Environmental Chemistry

Catalog description

Solar energy and electrical energy from renewable resources need to be stored to resolve intermittency issues. Energy can be stored through charge transfer, changes in chemical bonding, or in electric polarization. This course will introduce students to general aspects of energy-storage technologies using these strategies, integrating scientific and engineering perspectives to discuss thermodynamics, mechanisms of energy storage, and fundamental aspects of efficiency, capacity, and power delivery. Then we will explore current and experimental technologies, covering supercapacitors, batteries, and water-splitting catalysts. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply chemical principles to understand energy-storage technologies and gain knowledge of important classes of these systems. Students enrolled in 09-734 (rather than 09-534 ) will also be required to write a 15-page NSF style proposal. 3 hrs. lec. Prerequisites: ( 09-219 or 09-217 ) and ( 33-341 or 27-215 or 24-324 or 09-345 or 09-347)