The fascinating two-dimensional (2D) materials are being unconsciously applied in various fields from science to engineering, which is benefited from the glamorous physical and chemical properties of mechanics, optics, electronics, and magnetism. The representative 2D thermoelectric/piezoelectric materials can directly convert thermal/mechanical energy into electrical energy, which can resolve the energy issues and avoid further environmental deterioration. The thermoelectric or piezoelectric properties of various 2D materials, such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, black phosphorus, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), arsenene, metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), and so on, have been investigated in detail. Although tremendous progress has been achieved in the past few years, these properties still need to be improved for their practical application by designing new 2D materials, strain engineering, chemical functionalization, etc. In addition to this, in 2D materials, there are many other novel physical properties, such as magnetism, topology, valley, and so on. The combination of thermoelectricity/piezoelectricity with other unique properties may lead to novel device applications or scientific breakthroughs in new physics. Overall, the emergence of 2D thermoelectric and piezoelectric materials has expanded energy conversion research dramatically. By combing this new device concept with the novel 2D materials, original devices should have potential applications in energy harvesting.

Piezoelectric and thermoelectric materials represent emerging cutting-edge technological materials for energy harvesting for high-value-added applications. Although these materials have been exhaustively exploited for decades, researchers around the world continue to find technological and scientific innovations that must be disseminated to the engineers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Piezoelectric materials, through mechanical stresses applied to them, are capable of generating electricity, while thermoelectric materials are capable of producing electricity thanks to the heat applied to them. Therefore, the direct application of these materials is in energy harvesting, which, together with the reduction of materials, leads them to portable and wearable functional applications. The purpose of this work is to disseminate some of the latest scientific and technological advances by different researchers around the world in the development of devices and applications based on these materials. The book compiles state-of-the-art fundamentals, current uses, as well as emerging applications of piezoelectric and thermoelectric materials. It is a source of inspiration for continued scientific research on the commercial, industrial, and military applications of these materials. Furthermore, it is a valuable and informative resource for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as experts and researchers in the field.

Presenting recent progress in anisotropic 2D materials research, reader is introduced to phosphorene and its arsenic alloys, monochalcogenides of group IV elements in the form of MX (M = Ge, Sn and X = S, Se, Te), low-symmetry transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials such as rhenium disulphide (ReS2) and rhenium diselenide (ReSe2), and organic 2D materials. Providing detailed synthesis protocols and characterization techniques for these various anisotropic 2D materials, readers will learn their specific technological scopes for next generation electronics, optoelectronics and biomedical applications, challenges and future directions. Edited by an leading expert, contributors cover enhanced many-body interactions and high binding energy 1D particle dynamics to showcase design of high-performance optoelectronic devices; anisotropic polariton for designing polariton based laser systems; applications in bio-imaging, cancer diagnosis and therapies, drug delivery and release, and antibacterial performance; and finally, their potential in nano-electro-mechanical devices. Considering all these areas in detail, this book is a useful reference to the scientific communities working in related research fields, especially for materials scientists, chemists, physicists and electronics/electrical/energy engineers. This book may also be of use to those in chemical academia and industry more broadly.

The transformation of vibrations into electric energy through the use of piezoelectric devices is an exciting and rapidly developing area of research with a widening range of applications constantly materialising. With Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting, world-leading researchers provide a timely and comprehensive coverage of the electromechanical modelling and applications of piezoelectric energy harvesters. They present principal modelling approaches, synthesizing fundamental material related to mechanical, aerospace, civil, electrical and materials engineering disciplines for vibration-based energy harvesting using piezoelectric transduction. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting provides the first comprehensive treatment of distributed-parameter electromechanical modelling for piezoelectric energy harvesting with extensive case studies including experimental validations, and is the first book to address modelling of various forms of excitation in piezoelectric energy harvesting, ranging from airflow excitation to moving loads, thus ensuring its relevance to engineers in fields as disparate as aerospace engineering and civil engineering. Coverage includes: Analytical and approximate analytical distributed-parameter electromechanical models with illustrative theoretical case studies as well as extensive experimental validations Several problems of piezoelectric energy harvesting ranging from simple harmonic excitation to random vibrations Details of introducing and modelling piezoelectric coupling for various problems Modelling and exploiting nonlinear dynamics for performance enhancement, supported with experimental verifications Applications ranging from moving load excitation of slender bridges to airflow excitation of aeroelastic sections A review of standard nonlinear energy harvesting circuits with modelling aspects.

There are only a few discoveries and new technologies in materials science that have the potential to dramatically alter and revolutionize our material world. Discovery of two-dimensional (2D) materials, the thinnest form of materials to ever occur in nature, is one of them. After isolation of graphene from graphite in 2004, a whole other class of atomically thin materials, dominated by surface effects and showing completely unexpected and extraordinary properties, has been created. This book provides a comprehensive view and state-of-the-art knowledge about 2D materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) and so on. It consists of 11 chapters contributed by a team of experts in this exciting field and provides latest synthesis techniques of 2D materials, characterization and their potential applications in energy conservation, electronics, optoelectronics and biotechnology.

Biopolymer Composites in Electronics examines the current state-of-the-art in the electronic application based on biopolymer composites. Covering the synthesis, dispersion of fillers, characterization and fabrication of the composite materials, the book will help materials scientists and engineers address the challenges posed by the increased use of biopolymeric materials in electronic applications. The influence of preparation techniques on the generation of micro, meso, and nanoscale fillers, and the effect of filler size and dispersion on various biopolymers are discussed in detail. Applications covered include sensors, actuators, optics, fuel cells, photovoltaics, dielectrics, electromagnetic shielding, piezoelectrics, flexible displays, and microwave absorbers. In addition, characterization techniques are discussed and compared, enabling scientists and engineers to make the correct choice of technique. This book is a 'one-stop' reference for researchers, covering the entire state-of-the-art in biopolymer electronics. Written by a collection of expert worldwide contributors from industry, academia, government, and private research institutions, it is an outstanding reference for researchers in the field of biopolymer composites for advanced technologies. - Enables researchers to keep up with the rapid development of biopolymer electronics, which offer light, flexible, and more cost-effective alternatives to conventional materials of solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and transistors - Includes thorough coverage of the physics and chemistry behind biopolymer composites, helping readers to become rapidly acquainted with the fiel - Provides in-depth information on the range of biopolymer applications in electronics, from printed flexible conductors and novel semiconductor components, to intelligent labels, large area displays, and solar panels