The hydraulic mechanism in the hind wing veins of Cybister japonicus Sharp (order: Coleoptera)

• Jiyu Sun,
• Wei Wu,
• Mingze Ling,
• Bharat Bhushan and
• Jin Tong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 904–913, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.82

• ]. Folding requires the synergistic action of abdominal and thoracic muscle forces [15][16]; resilin in some mobile joints, together with data on wing unfolding and flight kinematics that may result in elastic energy storage in the wing [17]; or leveraging the rigid wing membrane involved in the folding

Reorientation of single-wall carbon nanotubes in negative anisotropy liquid crystals by an electric field

• Amanda García-García,
• Ricardo Vergaz,
• José F. Algorri,
• Gianluigi Zito,
• Teresa Cacace,
• Antigone Marino,
• José M. Otón and
• Morten A. Geday

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 825–833, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.74

• energy storage system (i.e., a capacitor with an impedance phase value of approximately −90°) or as a conductor (phase value around 0°) with a specific resistivity value (related with the impedance magnitude). As a LC cell is formed by two parallel electrodes with a dielectric material between them (the

Facile synthesis of water-soluble carbon nano-onions under alkaline conditions

• Gaber Hashem Gaber Ahmed,
• Rosana Badía Laíño,
• Josefa Angela García Calzón and
• Marta Elena Díaz García

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 758–766, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.67

• carbonization; Introduction In the last twenty years, carbon based nanomaterials have received much research attention not only from a basic perspective but also from a practical point of view due to their use in a range of applications such as energy storage, tribology, electronics, medicine, catalysis and

Bacteriorhodopsin–ZnO hybrid as a potential sensing element for low-temperature detection of ethanol vapour

• Saurav Kumar,
• Sudeshna Bagchi,
• Senthil Prasad,
• Anupma Sharma,
• Ritesh Kumar,
• Rishemjit Kaur,
• Jagvir Singh and
• Amol P. Bhondekar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 501–510, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.44

• , SiO2) and polymers (e.g., PVA, gelatine) have been explored for photo–energy conversion, energy storage devices and gas sensing based on photo-conductive activity [12][14][20][21][22]. In parallel, ZnO and its hybrids have evolved as promising structures for sensing and semiconductor applications [23

Synthesis and applications of carbon nanomaterials for energy generation and storage

• Marco Notarianni,
• Jinzhang Liu,
• Kristy Vernon and
• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 149–196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.17

• their remarkable properties can enhance the efficiency of solar cells and energy storage in supercapacitors. Fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene have all been included in solar cells with interesting results, although a number of problems are still to be overcome in order to achieve high

• challenge over the next few years will not just be to produce electricity in a safe and clean way but also how to store the energy produced using technologies more efficient and more environmentally friendly than chemical batteries [13]. Creating small-scale energy storage technologies combined with smart

Paramagnetism of cobalt-doped ZnO nanoparticles obtained by microwave solvothermal synthesis

• Jacek Wojnarowicz,
• Sylwia Kusnieruk,
• Tadeusz Chudoba,
• Stanislaw Gierlotka,
• Witold Lojkowski,
• Wojciech Knoff,
• Malgorzata I. Lukasiewicz,
• Bartlomiej S. Witkowski,
• Anna Wolska,
• Marcin T. Klepka,
• Tomasz Story and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1957–1969, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.200

• ][13][14], solar cells [10], catalysts [15], energy storage (battery) materials [16], fast data storage [17], light-emitting diodes (LEDs) [18], gas sensors [10], thermoelectric devices [19], varistors [20][21], window materials for displays [21], laser technology [10], surface acoustic wave devices

Nanostructures for sensors, electronics, energy and environment II

• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1937–1938, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.197

• development of energy storage systems is necessary in order to allow photovoltaic-based power generation to be independent from the grid. Carbon, one of the most abundant materials found on earth, is the key atomic species in the compounds responsible for greenhouse gas emission and pollution. However, it can

Metal hydrides: an innovative and challenging conversion reaction anode for lithium-ion batteries

• Luc Aymard,
• Yassine Oumellal and
• Jean-Pierre Bonnet

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1821–1839, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.186

• friendly renewable power sources with enhanced electrical energy conversion efficiency at moderate costs. However, these energy sources, such as windmill or solar cells, are intrinsically intermittent and, consequently, need to be associated with efficient energy storage devices in order to provide

• Mg2MHx with lithium After studying the reaction of titanium hydride with lithium, during which a reaction path involving the formation of the metastable fco δ-TiH phase occurs, the complex hydrides Mg2FeH6, Mg2CoH5, Mg2NiH4 were chosen as models system for a conversion process with high energy storage

• this will require significant technological improvements to become economically viable for large scale material production. Chemical methods, such as encapsulation or confinement strategies used in the design of energy storage and conversion materials, also constitute new synthetic routes that have

Atomic scale interface design and characterisation

• Carla Bittencourt,
• Chris Ewels and
• Arkady V. Krasheninnikov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1708–1711, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.174

• chemical properties and processes occurring at the surface on a nanoscale are of crucial concern. Nanostructured materials show a great application potential in the areas of nanoelectronics, catalysis, and light harvesting/energy storage, an excellent example being the capability of titanate nanoribbons to

Structural and magnetic properties of iron nanowires and iron nanoparticles fabricated through a reduction reaction

• Marcin Krajewski,
• Wei Syuan Lin,
• Hong Ming Lin,
• Katarzyna Brzozka,
• Sabina Lewinska,
• Natalia Nedelko,
• Anna Slawska-Waniewska,
• Jolanta Borysiuk and
• Dariusz Wasik

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1652–1660, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.167

• treatment [3] as well as labelling and separation of biological materials [4]. Besides the biomedical exploitation, iron-based nanostructures can be used in the fields of data storage [5], catalysis [6], energy storage [7] and environmental remediation [8]. However, different properties are required for

Materials for sustainable energy production, storage, and conversion

• Maximilian Fichtner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1601–1602, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.163

• density. At the same time, any long term option for energy storage must be based on sustainable materials involving abundant elements in the Earth’s crust. For the reconversion of hydrogen or organic liquids (energy carriers), efficient fuel cells are needed as converters, preferably those based on non

• elevated temperatures (HT-PEMFC) below 200 °C are discussed by Roswitha Zeis [3]. The field of electrochemical energy storage is particularly challenging. Current Li-ion batteries are not only expensive and have a relatively short lifetime, they are also considered to not have enough energy content to meet

Thermal energy storage – overview and specific insight into nitrate salts for sensible and latent heat storage

• Nicole Pfleger,
• Thomas Bauer,
• Claudia Martin,
• Markus Eck and
• Antje Wörner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1487–1497, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.154

• Nicole Pfleger Thomas Bauer Claudia Martin Markus Eck Antje Worner German Aerospace Center (DLR), Pfaffenwaldring 38–40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany German Aerospace Center (DLR), Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.6.154 Abstract Thermal energy storage (TES) is capable to reduce the

• demand of conventional energy sources for two reasons: First, they prevent the mismatch between the energy supply and the power demand when generating electricity from renewable energy sources. Second, utilization of waste heat in industrial processes by thermal energy storage reduces the final energy

• ; Review Introduction Thermal energy storage (TES) is achieved by different techniques (Figure 1): sensible heat storage, latent heat storage and chemical heat storage. The term “sensible heat” indicates that the storage process can be sensed by a change of the temperature. The relation of the change in

The Kirkendall effect and nanoscience: hollow nanospheres and nanotubes

• Abdel-Aziz El Mel,
• Ryusuke Nakamura and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1348–1361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.139

• applications in various modern technological areas including energy storage devices, catalyst, optics and sensors. The last years have witnessed increasing interest in the Kirkendall effect as a versatile route to fabricate hollow nanostructures with different shapes, compositions and functionalities. Although

From lithium to sodium: cell chemistry of room temperature sodium–air and sodium–sulfur batteries

• Philipp Adelhelm,
• Pascal Hartmann,
• Conrad L. Bender,
• Martin Busche,
• Christine Eufinger and
• Juergen Janek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1016–1055, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.105

• these differences will benefit a more reversible cell chemistry is still an open question, but some of the first reports on room temperature Na/S8 and Na/O2 cells already show some exciting differences as compared to the established Li/S8 and Li/O2 systems. Keywords: energy storage; lithium–oxygen

• battery; lithium–sulfur battery; sodium–oxygen battery; sodium–sulfur battery; Review 1 Introduction Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have rapidly become the most important form of energy storage for all mobile applications since their commercialization in the early 1990s. This is mainly due to

• stationary energy storage has become an additional challenge, which also triggers research on alternative batteries. Major efforts are directed towards continuous improvements of the different Li-ion technologies by more efficient packaging, processing, better electrolytes and optimized electrode materials

Electrocatalysis on the nm scale

• R. Jürgen Behm

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1008–1009, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.103

• electrocatalysis. This is on the one hand stimulated by applications in energy conversion and energy storage, where highly efficient electrochemical/electrocatalytic processes are considered to be an indispensable part of modern energy concepts based on the use of renewable energy sources. However, it is also

Multiscale modeling of lithium ion batteries: thermal aspects

• Arnulf Latz and
• Jochen Zausch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 987–1007, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.102

• Arnulf Latz Jochen Zausch German Aerospace Center (DLR), Stuttgart, Germany Helmholtz Institute for Electrochemical Energy Storage, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, School of Chemistry, Ulm, Germany Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM), Kaiserslautern, Germany 10.3762/bjnano

• dependency on composition or atomistic structure is the starting point for a rational design of energy storage materials [3]. Density functional theory with all its approximations [4][5] if combined with statistical mechanics methods is in this context the most successful method to simulate material

Simulation tool for assessing the release and environmental distribution of nanomaterials

• Haoyang Haven Liu,
• Muhammad Bilal,
• Anastasiya Lazareva,
• Arturo Keller and
• Yoram Cohen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 938–951, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.97

• associated with cosmetic applications, which represent the largest fraction at ≈53%, while those associated with coatings, paints, pigments represent ≈44%, with remainder due to energy applications (e.g., photovoltaics, energy storage [7]), environmental (e.g., remediation [7]), and plastic applications

Microwave assisted synthesis and characterisation of a zinc oxide/tobacco mosaic virus hybrid material. An active hybrid semiconductor in a field-effect transistor device

• Shawn Sanctis,
• Rudolf C. Hoffmann,
• Sabine Eiben and
• Jörg J. Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 785–791, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.81

• , bacteriophages and viruses which exhibit diverse properties for the controlled formation of devices with possible application in areas such as sensors, photonics, energy storage as well as electronic transistors [4][5][6][7][8]. Fabrication of necessary functional hybrid materials often require well-defined 1D

Overview of nanoscale NEXAFS performed with soft X-ray microscopes

• Peter Guttmann and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 595–604, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.61

• nanoscale structures are becoming more and more important. Not only for the further miniaturization of semiconductor devices like carbon nanotube based transistors, but also for newly developed efficient energy storage devices, gas sensors or catalytic systems nanoscale and functionalized materials have to

• nanoelectronics, catalysis, light harvesting and energy storage applications. The newly developed NEXAFS-TXM together with further complementary physicochemical methods and spectroscopic techniques will allow a more complete understanding of the function of low dimensional nanostructures. Schematic layout of

Filling of carbon nanotubes and nanofibres

• Reece D. Gately and
• Marc in het Panhuis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 508–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.53

• energy storage [34][35], battery electrodes [24][36], catalysis [37][38] and nanowelding [39]. Shortly after their discovery in 1991, MWCNTs were filled with metals in order to create metal nanowires encapsulated within the CNT [10]. While this was the original inspiration behind the filling of TCNSs, it

• to create nanoscale capacitors with high energy storage rates, high specific capacitance (329 F/g) [8][79] in addition to high surface area electrodes [76][77][80]. TCNSs have also been used as a membrane for water and gas filtration [81]. It has been proposed that by chemically functionalizing the

Kelvin probe force microscopy in liquid using electrochemical force microscopy

• Liam Collins,
• Stephen Jesse,
• Jason I. Kilpatrick,
• Alexander Tselev,
• M. Baris Okatan,
• Sergei V. Kalinin and
• Brian J. Rodriguez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 201–214, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.19

• (KPFM) has emerged as a powerful technique for probing electric and transport phenomena at the solid–gas interface. The extension of KPFM capabilities to probe electrostatic and electrochemical phenomena at the solid–liquid interface is of interest for a broad range of applications from energy storage

• ., pseudocapacitive storage). Consequently, understanding the local electrostatic, electrochemical and double layer ion dynamics at the solid–liquid interface is crucial to the study of corrosion, sensing, energy storage and bioelectric interfaces [3]. These processes are dynamic in nature, involving changes of the

Manganese oxide phases and morphologies: A study on calcination temperature and atmospheric dependence

• Matthias Augustin,
• Daniela Fenske,
• Ingo Bardenhagen,
• Anne Westphal,
• Martin Knipper,
• Thorsten Plaggenborg,
• Joanna Kolny-Olesiak and
• Jürgen Parisi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 47–59, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.6

• Research Laboratory, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.6.6 Abstract Manganese oxides are one of the most important groups of materials in energy storage science. In order to fully leverage their application potential, precise control of their properties

• , 30 and 20 m2/g, respectively. The nanostructures of the obtained MnOx particles make them attractive candidates as highly active compounds in the field of catalysis and other applications in the field of energy storage. Furthermore, the synthesis presented in this study provides easy access to three

Dissipation signals due to lateral tip oscillations in FM-AFM

• Michael Klocke and
• Dietrich E. Wolf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2048–2057, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.213

• damping and dissipation. Damping means, that the normal oscillation of the cantilever is reduced. The reason can be irreversible energy dissipation, or a redistribution of energy between normal and lateral modes. In principle, such a redistribution is reversible, but the lateral mode is no perfect energy

• storage. Mechanical damping is responsible for the dissipation of energy of the macroscopic degrees of freedom. We will therefore address three questions: (i) How large is the damping rate, (ii) is the resulting dissipation rate comparable to adhesion hysteresis, and (iii) what happens to the non

Liquid fuel cells

• Grigorii L. Soloveichik

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1399–1418, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.153

• reactions, a very important factor for energy storage, was reported to be over 99% for different classes of LOHCs and a promising cycling behavior was demonstrated [23][24]. The use of LOHCs, such as cycloalkanes, for hydrogen storage allows for the use of the existing liquid fuel infrastructure with

• for Innovative Energy Storage”, is to use partial electrooxidation of LOHC fuels to extract hydrogen (as protons and electrons) and form a stable dehydrogenated molecule, e.g., an aromatic or carbonyl compound (Equation 6) [36][37]. The overall reaction in the cell is described by Equation 7. The

• energy density of these systems is lower than those based on the full oxidation, but potentially they can be used for energy storage via electrochemical hydrogenation of the spent fuel (Equation 6 reverse). This approach is much simpler because it does not require an additional dehydrogenation catalyst

Magnesium batteries: Current state of the art, issues and future perspectives

• Rana Mohtadi and
• Fuminori Mizuno

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1291–1311, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.143

• of modern human life, energy storage systems or batteries occupy a central role in driving the electrification of our societies [1]. The basic principles of a battery are rather old; its invention by Allessandro Volta dates back to the eighteenth century [2] (archeological findings in the 20th

• century even suggest that the first battery was developed in Mesopotamia dating back to 2000 BC, to what is referred to as the “Baghdad battery” [3]). Since its invention, and most particularly in the twentieth century, advancements in energy storage technologies continued to evolve over time resulting in

• a myriad of distinct batteries and energy storage chemistries [1]. Out of the several known battery technologies, secondary or rechargeable batteries, such as nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion, which allow for reversibly storing and harnessing power on demand while providing high power and energy