Nanostructured Functional Materials for Energy Efficient Refrigeration, Energy Harvesting and Production of Hydrogen from Water.
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Materials
Abstract
This program is about using nanostructured materials to address key areas in energy related applications. This proposal will deliver world class materials science through ambitious thin and thick film development and analysis and the proposal targets the EPSRC strategic areas Energy and Nanoscience through nanoengineering. The programme grant will provide the opportunity to integrate three well established research areas that currently operate independently of each other and will establish a new consortium of activities. Collectively they offer the essential ingredients to move this particular field forward. The planned program of work is timely because of the convergence of modelling capability, precision multilayer oxide growth expertise and nanofabrication facilities. The overall vision for the Programme Grant is focussed on Energy. Within the Programme we aim to find means of reducing energy consumption for example by using electro and magnetocaloric means of cooling; generating energy by use of nanoscale rectifying antennas and finally storing energy by photocatalytic splitting of hydrogen from water. Our program is divided into two themed areas:1) Nanostructured oxides for Energy Efficient Refrigeration with 2 project areasElectrocaloricsMagnetocalorics2) Nanostructured oxides for energy production and storage with 2 project areasSolar HarvestingPhotocatalysisThis research will enable :- The development of new materials, new material architectures and new device concepts for energy refrigeration and energy harvesting. The synergy across a range of programs particularly the underpinning activities of materials theory, modelling and characterisation will move these important fields closer to application.- The research will also enable a new forum to be established, with representation from UK and European scientists and industrialists so that broad discussions can be held to enable moving these fields forward. We place a significant emphasis on training, outreach and knowledge transfer.The research challenges that need to be addressed are:- Designing physical systems that are close to an instability so that small external perturbations from magnetic or electric fields, optical or thermal excitation will tip the system into a new ground state- Optimising control over (strain, defects, doping inhomogeneity, disorder) and first layer effects in thin film oxides (with thicknesses of the order of 10nm or less) so that we can develop the capability to tune the band gap of the oxide using directed modelling and targeted growth control.
Organisations
- Imperial College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- IFW Dresden (Leibniz Institute) (Project Partner)
- University of Cambridge (Project Partner)
- UK Astronomy Technology Centre (Project Partner)
- Ames National Laboratory (Project Partner)
- Camfridge Ltd (Project Partner)
- National Physical Laboratory (Project Partner)
- Ericsson (Project Partner)
- NETZSCH (UK) (Project Partner)
- University of Nova Gorica (Project Partner)
- The Welding Institute (Project Partner)
Publications
Schmidgall E
(2010)
Temperature stable Ba x Sr 1-x TiO 3 thin film structures for microwave devices
in Electronics Letters
Valant M
(2010)
Electrocaloric effect in a ferroelectric Pb ( Zn 1 / 3 Nb 2 / 3 ) O 3 -PbTiO 3 single crystal
in Physical Review B
Dunne L
(2011)
Statistical mechanical lattice model of the dual-peak electrocaloric effect in ferroelectric relaxors and the role of pressure
in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Wang Y
(2011)
Antiphase boundaries in Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 epitaxial film grown on (001) LaAlO3 substrate
in Applied Physics Letters
Centeno A
(2011)
Light absorption and field enhancement in two-dimensional arrays of closely spaced silver nanoparticles
in Journal of the Optical Society of America B
Liborio L
(2011)
Chemistry of defect induced photoluminescence in chalcopyrites: The case of CuAlS2
in Journal of Applied Physics
Wang Y
(2011)
Dissociation of misfit and threading dislocations in Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 epitaxial film
in Materials Characterization
Lyubina J
(2012)
Novel La(Fe,Si) 13 /Cu Composites for Magnetic Cooling
in Advanced Energy Materials
Morrison K
(2012)
A calorimetric method to detect a weak or distributed latent heat contribution at first order magnetic transitions.
in The Review of scientific instruments
Lyubina J
(2012)
Electrolytic Hydriding of LaFe 13-x Si x Alloys for Energy Efficient Magnetic Cooling
in Advanced Materials
Sandeman K
(2012)
Magnetocaloric materials: The search for new systems
in Scripta Materialia
Gammon P
(2012)
A study of temperature-related non-linearity at the metal-silicon interface
in Journal of Applied Physics
Goupil F
(2012)
Direct and indirect electrocaloric measurements on <001>-PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-30PbTiO3 single crystals
in Journal of Applied Physics
Liborio L
(2012)
Atomic structure of the (001) surface of CuGaSe2
in Surface Science
Valant M
(2012)
The Origin of Magnetism in Mn-Doped SrTiO 3
in Advanced Functional Materials
Bratko M
(2012)
History dependence of directly observed magnetocaloric effects in (Mn, Fe)As
in Applied Physics Letters
Sandeman K
(2012)
Magnetocaloric materials: the search for new systems
Hannemann U
(2012)
Thermopower of LaFe 13-x Si x alloys
in EPL (Europhysics Letters)
LI C
(2012)
Microstructural Defects and Their Formation Mechanisms in Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 Epitaxial Film Microstructural Defects and Their Formation Mechanisms in Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 Epitaxial Film
in Journal of Inorganic Materials
Morrison K
(2013)
Identifying the critical point of the weakly first-order itinerant magnet DyCo 2 with complementary magnetization and calorimetric measurements
in Physical Review B
Turcaud J
(2013)
Microstructural control and tuning of thermal conductivity in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3±d
in Scripta Materialia
Darvill D
(2013)
Plasmonic fluorescence enhancement by metal nanostructures: shaping the future of bionanotechnology.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
Xie F
(2013)
Au nanostructures by colloidal lithography: from quenching to extensive fluorescence enhancement.
in Journal of materials chemistry. B
Centeno A
(2013)
Diffuse scattering from hemispherical nanoparticles at the air-silicon interface.
in Nanotechnology
Recour Q
(2013)
Magnetic structures of Mn 3 - x Fe x Sn 2 : An experimental and theoretical study
in Physical Review B
Belo J
(2013)
Critical magnetic behavior of magnetocaloric materials with the Gd5Si4-type structure
in Journal of Applied Physics
Gercsi Z
(2013)
Magnetoelastic effects in doped Fe 2 P
in Physical Review B
Staunton J
(2013)
Tuning the metamagnetism of an antiferromagnetic metal
in Physical Review B
Doig K
(2013)
Coherent magnon and acoustic phonon dynamics in tetragonal and rare-earth-doped BiFeO 3 multiferroic thin films
in Physical Review B
Xie F
(2013)
Nanoscale control of Ag nanostructures for plasmonic fluorescence enhancement of near-infrared dyes
in Nano Research
Korotana R
(2014)
Hybrid density functional study of structural, bonding, and electronic properties of the manganite series La 1 - x Ca x MnO 3 ( x = 0 , 1 4 , 1 )
in Physical Review B
Donchev E
(2014)
The rectenna device: From theory to practice (a review)
in MRS Energy & Sustainability
Le Goupil F
(2014)
Effect of Ce doping on the electrocaloric effect of SrxBa1-xNb2O6 single crystals
in Applied Physics Letters
Morrison K
(2014)
Overview of the Characteristic Features of the Magnetic Phase Transition with Regards to the Magnetocaloric Effect: the Hidden Relationship Between Hysteresis and Latent Heat
in Metallurgical and Materials Transactions E
Altynnikov A
(2014)
Suppression of slow capacitance relaxation phenomenon in Pt/Ba0.3Sr0.7TiO3/Pt thin film ferroelectric structures by annealing in oxygen atmosphere
in Applied Physics Letters
Silva D
(2014)
Maximizing the temperature span of a solid state active magnetic regenerative refrigerator
in Applied Energy
Baumfeld O
(2014)
The dynamics of spontaneous hydrogen segregation in LaFe13- x Si x H y
in Journal of Applied Physics
Goupil F
(2014)
Anisotropy of the Electrocaloric Effect in Lead-Free Relaxor Ferroelectrics
in Advanced Energy Materials
Turcaud J
(2014)
Spontaneous magnetization above T C in polycrystalline La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 and La 0.7 Ba 0.3 MnO 3
in Physical Review B
Tseng H
(2015)
Thin film properties of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) with novel templating effects
in Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Wu X
(2015)
Broadband plasmon photocurrent generation from Au nanoparticles/ mesoporous TiO2 nanotube electrodes
in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Turcaud J
(2015)
Quantifying the deleterious role of strong correlations in La 1 - x Ca x MnO 3 at the magnetocaloric transition
in Physical Review B
Pires A
(2015)
Influence of short time milling in R5(Si,Ge)4, R = Gd and Tb, magnetocaloric materials
in Materials & Design
Le Goupil F
(2015)
Electrocaloric enhancement near the morphotropic phase boundary in lead-free NBT-KBT ceramics
in Applied Physics Letters
| Description | The project examines 4 areas. Electrocaloric materials that can change temperature on the application of a voltage, magnetocaloric materials that can change temperature on the application of a magnetic field, a rectifying antenna structure that can harvest incoming radiation (solar or infra red), and finally the catalytic dissociation of water to produce hydrogen. Findings so far: Electrocalorics Three key summary points that are priorities i) device set-up of a DSC-based direct-EC measurement system; ii) development of theoretical models describing the Electrocaloric effect; iii) synthesis of highly polarisable and anisotropic ceramics Magnetocalorics • Comparative study of manganites verses competitive materials • Optimisation of MCE with grain size and anisotropy • Assessments of the benefits of new material architectures Rectenna • Identification of suitable materials and device architecture • Development of nano-antennas • Manufacturing of MIM diodes Solar Hydrogen • Development of a theoretical model for complex charge transport in the semiconducting nanostructures. • Development of a model to assess photocatalytic performance. • Characterisation of the electronic structure of the nanostructures. |
| Exploitation Route | The work described in this grant will lead to routes that will: Save energy (electrocaloric and magnetocaloric cooling) Produce energy by rectification of incoming radiation Store energy by producing hydrogen from water and storing the hydreogen Through industrial partners |
| Sectors | Electronics Energy Environment Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | The magnetocalorics research was of direct benefit to a company - Camfridge. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Energy,Environment |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Nanoscale Advanced Materials Engineering |
| Amount | £7,671,801 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/V001914/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2021 |
| End | 06/2026 |
| Description | "Electrocalorics -A new solid state cooler" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | |
| Results and Impact | Anna-Karin Axelsson "Electrocalorics -A new solid state cooler" invited presentation, 13th April 2012, University of Nova Goricia , Slovenia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |