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Layered functional materials - beyond 'graphene'

Project description

Rational design of materials ‘beyond graphene’ enabling innovative devices

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-shaped lattice, was discovered in 2004. This wonder material’s discovery led to the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. Only four additional members of the graphene family have been discovered since, none of which has the narrow bandwidth of commercial silicon. The European Research Council-funded BEGMAT project will develop a comprehensive strategy to construct materials ‘beyond graphene’ in a controlled way, by covalent organic chemistry from abundant precursors free of metals and critical raw materials. The project will elucidate structure-properties relationships and create essential knowledge supporting the development of layered functional materials and processes for device manufacture.

Objective

There is an apparent lack of non-metallic 2D-matrials for the construction of electronic devices, as only five materials of the “graphene family” are known: graphene, hBN, BCN, fluorographene, and graphene oxide – none of them with a narrow bandgap close to commercially used silicon. This ERC-StG proposal, BEGMAT, outlines a strategy for design, synthesis, and application of layered, functional materials that will go beyond this exclusive club. These materials “beyond graphene” (BEG) will have to meet – like graphene – the following criteria:
(1) The BEG-materials will feature a transfer of crystalline order from the molecular (pm-range) to the macroscopic level (cm-range),
(2) individual, free-standing layers of BEG-materials can be addressed by mechanical or chemical exfoliation, and
(3) assemblies of different BEG-materials will be stacked as van der Waals heterostructures with unique properties.
In contrast to the existing “graphene family”,
(4) BEG-materials will be constructed in a controlled way by covalent organic chemistry in a bottom-up approach from abundant precursors free of metals and critical raw materials (CRMs).
Moreover – and unlike – many covalent organic frameworks (COFs),
(5) BEG-materials will be fully aromatic, donor-acceptor systems to ensure that electronic properties can be addressed on macroscopic scale.
The potential to make 2D materials “beyond graphene” is a great challenge to chemical bond formation and material design. In 2014 the applicant has demonstrated the feasibility of the concept to expand the “graphene family” with triazine-based graphitic carbon, a compound highlighted as an “emerging competitor for the miracle material” graphene. Now, the PI has the opportunity to build a full-scale research program on layered functional materials that offers unique insights into controlled, covalent linking-chemistry, and that addresses practicalities in device manufacture, and structure-properties relationships.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2015-STG

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Host institution

HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 198 977,50
Address
UNTER DEN LINDEN 6
10117 Berlin
Germany

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Region
Berlin Berlin Berlin
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 198 977,50

Beneficiaries (2)

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