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Preparing Complex Nanostructures by Atomic Layer Deposition

Final Report Summary - COMPNANOALD (Preparing Complex Nanostructures by Atomic Layer Deposition)

Between 2010-2012 the fellow has acquired theoretical knowledge and practical skills in atomic layer deposition (ALD) at the University of Helsinki, Finland in the frame of a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (MC IEF). After the fellowship, the applicant aims to establish a new atomic layer deposition (ALD) research group at his original university, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Hungary, with a major focus of using ALD in nanotechnology. The role of the MC IEF fellowship was to provide the necessary training for this.

During the MC IEF fellowship, the fellow prepared several novel nanocomposites, all of which advanced the state-of-the-art of using ALD in nanotechnology. He completed all four original research objectives of the MC IEF fellowship successfully. (i) He developed the first water-based electrospinning process for WO3 nanofibers and coated them with TiO2 thin films by ALD. The WO3/TiO2 composite was better photocatalyst than both the pure WO3 nanofibers and Degussa P25 TiO2 nanoparticles under visible light. By tuning the TiO2 film thickness, the photocatalytic activity, the surface acidity and adsorption properties could be adjusted. (ii) The fellow prepared the first example of gas sensing CNT/multilayer MOS composites by ALD, i. e. CNT/ZnO/TiO2 and CNT/TiO2/ZnO. (iii) He prepared a 3D nanotube array by depositing TiO2 and ZnO films onto a 3D nanohole network etched into a Kapton thick film. The 3D nanohole array was prepared by ion beam irradiation followed by chemical etching. These organic/inorganic composites were tested as flexible microchannel plate electron detectors. (iv) The fellow coated a soft biological tissue, i. e. the nanostructured surface of lotus leaf, by ALD for the very first time. Using low temperature ALD, he could preserve almost completely the delicate organic nanotube array on the surface of lotus, which could not be done previously by any other methods. Besides maintaining the superhyrophobicity of lotus/TiO2, he added a new function, i. e. photocatalytic activity. Both properties could be tuned by varying the TiO2 film thickness.

Besides working on the four core research objectives of the fellowship, the fellow had capacity to work on additional research projects as well. He did ALD research to prepare a large number of materials for several applications. He prepared flat antibacterial Ti/TiO2 and Si/TiO2, gas sensitive Al2O3/ZnO and Al2O3/TiO2 composites, cellulose/Al2O3 nanofiber strengthened polymers, and ZnO nanorod based solar cells by ALD. In addition he also contributed to further research projects as well: preparing and characterising photocatalytic and gas sensitive monoclinic and hexagonal WO3 nanoparticles; catalytic WO3/Au nanocomposites; electrochromic hexagonal WO3 nanorods; novel Cu-dioxime complexes; iron and zinc ferrates; TiO2 doped carbon aerogels, and resolving racemic trans-1, 2-cyclohexanediols;.

During working on the research objectives of the MC IEF fellowship and working on additional research topics as well, the fellow managed to collaborate with a great number of research groups throughout Europe. Already before the MC IEF fellowship the fellow had several collaborations, but the fellowship gave a boost for the fellow to create an extensive research network. Among the many collaborations, the contact with General Electric (GE) Hungary should be highlighted, as the GE Hungary has decided to consider the new ALD research group of the fellow at BME to be a research partner of GE Hungary.

The results of the fellowship have been already disseminated in a large number of publications and presentations, and several further such activities are planned as well. During the MC IEF fellowship, the fellow published 4 international journal papers, and he submitted 4 additional international journal papers. He is working on 9 more international journal papers, which contain research data achieved during the fellowship. He published 1 conference proceedings paper as well. Furthermore, the fellow participated in a large numbers of conferences, where he presented the results of the MC IEF fellowship. He gave 2 invited lectures, as well as 11 oral and 5 poster contributed presentations at conferences. These conferences were very useful means to establish new research collaborations. The fellow views the MC IEF fellowship as the best option for a European young scientist to get research experience in a foreign country, and in his conference presentations he emphasized the many advantages of the Marie Curie Programme, and especially that of the MC IEF fellowship.

During the fellowship, the academic achievements and leadership qualities of the fellow were acknowledged by that he has been invited to be an editor at the Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry in 2011, where he will start working as an editor in 2012. In 2011 he was elected as the vice-president of the Thermoanalytical Group of the Hungarian Chemical Society. Furthermore, the fellow obtained three prestigious awards between 2010-2012: (i) Young Scientist Award of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2010); (ii) Young Scientist Award of the Visegrad Academies (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) (2010); (iii) Grant for Young Researchers & Students from Central & Eastern Europe in the field of thermal analysis and calorimetry (2011).

The training objectives of the fellowship have been also achieved. The fellow has acquired deep theoretical knowledge and practical skills in atomic layer deposition (ALD) at the University of Helsinki, Finland. The high quality of the training was ensured by that Helsinki is the world center of ALD research; ALD itself was invented here. During the fellowship, the fellow has completed several university courses on nanotechnology, surface chemistry, vacuum technology. He acquired practical skills with the research infrastructure (ALD and characterisation devices) of the host laboratory. He received training in several complementary skills: research management, networking and forming collaborations, disseminating research results, maintaining an ALD laboratory, supervising students, academic leadership qualities, conference organising, and also basic knowledge of Finnish language.

The research and training results of the fellowship have important socio-economic impact. The new nanomaterials and new approaches achieved by the fellow demonstrate the uniqueness of ALD to prepare complex nanostructures, and open up new ways to prepare novel photocatalyst, gas sensors, multi-channel plates, and to copy the surface of biological tissues.

The training provided by the MC IEF fellowship enables the fellow to start a new ALD research group in Hungary. Now, the fellow possesses such experience in ALD, which is unique in Hungary, and which is therefore extremely valuable. Therefore, as an important impact of the MC IEF fellowship, the fellow will transfer his state-of-the-art knowledge on ALD to Hungarian nanotechnological research.

The new ALD research group of the fellow in Hungary will strengthen the leading role of Europe in ALD and nanotechnology. ALD is one of those segments is nanotechnology, whose centre is in Europe. The fellow with his new ALD research group aims to contribute to that Europe can have a major role in commercialising ALD for industries, which use various nanocoated particles, fibers, etc.

So that the fellow could start his new ALD research group right after the MC IEF fellowship, he has already submitted 4 research grant proposals. One of them has been already accepted (J?nos Bolyai Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) 2011-2014, 15 000 EUR), while the results of the 3 others will be know in the coming months: Momentum Grant of the HAS (2012-2017: 650 000 EUR), Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (2012-2016, 100 000 EUR), Hungarian Scientific Research Fund Young Scientist Grant (2012-2015, 50 000 EUR).