Periodic Reporting for period 3 - MAGNELIQ (A MAGNETO-ELECTRIC LIQUID – BETTER SENSING)
Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2025-04-30
Our radical vision of a science-enabled technology is a magneto-electric (ME) liquid for new devices like distributed-force sensors that can transform complex structures like the skins of humanoid robots and artificial body parts. A ME material is characterised by having magnetic properties that can be manipulated with an electric field and, vice versa, electric properties that can be manipulated with a magnetic field. Until now, the only ME materials have been solid-state mutliferroics; however, we propose a breakthrough liquid ME material (Figure 1). The ME-based technology will lay the foundations for a new generation of devices and sensors for autonomous industrial, robotic, and power systems. New, fully optical measurements of electric and magnetic fields will considerably improve the grid management for reducing energy consumption and the efficient use of renewable sources. The very same sensor designs will also find key applications in electric vehicles and so help reduce CO2 emissions. Outcomes of the project will also be exploited in other socially relevant fields, such as service robotics, assistive technologies or tele-manipulation in hazardous environments (nuclear, bacteriological or chemical applications).
The overall project objectives were to:
1. Develop a surface-selective hybridisation technology to fabricate the ME-NPLs.
2. Design and synthesise electrically responsive organic ligands.
3. Develop a multiscale modelling framework to achieve the technological properties of the ME liquids.
4. Demonstrate sensing technologies based on the ME liquid with miniature and fully optical solutions for rotation sensors and external-field sensors, large sensitive-area force sensors, and a system for wireless signal transmission.
Conclusions of the action: The ME NPLs were produced with the developed surface-selective hybridization technology by reacting the core barium hexaferrite NPLs with the newly designed and synthesized electrically responsive organic ligands. The material’s development ran in parallel and with the support of the developing multiscale models. New all-silica fully optical sensors were developed from the magneto-optic liquids, while a force and pressure sensor was designed from the new ME liquid.
The overall project objectives were to:
1. Develop a surface-selective hybridisation technology to fabricate the ME-NPLs.
2. Design and synthesise electrically responsive organic ligands.
3. Develop a multiscale modelling framework to achieve the technological properties of the ME liquids.
4. Demonstrate sensing technologies based on the ME liquid with miniature and fully optical solutions for rotation sensors and external-field sensors, large sensitive-area force sensors, and a system for wireless signal transmission.
Conclusions of the action: The ME NPLs were produced with the developed surface-selective hybridization technology by reacting the core barium hexaferrite NPLs with the newly designed and synthesized electrically responsive organic ligands. The material’s development ran in parallel and with the support of the developing multiscale models. New all-silica fully optical sensors were developed from the magneto-optic liquids, while a force and pressure sensor was designed from the new ME liquid.
We developed new surface-selective technology and novel ME materials and their characterization. The surface selectivity was reassured by hybridizing the magnetic NPLs with organic polar ligands at a solid–liquid interface. A demand for surface specificity results in micro-scale batches, due to which we developed a unique characterization method utilizing both external (i.e. magnetic and electric) fields simultaneously for evaluating the ME response of our materials.
To ensure electrical sensitivity of the ME NPLs, we developed new electrically responsive organic ligands needed in WP2. An extensive library of two ligands families (phosphonic acids and siloxanes) were prepared using highly variable molecular design and based on versatile synthetic protocols. Moreover, the development of a robust purification method for the prepared ligands (primarily phosphonic acids) proved to be another vital step.
Computational models to guide and interpret the experiments wered developed, in particular ab-initio models of the NPLs’ surface chemistry and the correlated material’s magnetization, a model for optimizing the electric dipole of ME NPLs, and a coarse-grained model for predicting the phase transformation of an isotropic–ferroic fluid.
Using the liquids from MAGNELIQ fully optical rotation and electric current sensors were developed. First was a miniature all-silica fiber optic contact-free angular position sensor. The system uses a small amount of magneto-optic liquid that becomes birefringent when exposed to a magnetic field. We have also developed a miniature optical sensor that measures electrical current with high precision. This innovative device works by detecting the magnetic field created around a wire carrying electricity. We have also developed a method to fill these tiny all-silica micro cells with just nanoliters of the magneto-optic liquid, while using minimal amounts in the manufacturing process. This technology offers significant improvements in temperature management and packaging efficiency, making it practical for a wide range of applications where precise current measurements are needed.
For the robotic applications, a multi-contact distributed tactile sensor was designed from the novel ME liquid. The novel material, being a liquid, allows for the sensor to be shaped around complex geometries such as those of a human fingertip. This makes it particularly suitable for advanced robotics applications. The ability of the sensor to measure forces in 3D for a matrix of points on the sensor surface enables the implementation of advanced manipulation strategies, a key element for the deployment of AI-driven robots in unstructured environments.
To ensure electrical sensitivity of the ME NPLs, we developed new electrically responsive organic ligands needed in WP2. An extensive library of two ligands families (phosphonic acids and siloxanes) were prepared using highly variable molecular design and based on versatile synthetic protocols. Moreover, the development of a robust purification method for the prepared ligands (primarily phosphonic acids) proved to be another vital step.
Computational models to guide and interpret the experiments wered developed, in particular ab-initio models of the NPLs’ surface chemistry and the correlated material’s magnetization, a model for optimizing the electric dipole of ME NPLs, and a coarse-grained model for predicting the phase transformation of an isotropic–ferroic fluid.
Using the liquids from MAGNELIQ fully optical rotation and electric current sensors were developed. First was a miniature all-silica fiber optic contact-free angular position sensor. The system uses a small amount of magneto-optic liquid that becomes birefringent when exposed to a magnetic field. We have also developed a miniature optical sensor that measures electrical current with high precision. This innovative device works by detecting the magnetic field created around a wire carrying electricity. We have also developed a method to fill these tiny all-silica micro cells with just nanoliters of the magneto-optic liquid, while using minimal amounts in the manufacturing process. This technology offers significant improvements in temperature management and packaging efficiency, making it practical for a wide range of applications where precise current measurements are needed.
For the robotic applications, a multi-contact distributed tactile sensor was designed from the novel ME liquid. The novel material, being a liquid, allows for the sensor to be shaped around complex geometries such as those of a human fingertip. This makes it particularly suitable for advanced robotics applications. The ability of the sensor to measure forces in 3D for a matrix of points on the sensor surface enables the implementation of advanced manipulation strategies, a key element for the deployment of AI-driven robots in unstructured environments.
We go beyond the state of the art by merging ab-initio calculations and phenomenological models into a multiscale modelling framework to develop and describe new ME materials. New ME-liquid-enabled technologies offer sensing possibilities by enabling contactless and remote operation, low energy consumption, wireless signal transmission, distributed sensing, and miniaturisation.
The results of the project with potential scientific and technological impact are:
1. A ME liquid, i.e. a novel material needed for the development of new sensor technologies.
2. A new hybridisation technology for the first magnetically and electrically polar Janus nanohybrids was developed. The same technology is suitable for the realisation of the advanced applications of Janus particles, e.g. ME-switchable displays and catalysts, e-paper, and multimodal (bio)sensing.
3. New organic ligands tailored for realizing the ME-NPLs with combined multiple functionalities and the related new synthetic protocols are useful for the hybridization of other inorganic nanoparticles for a wide range of applications, e.g. in microelectronics, solar cells, ecology, sensors, medical diagnostics, and therapy.
4. The new multiscale modelling code developed within the project is important for: (i) Future directions in materials hybridisation and advancements in sensing-enabling. (ii) Data on the interaction energies between the surface Fe3+ ions with organics and directions for the design of electrically sensitive organics. (iii) The data on the colloidal interactions of Janus ME hybrids can support the realisation of future applications involving Janus particles (point 2 above).
5. The successful demonstration of the ME liquid in integrated, distributed sensors will trigger the development of a new family of sensors that will transform technology and society, allowing unprecedented industrial applications, including advanced manufacturing, mobility, power management, robotics, microfluidics, and bio-medical systems.
MAGNELIQ contributed to research and innovation capacity across Europe by the involvement of excellent and ambitious young researchers (postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, MSc, and BSc). The project also involved an ambitious R&D SME, Prensilia (PRE), as a research partner. PRE is promoting the industry-academia cross-fertilisation and intends to increase Europe's market share in industrial and service robotics.
The results of the project with potential scientific and technological impact are:
1. A ME liquid, i.e. a novel material needed for the development of new sensor technologies.
2. A new hybridisation technology for the first magnetically and electrically polar Janus nanohybrids was developed. The same technology is suitable for the realisation of the advanced applications of Janus particles, e.g. ME-switchable displays and catalysts, e-paper, and multimodal (bio)sensing.
3. New organic ligands tailored for realizing the ME-NPLs with combined multiple functionalities and the related new synthetic protocols are useful for the hybridization of other inorganic nanoparticles for a wide range of applications, e.g. in microelectronics, solar cells, ecology, sensors, medical diagnostics, and therapy.
4. The new multiscale modelling code developed within the project is important for: (i) Future directions in materials hybridisation and advancements in sensing-enabling. (ii) Data on the interaction energies between the surface Fe3+ ions with organics and directions for the design of electrically sensitive organics. (iii) The data on the colloidal interactions of Janus ME hybrids can support the realisation of future applications involving Janus particles (point 2 above).
5. The successful demonstration of the ME liquid in integrated, distributed sensors will trigger the development of a new family of sensors that will transform technology and society, allowing unprecedented industrial applications, including advanced manufacturing, mobility, power management, robotics, microfluidics, and bio-medical systems.
MAGNELIQ contributed to research and innovation capacity across Europe by the involvement of excellent and ambitious young researchers (postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, MSc, and BSc). The project also involved an ambitious R&D SME, Prensilia (PRE), as a research partner. PRE is promoting the industry-academia cross-fertilisation and intends to increase Europe's market share in industrial and service robotics.