Metal Borides in Green Energy for Decarbonization

With global industrial growth, the consumption of fossil fuels resulted in a release of 36.8 Gt of carbon dioxide in 2022. The greenhouse gas emission has led to severe environmental pollution, disruptions in climate patterns, and adverse impacts on human health. To combat the emission issue and achieve the crucial goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, researchers have dedicated significant efforts to exploring innovative materials with unique properties. Metal borides have emerged as a particularly promising class of compounds due to their extraordinary bonding characteristics, which arises from the distinctive properties of boron, being highly attractive in the context of decarbonization efforts. This talk provides an overview of the contemporary landscape of borides in renewable energy and energy management, delivering syntheses and properties of metal borides. Additionally, I discuss the potential applications of borides in advancing decarbonization technologies in solar cells, thermoelectric devices, fuel cells, batteries, and thermal management systems. Furthermore, our recent work on the field is presented. The talk explores the exciting potential that arise from the utilization of borides in renewable energy applications and decarbonization.