inorganicenergy

Inorganicenergy is a multidisciplinary field that studies energy technologies and processes driven by inorganic materials and chemistries. It focuses on energy conversion, storage, and catalysis that rely on inorganic compounds such as transition metal oxides, sulfides, nitrides, halides, and metal hydrides, as well as inorganic semiconductor materials used in devices.

Key areas within inorganicenergy include inorganic photovoltaics, where inorganic semiconductors convert light into electricity. Materials commonly involved include silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide, and various metal oxides used in thin-film or junction-based devices. Energy storage is another central pillar, covering batteries (lithium, sodium, multivalent) and solid-state variants, as well as redox-flow systems that employ inorganic redox couples. Catalysis for energy applications is also prominent, including water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction using transition-metal oxides, phosphides, sulfides, and related inorganic catalysts.

Thermochemical energy storage and heat management form another subfield, utilizing inorganic salts, metal hydrides, and phase-change materials to store and release heat. Electrocatalysis and photocatalysis with inorganic materials enable efficient chemical transformations for sustainable energy production, such as sustainable hydrogen generation or fuel synthesis.

Researchers in inorganicenergy address materials discovery, synthesis, and characterization alongside device integration and engineering challenges. Common concerns include material stability, cost and abundance of elements, environmental impact, scalability, and safety. The field aims to improve efficiency, durability, and performance of energy systems while reducing dependence on fossil fuels, often through cross-disciplinary collaboration among chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering.