Energy
From its earliest days, BINA researchers have played a vital role in the development of renewable energy applications. Focusing on photovoltaics, energy storage, solar thermal energy, energy conservation – as well as basic research – BINA’s nano-energy experts are world leaders in the techniques that are forging a path toward practical and green solutions for a sustainable future.
- Advanced materials for rechargeable battery systems and super capacitors
- Dye-sensitized solar cells
- Nano-based optics for photovoltaics
- Low cost, multi-band-gap photovoltaic systems
- Carbon engineering and electrochemistry for EDL capacitors
- Electrical and optical properties of carbon nanotube structures
- Carbon nanotube-based electrodes for batteries and super capacitors
- Solid-liquid interfaces of ionic liquids
Researchers
-
electronic materials, esp. for Photovoltaics.
• Solar energy
• Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC)
• Nanoporous wide band-gap semiconductor electrodes, single material and core-shell systems
• Nanosize wide band-gap semiconductors with controlled properties via surface control
• Low cost spectral splitting for multibandgap photovoltaics
• Interdigitated organic/inorganic nanosize layers towards the development of low cost “plastic” solar cells and smart
polymers -
Quantum Engineering & Devices
• Thermophotonic Devices
• Novel Optoelectronic Materials & Devices
• Transport in Nanostructures
• Semiconductor Hetrostructures
• Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers -
Synthesis of 1D & 2D nanostructures
• Synthesis of carbon nanotubes and understanding of growth mechanisms
• Synthesis of 2D nanocarbons (graphene, GO, rGO)
• Synthesis of 2D metal / sulfidesphosphides - selenides
• Application of synthesized nanostructures to batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, heterojunctions, sensors -
Alternative Energy
- Photovoltaics (PV), esp. materials for high voltage, low-cost, stable PV
- Combinatorial synthesis and characterization of optoelectronic materials
- Semiconductor materials & device chemistry & physics
- Biomolecular optoelectronics
- Fundamentals of proteins as electronic materials
-
The current research focuses on the investigation of the chemical synthesis of materials to promote renewable and green energies
• Photovoltaics and energy storage (batteries and capacitors)
• Inorganic synthesis of semi-conductors, metals and oxides
• Magnetic properties of materials
• Nanostructures: from individual nanoparticles to functional materials -
We develop the most energetic, high capacity cathodes for Li ion batteries, most suitable for use in electric vehicles
• Li metal based, very high energy density rechargeable batteries.
• Advanced Li ion batteries for electromobility.
• Advance analytical techniques (in-situ observations).
• Batteries for large energy storage (e.g. rechargeable Mg batteries).
• Super-capacitors (very fast energy storage & conversion).
• Water desalination by electrochemical means. -
Biomaterials and Advanced Materials group
Research in my group has been focused on revealing and explaining the fundamental interactions that underlie inorganic material formation in nature, a process known as biomineralization. We particularly make use of our expertise in solid-state NMR spectroscopy to analyze the rudimentary processes of biogenic material formation in atomic/molecular level. Unveiling the structure/activity relations in these specialized biomolecules involved in regulation of solid biomaterial formation has been particularly elusive. Using these findings, we develop new biomaterials for hard tissue applications based on rationale guidelines. We implement NMR characterization in materials research to understand interfaces between nanomaterials at great detail and employ molecular insights to design concept materials that are more environment friendly.
-
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technologies
• Electrochemistry
• Bio-inspired electrochemistry
• Alternative energy technologies (fuel cells, batteries and photovoltaics)
• Organometallic compounds
• Conductive polymers
• Porphyrins and transition metal complexes
• Ceramic materials
• Semiconductors
• Carbon supports for alternative energy applications (electrodes, electron acceptors) -
Functional thin film for electrochemical devices
Surface directed chemical reaction in vacuum (atomic/molecular layer deposition ALD/MLD) for:
1. Stabilization of batteries electrodes in implanted medical devices
2. Designing arrays of nano-materials with controlled morphology and structure for electrochemical devices.
3. Modified metallic anode surfaces for next generation rechargeable batteries. -
Experimental x-ray studies of surface properties of liquid metals
- Experimental x-ray studies of surface properties of liquid metals
- Simple liquids and liquid crystals
- Structure of mono-molecular Langmuir films
- Dynamical x-ray diffraction phenomena in perfect crystals
- High precision crystal binding studies
- X-ray emission and absorption spectroscopy
- Synchrotron radiation and its applications
-
In the Device Spectroscopy Laboratory, we use optical spectroscopy to study nanoscale materials such as molecular organics and more generally nanostructured semiconductors, and then devices composed of these materials
• Coherent coupling in light-matter coupled systems: Organic Lasers, J-aggregates, and Polaritons.
• Ultra-high resolution scanning microcopy and spectroscopy.
• Applications of ultra-fast non-linear spectroscopy for energy sustainability.
• Novel approaches to organic crystal growth and OLED deposition.
