Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MAGNUS (Strain-graded MAGnetoelectric composites based on NanoporoUS materials for information and biomedical technologies)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-01-01 bis 2022-12-31
The action “MAGNUS: Strain-graded MAGnetoelectric composites based on NanoporoUS materials for information and biomedical technologies” seeks to overcome certain technical drawbacks associated with state-of-the-art magnetoelectric (ME) composites, such as the clamping effect with underlying substrates or the need of high voltage inputs, by fabrication of novel material architectures with a variable mechanical strain along their length, which can respond more efficiently to magnetic and electric fields. The project encompasses new strategies to grow ‘mechanically flexible’ nanoporous magnetostrictive materials (e.g. metal alloys or oxides) and fill them with second-phase materials (e.g. ferroelectric polymers), rendering new functionally graded composites. At the end of the project several new materials fabrication methodologies have been developed that combine chemical and physical preparation techniques to produce desired ME composites architectures with targeted ME properties.
The project faces important challenges in two strategic sectors of modern society: health and energy. The use of voltage programmable ME materials based on proposed porous structures can lead to an important reduction of energy consumption in magnetic storage devices, while maintaining high data areal densities. In turn, electrically-stimulated tissue engineering, driven by strain gradient modulation of ME effects, will lead to novel minimally invasive biomedical treatment procedures for e.g. bone repair.
To achieve the goals of the project the following three main research objectives have been identified:
O1. To develop innovative protocols for the synthesis of highly magnetostrictive porous FM alloys and oxides with target composition, pore size and thickness, to be filled with a FE polymer.
O2. To investigate strain-gradient mediated DME and CME effects in the synthesized ME composites.
O3. To demonstrate (i) magnetoelectrically driven bone tissue engineering via direct ME and (ii) energy-efficient writing of the magnetic information via converse ME using developed composites based on nanoporous materials.
The project faces important challenges in two strategic sectors of modern society: health and energy. The use of voltage programmable ME materials based on proposed porous structures can lead to an important reduction of energy consumption in magnetic storage devices, while maintaining high data areal densities. In turn, electrically-stimulated tissue engineering, driven by strain gradient modulation of ME effects, will lead to novel minimally invasive biomedical treatment procedures for e.g. bone repair.
To achieve the goals of the project the following three main research objectives have been identified:
O1. To develop innovative protocols for the synthesis of highly magnetostrictive porous FM alloys and oxides with target composition, pore size and thickness, to be filled with a FE polymer.
O2. To investigate strain-gradient mediated DME and CME effects in the synthesized ME composites.
O3. To demonstrate (i) magnetoelectrically driven bone tissue engineering via direct ME and (ii) energy-efficient writing of the magnetic information via converse ME using developed composites based on nanoporous materials.
Each objective of MAGNUS has been pursued through a dedicated Work Package (WP). WP1 aimed at the synthesis of nanoporous ferromagnetic materials and filling of their pores with a ferroelectric polymer. During the project, porous magnetic materials have been produced mainly by two techniques: (i) electrodeposition and (ii) pulsed laser deposition. The technique (i) allowed fabricating porous alloys and metals, such as macroporous FeGa and mesoporous Ni and Co. In some cases lithography methods were used to pattern the substrates. The technique (ii) was used to grow cobalt ferrite (CFO) nanoporous films and, in fact, involved a two-step procedure where a vertically alighted composite of CFO:MgO was first grown by pulsed laser deposition and the nanoporous CFO structure was achieved by etching away sacrificial MgO phase of the as-grown composite. Porous CFO matrices have been filled with ferroelectric polymer (PVDF) employing either spin-coating or electrophoretic deposition protocols depending on the size of the pores in the porous matrix.
WP2 was focused on the investigation of structural, mechanical and magnetoelectric properties of the obtained composite materials. This WP brought significantly interesting results in all aspects. In terms of structural characterization, a novel methodology for measuring magnetostriction in nanoporous materials has been proposed. In terms of mechanical characterization, an in-depth nanoindentation analysis of macroporous FeGa alloys has been performed to unveil the role of porosity on mechanical, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of the matrix. Finally, a comprehensive study of magnetoelectric properties of the composites has been performed employing both liquid and solid composite configurations.
WP3 targeted at the exploitation of the fabricated composites: (i) wireless cell stimulation, and (ii) energy-efficient writing of magnetic information. The former task has been achieved using bone cells Saos-2 that were magneto-electrically stimulated to increase the proliferation employing the composite materials developed in WP1. The former task has not been fully achieved due to failure of the ferroelectric counterpart.
The merged results from WP1 and WP2 resulted in six peer-reviewed papers published in high impact journals. One of the publications represents a perspective on the strain-gradient effects in nanoscale-engineered magnetoelectric materials, and another one is an encyclopedia entry on nanoporous composites with converse ME effects for energy-efficient applications. At the moment of presenting the final report, two more publications that include the main results on the WP3 are being prepared. The project results have been presented at 4 international conferences and webinars, and disseminated though a seminar for young ITN ESRs, audiovisual materials (video and manuals) and through a dedicated web-page. It is worth mentioning that some of the talks and protocols/manuals resulted from the project are fully accessible on Zenodo data repository platform.
WP2 was focused on the investigation of structural, mechanical and magnetoelectric properties of the obtained composite materials. This WP brought significantly interesting results in all aspects. In terms of structural characterization, a novel methodology for measuring magnetostriction in nanoporous materials has been proposed. In terms of mechanical characterization, an in-depth nanoindentation analysis of macroporous FeGa alloys has been performed to unveil the role of porosity on mechanical, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of the matrix. Finally, a comprehensive study of magnetoelectric properties of the composites has been performed employing both liquid and solid composite configurations.
WP3 targeted at the exploitation of the fabricated composites: (i) wireless cell stimulation, and (ii) energy-efficient writing of magnetic information. The former task has been achieved using bone cells Saos-2 that were magneto-electrically stimulated to increase the proliferation employing the composite materials developed in WP1. The former task has not been fully achieved due to failure of the ferroelectric counterpart.
The merged results from WP1 and WP2 resulted in six peer-reviewed papers published in high impact journals. One of the publications represents a perspective on the strain-gradient effects in nanoscale-engineered magnetoelectric materials, and another one is an encyclopedia entry on nanoporous composites with converse ME effects for energy-efficient applications. At the moment of presenting the final report, two more publications that include the main results on the WP3 are being prepared. The project results have been presented at 4 international conferences and webinars, and disseminated though a seminar for young ITN ESRs, audiovisual materials (video and manuals) and through a dedicated web-page. It is worth mentioning that some of the talks and protocols/manuals resulted from the project are fully accessible on Zenodo data repository platform.
The MAGNUS project has pushed forward the frontiers of magnetoelectricity in numerous ways. Firstly, novel fabrication methods combining both chemical and physical processes were developed to produce inorganic/organic ME composites based on nanoporous materials. This helped to largely surpass the common clamping effects in archetypical composites. Secondly, protocols on how to make electric contacts and measure the ME effect in both liquid and solid configurations have been established and published. A way to measure magnetostriction in nanoporous materials by means of XRD with in situ magnetic field has been studied and its effectiveness has been demonstrated. Furthermore, a new magnetic setup has been fabricated to allow for the wireless electric stimulation of living cells. Although within the project only Saos2 bone cells have been tested, the protocols could be further extended to the other types of cells responding to bio-electric stimulati, e.g. neural cells, to treat Parkinson or depression. The results obtained in MAGNUS contributed to the formulation of one patent on electric-field-programmable magnetic switching in arrays of interconnected patterned dots for neuromorphic and stochastic data processing. The exploitation of MAGNUS results will have strong economical and societal impacts.
Last but not least, the MSCA allowed the Fellow to develop her research and transferable skills (e.g. language, project management). It is worth mentioning that the project highly impacted the scientific carrier of the Fellow. At the end of the fellowship, the Fellow has been offered a full-time permanent position at a Research and Development Center in Spain (the MSCA grant country).
Last but not least, the MSCA allowed the Fellow to develop her research and transferable skills (e.g. language, project management). It is worth mentioning that the project highly impacted the scientific carrier of the Fellow. At the end of the fellowship, the Fellow has been offered a full-time permanent position at a Research and Development Center in Spain (the MSCA grant country).