Abstract:

"The energy transition is a key concept that has already been imposed as one of the most demanding challenges for humanity for the first half of the 21st century. The current energy model, based on the preponderance of the use of fossil fuels, has become unsustainable from the environmental and climate point of view. Additionally, the expected demographic and socio-economic evolution makes it even more urgent to clearly define the goals that must be met in well-defined terms.

The technological and resource requirements (~100 % renewable energies in 2050 and an increase in Earth’s temperature below 2 °C) suggest that nanotechnology revolutions are needed in all the areas involved.

Nanoscience is a scientific discipline that has evolved extraordinarily in the last two decades and is currently available to facilitate innovations that we could not even imagine. Nanomaterials are the most efficient means of using natural and energy resources to develop all the technologies demanded to comply with the energy transition.

In this paper, some key ideas are presented to understand why the nanometric scale is so relevant in order to obtain the maximum performance of the phenomena and the materials that control the processes related to the generation, transport, storage and use of the energy. The challenges to generate renewable energy (solar fuels) are described, to generate or use electronic energy (photovoltaic, thermoelectric, lighting, etc.) and to efficiently use electrical energy (electrochemical accumulators, superconductivity). In all cases, nanomaterials and devices are already described that already show that there is indeed a promising route to base the energy transition in the achievements of advanced nanomaterials manufacturing."

   Time: 7 pm. Place: Seu de l'Acadèmia, la Rambla, 115 - Public session with limited capacity.

More information: 

• RACAB, 18 d'octubre. Sessió pública inaugural del curs acadèmic 2018-19
• Download here the text of the session "Els nanomaterials per a la transició energètica" published on October 2018 by Xavier Obradors (Tercera època Núm. 1051 Vol. LXVII Núm. 4)