Chemistry of Sustainable Energy

Understanding the chemistry underlying sustainable energy is central to any long-term solution to meeting our future energy needs. Chemistry of Sustainable Energy presents chemistry through the lens of several sustainable energy options, demonstrating the breadth and depth of research being carried out to address issues of sustainability and the global energy demand. The author, an organic chemist, reinforces fundamental principles of chemistry as they relate to renewable or sustainable energy generation throughout the book. Written with a qualitative, structural bias, this survey text illustrates the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of chemistry research with examples from the literature to provide relevant snapshots of how solutions are developed, providing a broad foundation for further exploration. It examines those areas of energy conversion that show the most promise of achieving sustainability at this point, namely, wind power, fuel cells, solar photovoltaics, and biomass conversion processes. Next-generation nuclear power is addressed as well. This book also covers topics related to energy and energy generation that are closely tied to understanding the chemistry of sustainable energy, including fossil fuels, thermodynamics, polymers, hydrogen generation and storage, and carbon capture. It offers readers a broad understanding of relevant fundamental chemical principles and in-depth exposure to creative and promising approaches to sustainable energy development.