Final Report Summary - INTERNEW (Innovative interfaces for energy-related applications)
The general objective of the project was to build up an extended research international partnership focused on the developing of new heterointerfaces to be applied for specific energy-related applications, their advanced characterization at the nanoscale level with state-of-the-art techniques and their integration in prototype devices. Through the exchange of experienced and early stage researchers and through the realization of different activities the twofold objective of developing new energy-related nanomaterials and strengthening the networking activities of the Consortium have been addressed, in view of future long lasting collaborations and joint research projects at international level.
From the scientific point of view, the project has been focused on the development and investigation of a new class of composite nanomaterials for specific energy-related applications. In most cutting-edge applications related to energy harnessing, harvesting and storage, nanomaterials are playing mayor role in enhancing and optimizing device performances, while maintaining affordable production costs for their effective exploitation. Production of nanomaterials by design allows possibility of fine tuning the morphological and structural properties of complex structures, which result in new and/or modified functionalities at the nanoscale and at the macro scale, as a consequence. Critical role in determining such new properties is played by the interfaces among different nanomaterials, which regulate most of the physical and chemical characteristics of the new materials, like electronic band structure, optical properties, electron transport properties, etc. As a few examples, Lithium ion intercalation in Li-ion batteries, electron transport in excitonic solar cells, and charge injection phenomena in photoelectrochemical systems are mostly regulated by the status of the interface at the nanoscale of suitably prepared nanomaterials addressing specific tasks like, for instance, regulating physical and/or chemical sorption, intercalation, and electrochemical reactions, inhibiting charge recombination through charge screening during electron transport, fastening exciton dissociation and charge injection from visible light absorbers (being either organic dyes and metal-organic dyes or inorganic quantum dots). For these reasons accurate and complete characterization of hetero-interfaces is a major issue for the development of advanced materials for energy applications. Two Work Packages have been devoted to these scientific activities, namely WP1, focusing on the production and characterization of new heterointerfaces, and WP2 dedicated to the integration in devices of three different categories: (i) excitonic solar cells (XSCs), (ii) Li-ion batteries and (iii) photocatalysts.
More in detail, the work performed has been focused several topics.
- fabrication and characterization of metal oxide-metal oxide and carbon-metal oxide heterostructures to be tested as photocatalysts and as active electrode materials in Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors;
- deposition of metal oxide onto carbonaceous materials, for fabricating catalyst materials for the oxygen evolution reaction;
- fabrication of metal oxide hetero-nanostructures, for improving the efficiency of solar cells, showing an increase the photogenerated electron-hole pair lifetime;
- fabrication and characterization of carbon-nanotube-based and graphene-based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells as well as interfaces of epitaxial manganite films, with the aim of correlating the structural and compositional parameters with the functional properties of the heterostructures and of the fabricated devices;
- investigation of the interaction of photo-active silicon nanoclusters with graphene, with the aim of pursuing their potentialities in the fabrication and integration of a new class of organic-inorganic hybrid materials for solar energy conversion;
- exploitation of graphene in the development of new photoanodes for excitonic solar cells;
- introduction of Lithium-Sulfur batteries in the batteries lines developed among the partners, with the goal to determine the basic configurations and the possible improvements and to deeply study the lithiation/delithiation kinetics mechanisms;
- synthesis of graphene/metal oxide composites for photocatalysis applications with particular focus on the effect of traditional heating and microwave assisted heating in the benzyl alcohol assisted synthesis of TiO2/reduced graphene oxide composites;
- production of Co3O4/SnO2 hollow nanostructures by means of Galvanic replacement reaction for water electrolysis applications;
- infra-red optical sensors based on Epitaxial Graphene-Quantum Dots with particular focus on the deposit of Quantum Dots and the study their influence on the electrical properties of the graphene devices;
- imaging and spectroscopy of a new type of Fe/N/C catalysts in particular thanks to the capabilities of Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy;
- deposition of methyl ammonium lead bromide perovskites by doctor blade for photovoltaic applications.
Moreover, as additional topics not included in the original Description of Work, the following otpics have been covered:
- study and presentation of results (in a visit of SNU by CNR researchers) on nonlinear materials for photonic sources (lasers) and optical fiber distributed sensing based on spontaneous and stimulated Brillouin scattering effects
- experimental and theoretical study carried out at NFL by CNR researchers in collaboration with NFL staff on novel materials and devices (based on silicon nitride) for applications to integrated photonics and quantum cryptography
INTERNEW was at the intersection of very different scientific and technical fields belonging to nanotechnology, materials synthesis, nanoscale characterization and device fabrication strategies, whereby the challenge lies in the controlled fabrication of new nanomaterial to be applied in energy-related end-user devices. INTERNEW aimed to together internationally recognized groups with a global spread, and expertise covering the various aspects of innovative research and development as well as the training of the next generation scientists with extensive multidisciplinary skills. By analyzing the aims and scopes of H2020, INTERNEW was pursuing the development of top level research on one of the most critical fields in the EU and worldwide scenario of sustainable development, paving the way for technological exploitation of new prototype devices, with potential benefits not only from the viewpoint of fundamental science, but also for social life and development of a "green society", which is exactly what H2020 is expecting.
The European industry is currently under significant competitive pressures from developed and low-wage economies, which makes it inevitable to keep abreast with the trends of scientific and industrial research in other continents. International cooperation, as conceptualized in INTERNEW, with industrialized nations like Canada and Korea will establish new ties in the field of renewable energy technology, which had wide-reaching implications in different sectors of the modern society. This partnership can enable the development of new products and transfer of technology to new markets.
From the scientific point of view, the project has been focused on the development and investigation of a new class of composite nanomaterials for specific energy-related applications. In most cutting-edge applications related to energy harnessing, harvesting and storage, nanomaterials are playing mayor role in enhancing and optimizing device performances, while maintaining affordable production costs for their effective exploitation. Production of nanomaterials by design allows possibility of fine tuning the morphological and structural properties of complex structures, which result in new and/or modified functionalities at the nanoscale and at the macro scale, as a consequence. Critical role in determining such new properties is played by the interfaces among different nanomaterials, which regulate most of the physical and chemical characteristics of the new materials, like electronic band structure, optical properties, electron transport properties, etc. As a few examples, Lithium ion intercalation in Li-ion batteries, electron transport in excitonic solar cells, and charge injection phenomena in photoelectrochemical systems are mostly regulated by the status of the interface at the nanoscale of suitably prepared nanomaterials addressing specific tasks like, for instance, regulating physical and/or chemical sorption, intercalation, and electrochemical reactions, inhibiting charge recombination through charge screening during electron transport, fastening exciton dissociation and charge injection from visible light absorbers (being either organic dyes and metal-organic dyes or inorganic quantum dots). For these reasons accurate and complete characterization of hetero-interfaces is a major issue for the development of advanced materials for energy applications. Two Work Packages have been devoted to these scientific activities, namely WP1, focusing on the production and characterization of new heterointerfaces, and WP2 dedicated to the integration in devices of three different categories: (i) excitonic solar cells (XSCs), (ii) Li-ion batteries and (iii) photocatalysts.
More in detail, the work performed has been focused several topics.
- fabrication and characterization of metal oxide-metal oxide and carbon-metal oxide heterostructures to be tested as photocatalysts and as active electrode materials in Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors;
- deposition of metal oxide onto carbonaceous materials, for fabricating catalyst materials for the oxygen evolution reaction;
- fabrication of metal oxide hetero-nanostructures, for improving the efficiency of solar cells, showing an increase the photogenerated electron-hole pair lifetime;
- fabrication and characterization of carbon-nanotube-based and graphene-based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells as well as interfaces of epitaxial manganite films, with the aim of correlating the structural and compositional parameters with the functional properties of the heterostructures and of the fabricated devices;
- investigation of the interaction of photo-active silicon nanoclusters with graphene, with the aim of pursuing their potentialities in the fabrication and integration of a new class of organic-inorganic hybrid materials for solar energy conversion;
- exploitation of graphene in the development of new photoanodes for excitonic solar cells;
- introduction of Lithium-Sulfur batteries in the batteries lines developed among the partners, with the goal to determine the basic configurations and the possible improvements and to deeply study the lithiation/delithiation kinetics mechanisms;
- synthesis of graphene/metal oxide composites for photocatalysis applications with particular focus on the effect of traditional heating and microwave assisted heating in the benzyl alcohol assisted synthesis of TiO2/reduced graphene oxide composites;
- production of Co3O4/SnO2 hollow nanostructures by means of Galvanic replacement reaction for water electrolysis applications;
- infra-red optical sensors based on Epitaxial Graphene-Quantum Dots with particular focus on the deposit of Quantum Dots and the study their influence on the electrical properties of the graphene devices;
- imaging and spectroscopy of a new type of Fe/N/C catalysts in particular thanks to the capabilities of Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy;
- deposition of methyl ammonium lead bromide perovskites by doctor blade for photovoltaic applications.
Moreover, as additional topics not included in the original Description of Work, the following otpics have been covered:
- study and presentation of results (in a visit of SNU by CNR researchers) on nonlinear materials for photonic sources (lasers) and optical fiber distributed sensing based on spontaneous and stimulated Brillouin scattering effects
- experimental and theoretical study carried out at NFL by CNR researchers in collaboration with NFL staff on novel materials and devices (based on silicon nitride) for applications to integrated photonics and quantum cryptography
INTERNEW was at the intersection of very different scientific and technical fields belonging to nanotechnology, materials synthesis, nanoscale characterization and device fabrication strategies, whereby the challenge lies in the controlled fabrication of new nanomaterial to be applied in energy-related end-user devices. INTERNEW aimed to together internationally recognized groups with a global spread, and expertise covering the various aspects of innovative research and development as well as the training of the next generation scientists with extensive multidisciplinary skills. By analyzing the aims and scopes of H2020, INTERNEW was pursuing the development of top level research on one of the most critical fields in the EU and worldwide scenario of sustainable development, paving the way for technological exploitation of new prototype devices, with potential benefits not only from the viewpoint of fundamental science, but also for social life and development of a "green society", which is exactly what H2020 is expecting.
The European industry is currently under significant competitive pressures from developed and low-wage economies, which makes it inevitable to keep abreast with the trends of scientific and industrial research in other continents. International cooperation, as conceptualized in INTERNEW, with industrialized nations like Canada and Korea will establish new ties in the field of renewable energy technology, which had wide-reaching implications in different sectors of the modern society. This partnership can enable the development of new products and transfer of technology to new markets.