Chapter 1 - Introduction to advanced electronic materials for clean energy applications

Abstract

In search of a better living environment, various policies have been broadly adopted that use safe, clean, and renewable energy sources to address increasing global warming. In this chapter we have included the opinions of various science experts, such as physicists, electronic engineers, chemists, and materials scientists, on recent developments in and wide applications for clean energy to boost forest conservation and efficient processing techniques. We briefly discuss the principle and theory of various photovoltaic materials using quantum dots or nanocrystals as light-harvesting materials in different fields, including photoelectrochemical solar splitting, copper selenide photoelectrodes, cadmium-selenium-based photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical or polymer solar cells, and advancements in organic and perovskite solar applications. It is highly encouraged to act urgently on climate change through energy conservation using various clean energy choices at the state, national, and international levels for a safe future. In addition to this, we also discuss various types of electronic materials including nanomaterials, polymers, polymer-composites, organic conjugated small molecules, and hybrid perovskite nanomaterials that are applied to produce cost-effective green and clean energy for living beings. Overall, this chapter provides an overview of the gradual development of various types of electronic materials developed in a facile, cost-effective, eco-friendly process using easy fabrication techniques for the large-scale production of clean energy.