Pierre Camille Lacaze is former Director of the ITODYS Laboratory and former President of the Division de Chimie Physique of the Société chimique de France. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris, and his research focuses on the physico-chemistry of surfaces. Jean-Christophe Lacroix is Professor at the University of Paris and Deputy Director of the ITODYS Laboratory. His research focuses on nanoelectrochemistry, chemical and electrochemical surface modification, plasmonics and molecular electronics.

• Introduction ixPart 1 Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies 1Chapter 1 Carbon-based Nanomaterials 31.1 Fullerenes 41.1.1 Properties of fullerenes 51.2 Carbon nanodiamonds 111.2.1 Principal techniques used in creating nanodiamonds 111.2.2 Key properties of nanodiamonds 131.3 Carbon dots or carbon quantum dots 161.3.1 CQD production methods 161.3.2 Fluorescence properties of CQDs 181.3.3 CQD applications 211.4 Carbon nanotubes 211.4.1 Chirality of carbon nanotubes 241.4.2 Mechanistic models of CNT growth 261.4.3 CNT arrays aligned horizontally or perpendicularly to a planar substrate 311.4.4 Key properties and applications of CNTs 341.4.5 Conclusion 371.5 Graphene 371.5.1 Electrical properties of exfoliated graphene 381.5.2 Graphene production techniques 411.5.3 Applications of graphene and graphene derivatives 511.5.4 Conclusion 621.6 Graphene quantum dots 631.6.1 GQD production methods 631.6.2 Properties and applications of GQDs 661.6.3 Graphdiyne: a new alternative to graphene 721.7 Conclusions and perspectives of carbon-based nanomaterials 77Chapter 2 Inorganic Nanomaterials 792.1 Metallic nanoparticles 802.1.1 Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) 812.1.2 Core-shell type bimetallic nanoparticles 832.2 Metal nanoclusters 872.2.1 Production methods for gold nanoclusters 882.2.2 Structure and stability criteria of Au NC 902.2.3 Luminescence properties of Au NCs 912.2.4 Applications using the luminescent properties of Au NCs 952.2.5 Conclusion 972.3 Semiconductor quantum dots 972.3.1 Development of colloidal QDs 982.4 Two-dimensional inorganic lamellar nanosheets 1032.4.1 Transition metal dichalcogenides 1042.4.2 Conclusion 1132.5 Hybrid metal-organic frameworks 1132.5.1 MOF production 1132.5.2 Potential applications of MOFs 1192.5.3 Conclusions 1282.6 Conclusions on inorganic nanomaterials 129Part 2 Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials for Energy 131Chapter 3 Energy Storage 1333.1 Worldwide energy use 1333.2 Energy storage systems 1353.2.1 Non-chemical/electrochemical storage 1353.2.2 Chemical and electrochemical storage systems 1363.2.3 Rechargeable batteries 1393.2.4 Supercapacitors 1843.2.5 Pseudocapacitors 1893.3 Conclusions on energy storage 193Chapter 4 Energy Conversion 1954.1 Photovoltaics 1964.1.1 General principles of the photovoltaic process 1974.1.2 Photovoltaic technologies 2004.2 Electroluminescence, lighting and display 2254.2.1 Inorganic light-emitting diodes 2264.2.2 Organic light-emitting diodes 2334.2.3 QDot light-emitting diodes 2444.3 Conclusions on energy conversion 249Chapter 5 Electro- and Photocatalysis 2515.1 Water splitting 2525.2 Electrolysis techniques 2535.3 HER and OER processes in water splitting 2575.3.1 HER in an acidic medium 2575.3.2 HER in alkaline media 2745.3.3 Conclusions on HER reactions 2795.3.4 Catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction 2795.4 Photoelectrochemical water splitting 2945.4.1 Heterogeneous photocatalysts 2975.4.2 Photocatalytic systems with two SC heterojunctions 2985.4.3 Conclusions 3025.5 Fuel cells 3025.5.1 Operating principle of a fuel cell 3035.5.2 Choice of O 2 reduction catalysts 3065.5.3 Conclusions on electrocatalysis and photocatalysis 310Conclusion 313References 317Index 359