Research Projects

The current development of nanomaterials and functional materials in general, as well as their nanotechnological applications, are determined to a large extent by the current capacities on  the characterization of microstructure, composition and even properties of the materials at the nano-scale. The project is proposed to promote an innovative research in the microstructural characterization of materials. The nanoscopic and spectroscopic techniques linked to the electron microscopes (electron beam probe), will be integrated together with techniques associated with photon beam (X-rays) and ion beam (IBA techniques) probes. This characterization will be associated with selected functional materials, also within advanced research lines of high current interest, in the topic of coatings and thin films in which the work team has strong experience.

The development and application of the available techniques with multiple probes will be a first central objective, both in the ICMS and in other centers of the Universities of Seville (CITIUS, CNA) and Cádiz (TEM central services). Likewise, through collaborations and measurement time applications, access to other international facilities will be achieved. In the project, selected materials will be available in two emerging technologies: i) Nanoporous  thin films and coatings that stabilize gases at ultra-high density and pressure. ii) Catalysts for hydrogen storage and on demand hydrogen generation through the use of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). The advanced characterization proposed in the nano-scale will contribute to the fundamental understanding of the synthesis-microstructure-properties relationships with the final objective of achieving a rational design of new functional materials in the selected priority lines. The project has a direct impact on enabling or emerging technologies such as "nanotechnology" and "advanced materials", as well as on the Andalusian societal challenges and RIS3 objectives in relation to the storage of renewable energies "Topic: Hydrogen and fuel cells".

The depletion of fossil fuels (in a short and long term) and the global warming derived from greenhouse effect are consequences of the extensive use of these fuels. In this context, hydrogen appears as an attractive, clean and abundant energy carrier in the context of a wider use of clean and removable energies. For the implementation of the “hydrogen economy” many technological challenges regarding hydrogen production (free from CO2), transport, storage (in a safe manner) and combustion (to produce heat or electricity) should be met first. New research will be conducted in this project on the basis of our previous results regarding the study of complex hydrides for hydrogen storage and the development of catalysts and processes for hydrogen generation and use in portable applications. In particular, new catalysts will be developed on porous structures such as polymeric, metallic and ceramic membranes and/or foams with high actual interest.  Catalysts will we developed and studied for hydrogen generation and combustion reactions according to the following research lines:

1) Development of new materials (catalysts and supports) with a high added value of the complete system catalyst + support. Porous Ni and SiC foams together with PTFE membranes will be selected as supports for the studies. The main objective is to design new catalysts on technologically interesting supports such as separating membranes, electrolytes, electrodes and/or hydrogen combustors. These new catalysts will be developed following the objective of reducing the amount of noble metals by combining or replacing with another non-noble metals (e.g. Pt-Cu and Ni-Fe) and/or with metalloids (e.g carbides, borides, etc). Wet impregnation methods will be used and special emphasis will be put on the use of the PVD methodology (magnetron sputtering) recently employed in our laboratory for the fabrication of Co thin films with very good results. The latter methodology opens a highly interesting research field because permits to tune microstructure and composition (i.e. Co, Co-B, Co-C) on demand.

2) Characterization of the prepared materials from a microstructural and chemical point of view. Modern nanoscopies will play a key role in the characterization, comprehension and further improvement of these highly nanostructured catalysts.

3) Catalytic studies on the prepared materials will be carried out in three catalytic tests: i) the hydrogen generation through hydrolysis reactions, ii) the photocatalytic water splitting, and iii) the catalytic hydrogen combustion. These reactions are of high interest in the context of the hydrogen economy.

--The interaction of these three research lines as proposed in this project will permit to achieve basic knowledge on the rational design of nanocatalysts supported on porous materials. Structure-composition-activity relationships will be established through catalytic and photo-catalytic studies in combination with characterization techniques based on high resolution analytical TEM and additional spectroscopic techniques.