Quantum Dots Composites for Energy Storage Applications

The demand for developing energy conversion and storage systems is increasingly growing due to the escalating environmental problems effects caused by global warming and fossil fuels depletion. The rapid expansion of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, biofuels, hydropower, geothermal, and hydrogen energy is expected to be critical to alleviating the energy crisis. Quantum dots (QDs) are nanocrystalline semiconducting materials with a few nanometers in diameter, ranging from 1 to 10 nm. Their electrical and optical characteristics can be manipulated by altering the size up to 10 nm, which is attributed to the quantum confinement effect. However, the size of the quantum dots depends on the semiconducting material because the exciton Bohr radius varies depending on the type of semiconductor. Many literature articles have highlighted the application of quantum dots in supercapacitors (SCs), metal-ion batteries (MIBs), and photocatalytic and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution. This chapter is dedicated to presenting recent progress regarding the potential application of quantum dots and related composite materials in various energy storage systems.