Introducing nanotechnology and energy

1. Introducing nanotechnology and energy Media Round Table 3rd March 2011 Neil Coville School of Chemistry University of the Witwatersrand

2. Richard Feynman “Room at the bottom” “Why cannot we write the entire 24 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the head of a pin?” December 29th 1959 at an annual meeting Engineering and Science

4. So – what is nano!! • Hard definition • Nanoscience deals with the size regime in which properties change with the object size. • Objects to be studied have one dimension of less than 100 nanometers

5. Colour of particles is a function of size Gold particles Size increase

7. Making computer chips

8. How do we see at the nano level ? Access to new instrumentation has led to the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology Electron microscope

9. Humanity’s top ten problemsfor the next 50 years • Energy • Water • Food • Environment • Poverty • Terrorism and war • Disease • Education • Democracy • Population 2003 6.3 Billion People 2050 9-10 Billion People Smalley

10. World Energy Millions of Barrels per Day (Oil Equivalent) 300 200 100 0 1860 1900 1940 1980 2020 2060 2100 Source: John F. Bookout (President of Shell USA) ,“Two Centuries of Fossil Fuel Energy” International Geological Congress, Washington DC; July 10,1985. Episodes, vol 12, 257-262 (1989).

11. “No country has a policy against economic growth” • Some information • Enough fossil fuel for 200 – 300 years • Currently: >85% energy from fossil fuels • But world will double energy use by 2050 • Global warming ?? • Lewis and Nocera, PNAS 103 (2006) 15729 • Alternatives • Biofuels • Wave/wind/thermal • Nuclear

12. 165,000 TW of sunlight hit the earth every day Consumption 2001 – 13 TW 2050 – 27 TW 2100 – 43 TW

13. Energy issues for solar • Generation (the sun) • Conversion (electricity, thermal) • Collection and Storage (chemical bonds; e.g. hydrogen) • Then utilization

14. Energy issues for solar • Generation (the sun) • Conversion(electricity, thermal) • Collection and Storage (chemical bonds; e.g. hydrogen) • Then utilization But cost is too high !!!!

15. Carbon ‘To carbon, the element of life, my first literary dream ………….’ Primo Levi • Cheap/abundant • Light weight • Many shapes • Conductor

16. A carbon tool kit – bits and pieces for making devices (a) (a) (b) (c) (f) (d) (e)

17. Wool fibers

18. Using the materials? • Photovoltaics (solar cells) • Batteries • Fuel Cells • Lightweight materials • Fuel rods, nuclear materials, • Electrochemistry and solid-state energy applications • Catalyst applications

19. Buckypaper

20. Conclusions • The nano revolution relates to a mindset that considers how size relates to a materials property. • This permits an understanding of the properties of materials at a new level. • Can apply to the ENERGY field: • a) In making devices smaller • b) Making new devices that are small • This is made possible by the availability of modern materials and techniques

21. The new faces in SA Nanoscience

23. Some key energy facts • Consumption statistics show that around 30% of the energy available at source is lost before it reaches end-user. • 42% of non-transport energy consumptionis used to heat buildings, and in turn, a third of this energy is lost through windows. • Transportation represents 74% (of UK) oil usage and 25% of UK carbon emissions. • To achieve the 2010 EU 5.75% bio-fuels target would require 19% of arable land to be converted from food to bio-fuel crops.