Abstract
During the past decades, nanocrystals have attracted broad
attention due to their unique shape- and size-dependent
physical and chemical properties that differ drastically
from their bulk counterparts. Hitherto, much effort has
been dedicated to achieving rational controlling over the
morphology, assembly, and related energy applications of
the nanomaterials. Therefore, the ability to manipulate
the morphology, size, and size distribution of inorganic
nanomaterials is still an important goal in modern materials
physics and chemistry. Especially, the world’s demand for
energy supply is causing a dramatic escalation of social and
political unrest. Likewise, the environmental impact of the
global climate change due to the combustion of fossil fuel
is becoming increasingly alarming. These problems compel
us to search for effective routes to build devices that can
supply sustainable energy, with not only high efficiency
but also environmental friendship. One of ways to relieve
the energy crisis is to exploit devices based on renewable
energy sources, such as solar energy and water power. Aiming
at this exploration, the primary stage requires the design
of appropriate strategies for the synthesis of high-quality
nanocrystals with respect to size uniformity and superior
electrochemical performances. As a consequence, we organize
the current special issue for Journal of Nanomaterials
to provide the authors with a platform and readers with
the latest achievements of nanocrystals-related synthesis,
assembly, and energy applications.