I-Corps: Femtofilm: Scalable Nanomaterials for Energy-Critical Applications

该项目计划结合联合收割机两种能力，即纳米结构材料的可调谐类原子电子量子态和基于光纤的超短脉冲激光源，为经济有效地制造纳米结构材料提供一条途径。这种方法的多功能性是该项目的主要驱动力：从飞秒激光产生的等离子体中冷凝纳米颗粒可以产生基本上任何材料沉积为薄膜的纳米颗粒，包括半导体和用于能量关键型应用的不同种类的金属。这种多功能性是为各种用户开发广泛应用的关键。这项研究可能为实现廉价制造足够密度和数量的纳米颗粒薄膜或工业规模应用的目标提供新的途径。 可持续、环保、价格合理的能源供应是当今社会面临的挑战。新材料的开发对这一任务至关重要;例如，通过催化分解水分子或通过光伏发电来有效收集太阳能，可以大大受益于利用可再生能源的成本效益高的材料。通过该项目进行的研究可以作为可扩展的技术解决方案的基础，以满足对能源关键材料的需求。

This project plans to combine two capabilities, the tunable atom-like electronic quantum states of nanostructured materials and ultrashort-pulsed laser sources based on fiber-optics, to provide a route to making nanostructure materials economically and efficiently. The versatility of this approach is a major driver of the project: condensation of nanoparticles from a femtosecond laser-generated plasma can produce nanoparticles of essentially any material deposited as a thin film, including semiconductors and different kinds of metals that are useful for energy-critical applications. This versatility is the key to developing a wide range of applications for a variety of users.This research may provide a new route to achieving the goal of inexpensively fabricating nanopartical films in sufficient density and quantity or industrial-scale applications. Sustainable, environmentally friendly, affordable, energy supply is challenge facing today's society. New materials development can be essential to this task; for example, efficient solar energy harvesting, by catalytic splitting of water molecules or by photovoltaic power generation could benefit greatly from cost-effective materials for utilizing renewable energy. Research conducted through this project may serve as the basis for a scalable technological solution to the need for energy-critical materials.