Investigations of metal oxide nanostructures for solar-driven green energy applications

Abstract

The worldwide energy demand is projected to reach 46 terawatts (TW) by the year 2100 due to rapid industrialization and population growth [1]. At present, the majority of global energy requirements are fulfilled by crude oil, coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels, but they are drastically diminishing due to continuously increasing consumption [2]. Moreover, the utilization of these fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases, leading to global warming and many other ecological difficulties, which need to be regulated for our ecosystem. The surge in energy demand, coupled with the dwindling supply of fossil fuels, is prompting the world to move towards renewable energy sources being the only solution to tackle the energy crisis. Renewable energy resources like hydro, biomass, solar, and wind have the potential to produce energy without carbon emissions. Currently, only 14% of global energy requirements are accomplished by various renewable energy sources, suggesting major reliance on non-renewable energy sources [3], and thus, the production of renewable energy sources at large scale is mandatory. Achieving efficiencies of various renewable energy technologies beyond certain limits has posed a significant challenge. This has directed researchers to make efforts to innovate new technologies or enhance the efficiency of existing ones.