The development of energy conversion and storage devices is at the forefront of research geared towards a sustainable future. There are numerous materials based limitations, however, that prevent the widespread use of these technologies including cost, performance and durability. This talk will highlight block copolymers as an emerging and powerful yet affordable tool to structure-direct nanostructured materials for energy conversion and storage with precise control over structural dimensions, composition and spatial arrangement of materials in composites. The talk will provide some of the most recent examples of block copolymer structure-directed nanomaterials for photovoltaics, batteries and fuel cells. In each case insights are provided into the various underlying fundamental chemical, thermodynamic and kinetic formation principles enabling general and relatively inexpensive wet-polymer chemistry methodologies for the efficient creation of multiscale functional materials. Examples include nanostructured oxides, oxide-carbon composites, and oxide-carbon-metal composites with morphologies ranging from hexagonally arranged cylinders to three-dimensional co-continuous networks.

Block copolymer directed nanostructured materials for energy storage and conversion

244th National Meeting (2012)

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