With the rapidly increasing demand for better energy sources, material development for alternative energy storage and conversion systems has become extremely important. Among those, lithium ion batteries have achieved huge success in commercial use; however, progress still needs to be made to improve the performance. Toward this end, nanostructured materials have emerged as potential solutions toward smaller, cheaper, safer, and longer lasting batteries. One part of this dissertation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured carbon materials for lithium ion batteries using electrospinning and nanoimprint lithography as primary synthesis methods. By appropriate nanostructuring, we have achieved improvement in electrochemical performance compared to that of the current state-of-art graphite anode, yet more effort is needed for further advancement. The other major portion of this dissertation is on the use of various scanning probe microscopy techniques to thoroughly characterize synthetic ferroelectrics for solar cell applications, and biological ferroelectrics for bio-compatible molecular electronics. The fundamentals of each scanning probe microscopy technique are first introduced, followed by a description of how they are applied to the ferroelectric materials to study different properties and behaviors. By combining piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy, we are able to establish solid proof that the perovskite is indeed ferroelectric, and also to observe the charge separation process when used as the light absorber layer in solar cells. More importantly, we investigated how the external light illumination interacts with the intrinsic ferroelectricity, to help understand the role of ferroelectricity in its superior performance in solar cells. PFM and conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) also applied to study the ferroelectric resistive switching behavior in the biological ferroelectric elastin and its monomer level tropoelastin. Experimentally, we observed switchable diode-like conductance behavior and strong correlation to ferroelectric polarization which opens up new applications for those biological tissues.

This book is based on a research study in synthesis and characterization, properties and investigation of new monomers and polymers containing electroactive fragments. Some of the derivatives could be used as hole transporting materials as well as hosts in organic light emitting diodes or in electrographic photoreceptors. Also there are presented series of new crosslinkable derivatives their synthesis, characterizaton, preparation and investigation for electroactive polymeric networks. Some of the insoluble electroactive systems are suitable for preparation of multilayer organic light emitting devices.

This book focuses on the electrochemical and nanostructural properties of new photoanode/electrolyte combinations used in the development of novel surface-modified nanomaterials for environmental applications. As water treatment is rapidly becoming a global challenge due to the increasing complexity and number of the various pollutants present, the book explores fundamental issues relating to environmental applications of nanomaterials. It addresses relevant topics ranging from electrochemical synthesis and characterization, to applications of photoanodes in corrosion prevention and biosensors for wastewater treatment. Featuring up-to-date experimental results on nanomaterials for detection of pharmaceuticals and heavy metals in wastewater, this contributed volume is useful to electrochemical researchers, materials scientists, and chemical and civil engineers interested in advanced photoelectrochemical research for environmental applications.

Electroactive polymers are smart materials that can undergo size or shape structural deformations in the presence of an electrical field. These lightweight polymeric materials possess properties such as flexibility, cost-effectiveness, rapid response time, easy controllability (especially physical to electrical), and low power consumption. Electroactive Polymeric Materials examines the history, progress, synthesis, and characterization of electroactive polymers and then details their application and potential in fields including biomedical science, environmental remediation, renewable energy, robotics, sensors and textiles. Highlighting the flexibility, lightweight, cost-effective, rapid response time, easy controllability, and low power consumption characteristics of electroactive polymers, respected authors in the field explore their use in sensors, actuators, MEMS, biomedical apparatus, energy storage, packaging, textiles, and corrosion protection to provide readers with a powerhouse of a reference to use for their own endeavors. Features: Explores the most recent advances in all categories of ionic/electroactive polymer composite materials Includes basic science, addresses novel topics, and covers multifunctional applications in one resource Suitable for newcomers, academicians, scientists and R&D industrial experts working in polymer technologies .

Advanced Nanomaterials for Catalysis and Energy: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications outlines new approaches to the synthesis of nanomaterials (synthesis in flow conditions, laser electrodispersion of single metals or alloys on carbon or oxide supports, mechanochemistry, sol-gel routes, etc.) to provide systems with a narrow particle size distribution, controlled metal-support interaction and nanocomposites with uniform spatial distribution of domains of different phases, even in dense sintered materials. Methods for characterization of real structure and surface properties of nanomaterials are discussed, including synchrotron radiation diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies, neutronography, transmission/scanning electron microscopy with elemental analysis, and more. The book covers the effect of nanosystems' composition, bulk and surface properties, metal-support interaction, particle size and morphology, deposition density, etc. on their functional properties (transport features, catalytic activity and reaction mechanism). Finally, it includes examples of various developed nanostructured solid electrolytes and mixed ionic-electronic conductors as materials in solid oxide fuel cells and asymmetric supported membranes for oxygen and hydrogen separation. Outlines synthetic and characterization methods for nanocatalysts Relates nanocatalysts' properties to their specific applications Proposes optimization methods aiming at specific applications

This edited book is devoted to different electrochemical aspects of nano materials. This comprehensive reference text is basically divided in 3 parts: electrochemical synthesis routes for nanosized materials, electrochemical properties of nano materials and electrochemical characterization methods for nanostructures. The Handbook is a reference work to chemists and materials scientists interested in the nano aspects of electrochemistry. The chapters are written by a number of international experts in the field and the content will assist members of both electrochemical and materials communities to keep abreast of developments in the field.