSs.In this view,this paper presents novel sustainable energy management with traffic flow prediction strategy(SEM-TPS)for AVs.The SEM-TPS technique applies type II fuzzy logic system(T2FLS)energy management scheme to accomplish the desired engine torque based on distinct parameters.In addition,the membership functions of the T2FLS scheme are chosen optimally using the barnacles mating optimizer(BMO).For accurate TFP,the bidirectional gated recurrent neural network(Bi-GRNN)model is used in AVs.A comprehensive experimental validation process is performed and the results are inspected with respect to several evaluation metrics.The experimental outcomes highlighted the supreme performance of the SEM-TPS technique over the recent state of art approaches.

Case Study:Promoting Sustainable Energy Greenhouse Heating Systems to Small-Scale Local Farms

Biomass energy generated from livestock manure,other agricultural by-products and food waste can be an affordable greenhouse-heating energy source for those seeking lower energy costs.Appalachian State University,North Carolina(NC),USA,has built a 6.1 m×9.1 m greenhouse,called the“Nexus”to test the integrated sustainable energy heating system for growing season extension with less energy cost.This is done by using on-farm biomass resources/wastes such as agricultural waste and wood chips to produce energy coupled with solar water heating to store and supplement required thermal inputs.Growing season extension with heated greenhouses increases the availability of local food throughout the year,expands available markets and increases farmers’profits.Nexus includes an above ground 5,680-L water storage tank and an aquaculture pond.It is supported by a small-scale pyrolysis system,an anaerobic digestion system,solar thermal and compost heating.The preliminary result showed that compared to a conventional space heating system,about 30%of energy was saved to keep the greenhouse temperature available for growing by radiation from the water storage tank.The main purpose of this study was to test the proposed greenhouse heating systems developed at Nexus by implementing pilot systems on two local farms.Pyrolysis and solar thermal system in conjunction with heat storage and delivery system for each farm were built and tested in order to demonstrate how to reduce greenhouse energy use.This paper describes the results of the case study,which showed significant energy savings that can promote the resource-limited farmers’interest.

Special Issue on New Concepts and Advances in Photocatalytic Materials for Sustainable Energy

The use of solar energy to drive the chemical and energy processes,and the chemical storage of solar energy are the key elements to move to a low-carbon economy,sustainable society and to foster energy transition.For this reason,there is a fast-growing scientific interest on this subject,which is part of the general effort for a solar-driven chemistry and energy,the chemistry of the future.To realize this

Study on Energy Issues Regarding Sustainable Economic Development of China

1 Overview on China's Energy Development Over the past twenty years China has made astonishing achievements in the energy domain and the total output of coal, electricity and petroleum ranked respectively the first,second and fifth place in the world.……

Historical Review of Hydrogen Energy Storage Technology

Hydrogen energy as a sustainable energy source has most recently become an increasingly important renewable energy resource due to its ability to power fuel cells in zero-emission vehicles and its help in lowering the levels of CO2 emissions. Also, hydrogen has a high energy density and can be utilized in a wide range of applications. It is indeed the fuel of the future but, it is still not entirely apparent how to analyze the most successful ways for hydrogen storage based on technological configuration, nature, and efficiency mechanisms. The historical hydrogen storage technologies as they are presented by the current research have been evaluated, analyzed, and examined in this study. The two categories of hydrogen storage systems are physical-based and material-based.The first category involves storing hydrogen as liquid, cold/cryo-compressed, and compressed gas. Chemical sorption/chemisorption and physical sorption/physisorption are the two primary sub-groups of material-based storage, respectively. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of storage technologies for hydrogen are evaluated in this paper. Also, this report reviews the major safety and reliability issues currently facing hydrogen storage systems. Suggestions are made to assist lay the groundwork for future risk and reliability analysis to ensure safe, dependable operation.

A perspective on carbon materials for future energy application

Nanocarbon materials play a critical role in the development of new or improved technologies and devices for sustainable production and use of renewable energy. This perspective paper defines some of the trends and outlooks in this exciting area, with the effort of evidencing some of the possibilities offered from the growing level of knowledge, as testified from the exponentially rising number of publications, and putting bases for a more rational design of these nanomaterials. The basic members of the new carbon family are fullerene, graphene, and carbon nanotube. Derived from them are carbon quantum dots, nanohorn, nanofiber, nano ribbon, nanocapsulate, nanocage and other nanomorphologies. Second generation nanocarbons are those which have been modified by surface functionalization or doping with heteroatoms to create specific tailored properties. The third generation of nanocarbons is the nanoarchitectured supramolecular hybrids or composites of the first and second genera- tion nanocarbons, or with organic or inorganic species. The advantages of the new carbon materials, relating to the field of sustainable energy, are discussed, evidencing the unique properties that they offer for developing next generation solar devices and energy storage solutions.

Present and Future of Phase‑Selectively Disordered Blue TiO2 for Energy and Society Sustainability

Titanium dioxide(TiO2)has garnered attention for its promising photocatalytic activity,energy storage capability,low cost,high chemical stability,and nontoxicity.However,conventional TiO2 has low energy harvesting efficiency and charge separation ability,though the recently developed black TiO2 formed under high temperature or pressure has achieved elevated performance.The phase-selectively ordered/disordered blue TiO2(BTO),which has visible-light absorption and efficient exciton disassociation,can be formed under normal pressure and temperature(NPT)conditions.This perspective article first discusses TiO2 materials development milestones and insights of the BTO structure and construction mechanism.Then,current applications of BTO and potential extensions are summarized and suggested,respectively,including hydrogen(H2)production,carbon dioxide(CO2)and nitrogen(N2)reduction,pollutant degradation,microbial disinfection,and energy storage.Last,future research prospects are proposed for BTO to advance energy and environmental sustainability by exploiting different strategies and aspects.The unique NPT-synthesized BTO can offer more societally beneficial applications if its potential is fully explored by the research community.

Effects of sustained cold and heat stress on energy intake, growth and mitochondrial function of broiler chickens

To study the correlation of broiler chickens with energy intake, growth and mitochondrial function which exposed to sustained cold and heat stress and to find out the comfortable temperature, 288 broiler chickens（21-day with（748±26） g, 144 males and 144 females） were divided randomly into six temperature-controlled chambers. Each chamber contained six cages including eight AA broilers per cage, each cage as a repeat. After acclimation for one week（temperature, 21℃; relative humidity, 60%）, the temperature of each chamber was adjusted（finished within 1 h） respectively to 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, or 30℃（RH, 60%） for a 14-day experimental period. After treatment, gross energy intake（GEI）, metabolizable energy intake（MEI）, the ratio of MEI/BW, metabolizability, average daily gain（ADG）, the concentration of liver mitochondria protein and cytochrome c oxidase（CCO） were measured respectively. Our results confirmed that when the temperature over 26℃ for 14 days, GEI, MEI and CCO activities were decreased significantly（P〈0.05）, but the concentration of liver mitochondria protein was increased and metabolizability of broilers was not influenced（P〉0.05）. Compared with treatment for 14 days, the ratio of MEI/body weight（BW） were also decreased when the temperature over 26℃ after temperature stress for 7 days（P〈0.05）, meanwhile mitochondrial protein concentration was increased at 10℃ and CCO activity was not affected（P〉0.05）. Additionally at 22℃, the ADG reached the maximal value. When kept in uncomfortable temperatures for a long time, the ADG and CCO activities of broiler were reduced, which was accompanied by mitochondrial hyperplasia. In summary, our study focused on the performance of broilers during sustained cold and heat environmental temperatures ranging from 10 to 30℃. From the point of view of energy utilization, moreover, 22 to 26℃ is comfortable for 28–42 day s broilers. And these could provide the theoretical basis on the high efficient production.

The energy-chemistry nexus: A vision of the future from sustainability perspective

The changing energy-chemistry nexus is discussed in this perspective paper about the future of sustainable energy and chemical production to identify the priorities and open issues on which focus research and development. Topics discussed regard （i） the new sustainable energy scenario, （ii） the role of energy storage （from smart grids to chemical storage of energy）, （iii） the outlooks and role of solar （bio）refineries and solar fuels, （iv） how to integrate hio- and solar-refineries to move to new economy, （v） the role of methanol at the crossover of new energy-chemistry nexus, （vi） the role of chemistry in this new scenario, （vii） the role of nanomaterials for a sustainable energy, （viii） the use of nanocarbons to design advanced energy conversion and storage devices, and （ix） possibilities and routes to exploit solar energy and methane （shale gas）. The contribution provides a glimpse of the emerging directions and routes with some elements about their possible role in the future scenario, but does not orovide a detailed analysis of the state of the art in these directions

Integration of data-intensive,machine learning and robotic experimental approaches for accelerated discovery of catalysts in renewable energy-related reactions

Technological advancements in recent decades have greatly transformed the field of material chemistry.Juxtaposing the accentuating energy demand with the pollution associated,urgent measures are required to ensure energy maximization,while reducing the extended experimental time cycle involved in energy production.In lieu of this,the prominence of catalysts in chemical reactions,particularly energy related reactions cannot be undermined,and thus it is critical to discover and design catalyst,towards the optimization of chemical processes and generation of sustainable energy.Most recently,artificial intelligence(AI)has been incorporated into several fields,particularly in advancing catalytic processes.The integration of intensive data set,machine learning models and robotics,provides a very powerful tool in modifying material synthesis and optimization by generating multifarious dataset amenable with machine learning techniques.The employment of robots automates the process of dataset and machine learning models integration in screening intermetallic surfaces of catalyst,with extreme accuracy and swiftness comparable to a number of human researchers.Although,the utilization of robots in catalyst discovery is still in its infancy,in this review we summarize current sway of artificial intelligence in catalyst discovery,briefly describe the application of databases,machine learning models and robots in this field,with emphasis on the consolidation of these monomeric units into a tripartite flow process.We point out current trends of machine learning and hybrid models of first principle calculations(DFT)for generating dataset,which is integrable into autonomous flow process of catalyst discovery.Also,we discuss catalyst discovery for renewable energy related reactions using this tripartite flow process with predetermined descriptors.

Sustainability of Wind Energy under Changing Wind Regimes—A Case Study

A method was introduced to assess the sustainability of energy production over the lifetime (~20 y) of wind turbines. Community Earth System Model simulations were downscaled for the tourist seasons (mid-May to mid-September) of 2006 to 2012 (CESM-P1) and 2026 to 2032 (CESM-P2) to obtain a reference and projected wind-speed climatology, respectively. The wind speeds served to calculate the potential power output and capacity factors of seven turbine types. CESM-P1 wind-speed climatology, power output, and capacity factors were compared to those derived from wind speeds obtained by numerical weather forecasts for reference to known standard to wind-farm managers. Juneau, Alaska served as a virtual testbed as this region is known to experience changes in wind speeds in response to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. CESM-P2 suggested about 2% decrease for wind speeds between the speeds at cut-in and rated power, and about 8% - 10% decrease in potential wind-power output. This means that in regions of decadal climate variations, the sustainability of wind-energy production should be part of the decision-making process. The study demonstrated that using mean values of wind-speeds can provide qualitative knowledge about decreases/increases in potential energy production, but not about the magnitude. Using the total individual wind-speed data of all seasons provided the same amount of total power output than summing up the power outputs of individual seasons. The main advantage of calculating individual seasonal wind-power outputs, however, is that it theoretically permits assessment of interannual variability in power output and capacity factors. Comparison to a known standard may help stakeholders in understanding of uncertainty and interpretation of projected changes.

Impact of Business Practices on Individual Energy Consumption

Changing behaviours and attitudes towards more sustainable individual energy consum- ption is a difficult topic to address. After identifying the most recurrent factors influencing bad energy consum- ption-society＇s environmental short- sightedness, a lack of individual responsibility and a tendency to put responsibility upon firms, institutions, and governments, the authors evaluated the effect business practices can have on individual behaviour. By qualifying as highly credible sources of information, positioning themselves as examples to follow and providing its employees with the necessary smart, innovative technology, business communities can have a major impact on changing individual behaviours towards more sustainable energy consumption.

Deployment of Electric Induction Technologies into Cooktops Plates as a Part of Energy Sustainability

For a long time now, humanity has been facing the phenomenon known as “climate change”, a major challenge of which we must be aware of what we are doing so as not to affect ourselves or future generations. It is evident that, if what is sought is a sustainable energy future, the current energy model implemented in certain countries and regions of the world is not the most adequate and makes the achievement of this goal unfeasible. This situation threatens to greatly alter our ecosystems and our social structures, and one of the key actions to mitigate it is, undeniably, the generalization of the use of renewable energy sources;and specifically, the non-conventional sources, referring to solar and wind, technologies that comply with the principle of energy complementarity;however, there are other possible solutions such as the deployment of programs that consider efficient cooking technologies;involving with it is everything related to energy security and equity, as well as environmental protection. In this article, as a technology to be considered to reduce and mitigate the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions, an analysis of the efficiency assessment of electric induction cooktops and the determination of their potential energy savings are carried out. The impact of these results is taken into consideration and a series of conclusions and recommendations for improvement are issued.

Rational catalyst design and mechanistic evaluation for electrochemical nitrogen reduction at ambient conditions

Ammonia(NH3), a carbon-free hydrogen carrier, is an important commodity for the food supply chain owing to its high energy capacity and ease of storage and transport. The Haber-Bosch process is currently the favored industrial method for large-scale ammonia production but requires energy-intensive and sophisticated infrastructure which hampers its utilization in a sustainable and decentralized system of manufacture.The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction(eNRR) at ambient conditions holds great potential for sustainable production of ammonia using electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. However, this approach is limited by a low rate of ammonia production with high overpotential and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). For a better understanding and utilization of eNRR as a sustainable process, insight into rational catalyst design and mechanistic evaluations by a theoretically-directed experimental approach is imperative. Herein, recent insights into rational catalyst design and mechanisms, based on intrinsic and extrinsic catalytic activity are articulated.Following the elucidation of basic principles and mechanisms, a framework supplied by theoretical studies that lead to the optimal selection and development of eNRR catalysts is presented. Following a discussion of recently developed electrocatalysts for eNRR, we outline various recently-used theoretical and experimental methodologies to improve the intrinsic and extrinsic catalytic activity of advanced electrocatalysts.This review is anticipated to contribute to the development of active, selective, and efficient catalysts for nitrogen reduction.

Data-driven next-generation smart grid towards sustainable energy evolution: techniques and technology review

Meteorological changes urge engineering communities to look for sustainable and clean energy technologies to keep the environment safe by reducing CO_(2) emissions.The structure of these technologies relies on the deep inte-gration of advanced data-driven techniques which can ensure efficient energy generation,transmission,and distribu-tion.After conducting thorough research for more than a decade,the concept of the smart grid(SG)has emerged,and its practice around the world paves the ways for efficient use of reliable energy technology.However,many developing features evoke keen interest and their improvements can be regarded as the next-generation smart grid(NGSG).Also,to deal with the non-linearity and uncertainty,the emergence of data-driven NGSG technology can become a great initiative to reduce the diverse impact of non-linearity.This paper exhibits the conceptual framework of NGSG by enabling some intelligent technical features to ensure its reliable operation,including intelligent control,agent-based energy conversion,edge computing for energy management,internet of things(IoT)enabled inverter,agent-oriented demand side management,etc.Also,a study on the development of data-driven NGSG is discussed to facilitate the use of emerging data-driven techniques(DDTs)for the sustainable operation of the SG.The prospects of DDTs in the NGSG and their adaptation challenges in real-time are also explored in this paper from various points of view including engineering,technology,et al.Finally,the trends of DDTs towards securing sustainable and clean energy evolution from the NGSG technology in order to keep the environment safe is also studied,while some major future issues are highlighted.This paper can offer extended support for engineers and researchers in the context of data-driven technology and the SG.

Sustainable energy integration with energy storage and energy saving technologies:SDEWES special issue in 2021

The 16th conference on Sustainable Development of Energy,Water and Environment Systems(SDEWES)has been successfully held on October 10−15,2021 in Dubrovnik,Croatia.The Chair as well as the initiator of SDEWES series,Prof.Neven Duic,who is the professor in the University of Zagreb,Croatia,serves as the associate editor of Energy Storage and Saving(ENSS),and this special issue(SI)is the first-time collaboration between SDEWES and ENSS.A total of 6 papers were selected for publication.This SI in ENSS mainly addressed the topics related to sustainable energy application(e.g.,solar photovoltaic,wind and biomass energy),residual reuse,energy saving of direct heating and cooling,thermal energy storage integration and heat exchanger optimization.The series of SDEWES conference provides a good platform to discuss the most recent development in advanced technologies,methods for distinguished researchers in the field of sustainable energy utilization,energy exploitation,energy policy,etc.,which has rich experience on soliciting high-quality manuscript.ENSS,which is an international,peer-reviewed Open Access journal,has established the SI for the 17th SDEWES in 2022,and will go on to cooperate with the SDEWES series in 2023.Manuscripts are welcomed to the 18th SDEWES held in Dubrovnik,Croatia on September 24−29,2023.

Molybdenum disulfide as hydrogen evolution catalyst:From atomistic to materials structure and electrocatalytic performance

Hydrogen production via water electrolysis defines the novel energy vector for achieving a sustainable society.However,the true progress of the given technology is hindered by the sluggish and complex hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)occurring at the cathodic side of the system where overpriced and scarce Pt-based electrocatalysts are usually employed.Therefore,efficient platinum group metals(PGMs)-free electrocatalysts to carry out HER with accelerated kinetics are urgently demanded.In this scenario,molybdenum disulfide(MoS_(2))owing to efficacious structural attributes and optimum hydrogen-binding free energy(ΔG_(H*))is emerging as a reliable alternative to PGMs.However,the performance of MoS_(2)-based electrocatalysts is still far away from the benchmark performance.The HER activity of MoS_(2)can be improved by engineering the structural parameters i.e.,doping,defects inducement,modulating the electronic structure,stabilizing the 1 T phase,creating nanocomposites,and altering the morphologies using appropriate fabrication pathways.Here,we have comprehensively reviewed the majority of the scientific endeavors published in recent years to uplift the HER activity of MoS_(2)-based electrocatalysts using different methods.Advancements in the major fabrication strategies including hydrothermal synthesis methods,chemical vapor deposition,exfoliation techniques,plasma treatments,chemical methodologies,etc.to tune the structural parameters and hence their ultimate influence on the electrocatalytic activity in acidic and/or alkaline media have been thoroughly discussed.This study can provide encyclopedic insights about the fabrication routes that have been pursued to improve the HER performance of MoS_(2)-based electrocatalysts.

Recent progress and perspective on batteries made from nuclear waste

Sustainable energy sources are an immediate need to cope with the imminent issue of climate change the world is facing today.In particular,the long-lasting miniatured power sources that can supply energy continually to power handheld gadgets,sensors,electronic devices,unmanned airborne vehicles in space and extreme mining are some of the examples where this is an acute need.It is known from basic physics that radioactive materials decay over few years and some nuclear materials have their half-life until thousands of years.The past five decades of research have been spent harnessing the decay energy of the radioactive materials to develop batteries that can last until the radioactive reaction continues.Thus,an emergent opportunity of industrial symbiosis to make use of nuclear waste by using radioactive waste as raw material to develop bat-teries with long shelf life presents a great opportunity for sustainable energy resource development.However,the current canon of research on this topic is scarce.This perspective draws fresh discussions on the topic while highlighting future directions in this wealthy arena of research.Graphical abstract A long-lasting miniaturised nuclear battery utilising 14C radioactive isotope as fuel.