Another Way To Generate Renewable Energy Is Being Tested Through A New Simple And Clean Method That Has Proven Promising

Written by Roberta Souza

Published on 13/01/2022 at 17:11

Updated on 13/01/2022 at 17:12

Foto: Reprodução Google Imagens

Be the first to react!

The Study For The New Way Of Generating Renewable Energy Received Support From FAPESP Through Three Projects

In an article published by Agência FAPESP, the new method of generating renewable energy is becoming a reality thanks to two-dimensional materials, which are gaining prominence due to their properties. The discovery involves materials with thickness varying from just one atom to a few nanometers, allowing for the miniaturization of devices in sectors such as electronics, health, and energy. However, some of these materials are still difficult to produce at an industrial scale while maintaining their essential properties.

Other News:

In a study conducted at the Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research (Ipen) and recently published in the journal Materials Today Advances, researchers associated with the Center for Innovation in New Energies (CINE) and the Materials Science and Technology Center at Ipen demonstrated a significant contribution to the search for methods that make it feasible to industrially produce these ultrathin materials.

The researchers created a fast, clean, and easy method to obtain hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, which are composed of planed layers of boron and nitrogen atoms arranged in the form of hexagons. Due to their electronic and mechanical properties and high adsorption capacity, the material is promising for application in sectors such as renewable energy generation and storage – one of CINE’s goals, a Research Center in Engineering (CPE) established by FAPESP in partnership with Shell.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

How The Material Is Produced

To obtain hexagonal boron nitride in a two-dimensional form, it must be exfoliated, that is, extracting a few layers of the material from its macroscopic form. Commonly known as white graphene, hexagonal boron nitride resembles carbon material in many characteristics; however, exfoliation is much more complicated.

“In this work, a method was presented for exfoliating boron nitride crystals into a few-layer material of nanometric dimensions using the plasma from a modified Tesla coil,” explained Almir Oliveira Neto, a senior researcher at Ipen and a member of CINE, who led the work.

The device in question, the Tesla coil, is simple and can be built by hand, capable of producing high-voltage discharges (arcs). These electrical discharges cause ionization in the surroundings, forming what is called “cold plasma,” where electrons are in a higher energy state than other particles.

The exfoliation of boron nitride using the new method occurs when the electrons are shot at a macroscopic amount of boron nitride. At this moment, a portion of the energy of the electrons is transferred to the crystal structure, increasing the bond distance between atomic layers until the bond is broken.

According to Oliveira Neto and postdoctoral researcher Fernando Brambilla de Souza, the main authors of the article, the methodology is promising for the industrial production of this two-dimensional material.

In addition to enabling the scaling of production, the method only uses boron nitride, electrical energy, and nitrogen gas as raw materials. Furthermore, production can be carried out in just one step, using a compact device that can be easily and economically built.

Another Way To Generate Renewable Energy Is Being Tested Through A New Simple And Clean Method That Has Proven Promising

The Study For The New Way Of Generating Renewable Energy Received Support From FAPESP Through Three Projects

Other News:

How The Material Is Produced

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

NASA is offering US$ 750,000 to people from anywhere in the world who solve a problem that could decide survival on Mars: creating food for astronauts without relying on resupply from Earth.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

New microwave that can replace three appliances hits the market: Sharp launches 3-in-1 model that combines air fryer, convection oven, and heating in 0.9 cubic feet for small kitchens

While Brazil has been discussing bullet trains for 16 years, China delivers 5 new high-speed lines in 2026, surpasses 50,000 km of HSR, and moves 1 billion passengers in a single year.

With an 88-meter wingspan, a capacity of 250 tons, six engines, and 32 wheels, the Ukrainian giant became the greatest symbol of extreme air transport and one of the most impressive machines in aviation history.

Mangroves hide a billion-dollar water cleanup, remove 960 thousand tons of nitrogen per year, and reveal an environmental power that many people hadn’t even imagined existed.

The delivery of a 15 m² container studio apartment, furnished with a bed, nightstand, wardrobe, slatted panel headboard, custom-designed kitchen, and a corner shower enclosure in the bathroom. The client will use the house on weekends.

A 60 m² container house with three bedrooms, including a master suite and two children’s bedrooms. The team’s assembly took five business days, and the structure came pre-finished from the factory.

What’s worth buying in Paraguay in 2026 reveals an absurd difference in electronics, with MacBook over R$ 11 thousand cheaper and PS5 for half the price.

With a TSI engine of up to 150 hp, a 420-liter trunk, a 10.1-inch VW Play infotainment system, and almost 7,900 units sold in April 2026, Volkswagen’s SUV remains the segment leader, leaving Creta, Tracker, and Compass behind.

Another Way To Generate Renewable Energy Is Being Tested Through A New Simple And Clean Method That Has Proven Promising

The Study For The New Way Of Generating Renewable Energy Received Support From FAPESP Through Three Projects

Other News:

How The Material Is Produced

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

NASA is offering US$ 750,000 to people from anywhere in the world who solve a problem that could decide survival on Mars: creating food for astronauts without relying on resupply from Earth.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

New microwave that can replace three appliances hits the market: Sharp launches 3-in-1 model that combines air fryer, convection oven, and heating in 0.9 cubic feet for small kitchens

While Brazil has been discussing bullet trains for 16 years, China delivers 5 new high-speed lines in 2026, surpasses 50,000 km of HSR, and moves 1 billion passengers in a single year.

With an 88-meter wingspan, a capacity of 250 tons, six engines, and 32 wheels, the Ukrainian giant became the greatest symbol of extreme air transport and one of the most impressive machines in aviation history.

Saudi Arabia is building in Oxagon a US$ 8.4 billion mega green hydrogen plant with 4 GW of solar and wind energy, 5.6 million solar panels, and capacity to produce 600 tons per day, transforming the desert into one of the planet’s largest clean fuel factories.

Germany and Denmark will transform Bornholm into a Baltic power island, connecting 3 GW of offshore wind power to the grids of the two countries via submarine cables and turning a real island into an international energy hub.

Brazil discovers natural hydrogen in four states and enters the silent race that could redraw the energy transition: Petrobras has already invested R$ 20 million in studies.

A BRICS country surprises the world, doubles electricity generation in just 7 years, nears 9,800 MW, and becomes one of Africa’s new bets in renewable energy.

Ambitious project in Dubai transforms desert mountains into a “giant water battery” with 1,500 MWh, reversible turbines, and a lifespan of up to 80 years to store solar energy when night makes the solar panels go dark.

Mangroves hide a billion-dollar water cleanup, remove 960 thousand tons of nitrogen per year, and reveal an environmental power that many people hadn’t even imagined existed.

The delivery of a 15 m² container studio apartment, furnished with a bed, nightstand, wardrobe, slatted panel headboard, custom-designed kitchen, and a corner shower enclosure in the bathroom. The client will use the house on weekends.

A 60 m² container house with three bedrooms, including a master suite and two children’s bedrooms. The team’s assembly took five business days, and the structure came pre-finished from the factory.

What’s worth buying in Paraguay in 2026 reveals an absurd difference in electronics, with MacBook over R$ 11 thousand cheaper and PS5 for half the price.

With a TSI engine of up to 150 hp, a 420-liter trunk, a 10.1-inch VW Play infotainment system, and almost 7,900 units sold in April 2026, Volkswagen’s SUV remains the segment leader, leaving Creta, Tracker, and Compass behind.