Conference Description
Developing sources of
sustainable energy is a crucial challenge for the 21st century.
Nanotechnology may contribute
paradigm-changing approaches to energy technology, because many energy
conversion, storage and transport processes occurs with the critical length at
nanoscale and at interfaces and surfaces, which are abundant in nanomaterials.
While, in principle, the advantages of nanomaterials are believed to hold the
potential for higher process efficiencies and lower device manufacturing costs,
in practice, such gains have not yet been realized in many areas of energy
technology. Reasons for this include the still nascent understanding of
fundamental energy conversion, storage, and transport processes, the challenges
associated with integrating nanomaterials into macroscopic devices, the
difficulties in inexpensively producing large amounts of nanomaterials with
well defined properties, and the still not completely assessed potential health
and environmental impacts of nanomaterials.
Mastering these challenges
transcends the fields of physics, chemistry and engineering. This Gordon
Research Conference on "Nanomaterials for Applications in Energy Technology"
aims at fostering interactions between scientists from different disciplines
and stages of their careers, working in academia, national research
laboratories, and industry. The focus of this conference is on exploring the
fundamental mechanisms involved in energy conversion, storage, and transport with
nanomaterials, while also illuminating novel approaches in materials design and
synthesis and evaluating materials sustainability issues. The emphasis on new,
largely unpublished work will make this conference a premier platform for
scientific exchange on the future developments in nanomaterials in energy
technology.
