engineering principles in the field of nanotechnology to influence the size of
nanoparticles within a nanoscale range to make biogenic nanoparticles which can be
useful in solving serious environmental problems in the area of wastewater treatment,
pollutant removal, fatal diseases, climate change, and solar energy conversion.
Chapter “Thermal Plasma Processes and Nanomaterial Preparation” describes
the basics of plasmas, types of plasma and nanoscience, and use of plasma in
material processing, especially in preparation of nanomaterials. Plasma here refers
to the fourth state of matter which has wide-ranging applications, ranging from
industrial to biomedical. Primarily, the energy content in a plasma state is orders of
magnitude higher than the energy content of the other three states of matter.
Chapter “Peptide Nanotubes: A Crystallographic Approach” focuses on peptide
self-assembly formed by non-coded amino acids and formation of different
nanostructures using crystallographic approach. Molecular self-assembly has led to
a breakthrough in the field of nanomaterials. This has also resulted in myriad of
potential applications in biology and chemistry. Peptides have proven to be the
most promising platforms owing to their biocompatibility and diversity. They are
also most studied among the other classes of organic building blocks due to their
uncanny resemblance with the proteins.
Chapter “Halloysite Nanotubes: An ‘Aluminosilicate Nanosupport’ for Energy
and Environmental Applications” highlights the usage of environment-friendly
nanomaterial Halloysite Nanotube (HNT) as nanosupport systems to immobilize
various types of guest molecules. These materials, which are naturally available, are
clay-based aluminosilicate nanomaterial, which has attracted attention of many
environmental researchers in recent times. Further, the use of such ‘guest
molecule-HNT’ based nanosupport systems for the remediation of environmental
pollutants, as well as for energy applications has been discussed. In recent years,
emergence of nanotechnology-based materials has proved to be a helping hand in
many applications in various sectors. However, the use of eco-friendly nanomaterials provides an upper hand over other nanomaterials for such applications.
Chapter “A Review on Contemporary Hole Transport Materials for Perovskite
Solar Cells” presents a review focused on different types of hole-transporting
materials (HTM) under research over the past few years in the perovskite-based
solar cell (PSC) in achieving the goal of higher power conversion efficiency
(PCE) and operational stability. HTMs are an indispensable part of PSC which
affects both efficiency and stability. An overview of different types of HTMs (organic, inorganic, and polymeric) are presented detailing its structure, electrochemical, and physical properties, while highlighting several considerations for
making a choice for a new HTM for PSC.
Chapter “Conjugation of Nanomaterials and Bioanodes for Energy Production in
Microbial Fuel Cell” deals with the basic idea of microbial fuel cell (MFC) and its
limitation. The use of nanoparticles as a solution for power enhancement in an MFC
reactor is also elaborated in the chapter. The MFC reactors can be the added as one
major area for application of nanoparticles. The use of surface enhancement property
of nanomaterials can be applied in the field of biotic energy generation and simultaneous waste treatment technology. The two goals are targeted under MFC technology.
vi
Preface
nanoparticles within a nanoscale range to make biogenic nanoparticles which can be
useful in solving serious environmental problems in the area of wastewater treatment,
pollutant removal, fatal diseases, climate change, and solar energy conversion.
Chapter “Thermal Plasma Processes and Nanomaterial Preparation” describes
the basics of plasmas, types of plasma and nanoscience, and use of plasma in
material processing, especially in preparation of nanomaterials. Plasma here refers
to the fourth state of matter which has wide-ranging applications, ranging from
industrial to biomedical. Primarily, the energy content in a plasma state is orders of
magnitude higher than the energy content of the other three states of matter.
Chapter “Peptide Nanotubes: A Crystallographic Approach” focuses on peptide
self-assembly formed by non-coded amino acids and formation of different
nanostructures using crystallographic approach. Molecular self-assembly has led to
a breakthrough in the field of nanomaterials. This has also resulted in myriad of
potential applications in biology and chemistry. Peptides have proven to be the
most promising platforms owing to their biocompatibility and diversity. They are
also most studied among the other classes of organic building blocks due to their
uncanny resemblance with the proteins.
Chapter “Halloysite Nanotubes: An ‘Aluminosilicate Nanosupport’ for Energy
and Environmental Applications” highlights the usage of environment-friendly
nanomaterial Halloysite Nanotube (HNT) as nanosupport systems to immobilize
various types of guest molecules. These materials, which are naturally available, are
clay-based aluminosilicate nanomaterial, which has attracted attention of many
environmental researchers in recent times. Further, the use of such ‘guest
molecule-HNT’ based nanosupport systems for the remediation of environmental
pollutants, as well as for energy applications has been discussed. In recent years,
emergence of nanotechnology-based materials has proved to be a helping hand in
many applications in various sectors. However, the use of eco-friendly nanomaterials provides an upper hand over other nanomaterials for such applications.
Chapter “A Review on Contemporary Hole Transport Materials for Perovskite
Solar Cells” presents a review focused on different types of hole-transporting
materials (HTM) under research over the past few years in the perovskite-based
solar cell (PSC) in achieving the goal of higher power conversion efficiency
(PCE) and operational stability. HTMs are an indispensable part of PSC which
affects both efficiency and stability. An overview of different types of HTMs (organic, inorganic, and polymeric) are presented detailing its structure, electrochemical, and physical properties, while highlighting several considerations for
making a choice for a new HTM for PSC.
Chapter “Conjugation of Nanomaterials and Bioanodes for Energy Production in
Microbial Fuel Cell” deals with the basic idea of microbial fuel cell (MFC) and its
limitation. The use of nanoparticles as a solution for power enhancement in an MFC
reactor is also elaborated in the chapter. The MFC reactors can be the added as one
major area for application of nanoparticles. The use of surface enhancement property
of nanomaterials can be applied in the field of biotic energy generation and simultaneous waste treatment technology. The two goals are targeted under MFC technology.
vi
Preface