Defect Functionalized Sustainable Energy Materials: From Design to Devices Application

This proposal will establish a world-class research and networking hub that can accelerate the creation of innovative materials for energy applications. The collaboration between the Tokyo Tech, Faculties of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MAPS) and Engineering, UCL, and the McGill University, Canada will enable a new paradigm in materials research by engineering materials with defects and active sites tailored for applications in energy generation, storage and reduction. We aim to create sustainable materials, especially focusing on energy materials, such as electronic materials for low power consumption, high-efficiency photovoltaic devices, and high-efficiency power-saving catalytic processes. This collaboration will harness the existing complementary strength of the three institutions in developing materials for energy applications and will focus on designing, synthesizing and characterizing new materials with tailored properties and testing their functionalities. This will involve training of young researchers, transfer of expertise and sharing of advanced equipment via a program of visits and exchanges, networking and collaboration building activities. The proposed hub will be greater than the sum of its parts and will cultivate a community of young researchers who can accelerate the creation of advanced energy materials and sustain collaboration.

The collaboration will establish a world-class international research hub for creating materials for energy applications. Stakeholders include: the semiconductor microelectronics, condensed matter physics, solid state materials and electrochemistry, catalysis, sensors and materials modellers and designers communities; catalyst, battery, and solar cell manufacturers. In many of these areas the UK plays a leading role and our work will stimulate further interest both within the UK and internationally.

The proposed fundamental study of engineering materials with defects and active sites tailored for applications in energy generation, storage and reduction will generate large number of high-profile publications. As such, the potential for commercialisation is on a longer timescale than more close-to-market research. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that the understanding developed in this project will contribute to technological advances on a timescale of 4-12 years. Early gains may be in the understanding of transparent conductors and thermoelectrics; more medium-term benefits my come from the development of cheaper and power-efficient catalysts and in electroluminescent devices.

Many of our researchers have long-standing and deep relationships with major industrial partners in the field of energy materials and their application. Direct impact will be leveraged through our existing industrial partners (Pilkington NSG, Infineon, Johnson Matthey, Qinetiq, etc). UCL Enterprise division offers support to translate research from academia to industry and deals with international relations. Several members of the team have extensive experience in commercialisation; Darr (Vice Dean (Enterprise) for the UCL MAPS Faculty) and other members have close links with industry as well as spin-out companies.

One of the main instruments and impacts of the project will be the training of young researchers, transfer of expertise and sharing of equipment via a program of visits and exchanges, networking and collaboration building activities. This will expose them to cutting-edge research at Tokyo Tech and McGill. The mixed experimental/modelling nature of the project, along with collaboration between the academic and the industrial partners offers an excellent training ground young researchers associated with the project (estimated 20 PhD students and 10 PDRAs at UCL) supported by a comprehensive package of researcher development training courses at partner institutions.