Descripción del proyecto
Una nueva generación de dispositivos biohíbridos
Para lograr un consumo de electricidad eficiente y de bajo coste, la Unión Europea respalda tecnologías biohíbridas avanzadas fotovoltaicas y de iluminación. Con todo, el empleo de biomoléculas como componentes funcionales en dispositivos fotovoltaicos y de iluminación sigue siendo objeto de estudio, ya que se desnaturalizan durante el almacenamiento y el funcionamiento. En la actualidad, se emplea un material innovador similar al caucho que preserva la biofuncionalidad. El equipo del proyecto InOutBioLight, financiado con fondos europeos, diseñará cauchos multifuncionales con mejores propiedades mecánicas, térmicas, de conversión del color y de guía de la luz. El objetivo del proyecto es desarrollar una nueva generación de dispositivos biohíbridos al abordar cinco cuestiones principales, a saber: la naturaleza de la estabilización de la matriz proteica; cómo mejorar las propiedades térmicas y mecánicas; el diseño de cauchos multifuncionales; la imitación de patrones naturales, y la ampliación del uso tecnológico de los materiales similares al caucho.
Objetivo
InOutBioLight aims to design multifunctional rubbers with enhanced mechanical, thermal, color-converting, and light-guiding features towards advanced biohybrid lighting and photovoltaic technologies. The latter are placed at the forefront of the EU efforts for low-cost production and efficient consumption of electricity, a critical issue for a sustainable development.
In this context, the use of biomolecules as functional components in lighting and photovoltaic devices is still a challenge, as they quickly denature under storage and device operation conditions. This paradigm has changed using an innovative rubber-like material, in which the biofunctionality is long preserved. As a proof-of-concept, color down-converting rubbers based on fluorescent proteins were used to design the first biohybrid white light-emitting diode (bio-HWLED). To develop a new generation of biohybrid devices, InOutBioLight will address the following critical issues, namely i) the nature of the protein-matrix stabilization, ii) how to enhance the thermal/mechanical features, iii) how to design multifunctional rubbers, iv) how to mimic natural patterns for light-guiding, and v) how to expand the technological use of the rubber approach.
To achieve these goals, InOutBioLight involves comprehensive spectroscopic, microscopic, and mechanical studies to investigate the protein-matrix interaction using new polymer matrices, additives, and protein-based nanoparticles. In addition, the mechanical, thermal, and light-coupling features will be enhanced using structural biocompounds and reproducing biomorphic patterns. As such, InOutBioLight offers three major advances: i) a thorough scientific basis for the rubber approach, ii) a significant thrust of the emerging bio-HWLEDs, and iii) innovative breakthroughs beyond state-of-the-art biohybrid solar cells.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcolors
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energyphotovoltaic
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitución de acogida
80333 Muenchen
Alemania