High-performance thin film porous pyroelectric materials and composites for thermal sensing and harvesting

利用热释电材料进行热感测和热回收是一个新兴的和活跃的研究课题，涉及到低品位废热的回收和红外探测。然而，目前的热释电材料存在传热性能差、效率和灵敏度低的问题，限制了其实际应用。该项目的目标是通过含水冷冻流延法生产薄膜多孔热释电材料的建模、合成和表征。虽然孔隙率的存在降低了介电常数以改善感测和收集性能，但在多孔结构内掺入等离子体纳米填料也将显著改善热传递。该项目的挑战源于薄膜中定向孔的控制和由于等离子体填充物引起的局部孔加热而定制热传递。建模，材料合成和表征的组合将导致开发一种高性能的多功能热释光热材料的热释电传感和收获。申请人在热释电材料方面的经验和宿主在热释电复合材料和等离子体方面的技能将被利用在热释电材料的设计和等离子体纳米颗粒的控制上。申请人将获得有限元建模和由主机提供的多孔热电复合材料的制备新的专业知识。该奖学金将通过扩大她的研究和学术培训，成为申请人职业发展的关键一步。这将通过有针对性的培训计划和在整个欧盟建立新的长期合作以及与其他领先的热能传感和收集机构/行业的联系来促进。

Thermal sensing and harvesting using pyroelectric materials is an emerging and active research topic with respect to the recovery of low-grade waste heat and infrared detection. However, current pyroelectric materials suffer from poor heat transfer and low efficiency and sensitivity, which limits their practical application. This project targets the modelling, synthesis and characterization of thin-film porous pyroelectric materials that are produced via an aqueous freeze tape casting. While the presence of porosity reduces the permittivity to improve sensing and harvesting performance, the incorporation of plasmonic nanofillers within porous structure will also significantly improve heat transfer. The challenge of this project stems on the control of the directional pores in the thin films and tailoring heat transfer as a result of localized pore heating due to plasmonic fillers. The combination of modelling, materials synthesis and characterization will lead to the development of a high performance multi-functional pyro-photo-thermal material for pyroelectric sensing and harvesting. The experience of the applicant in pyroelectric materials and the skills of the host in pyroelectric composites and plasmonics will be exploited on the design of the pyroelectric materials and the control of the plasmonic nanoparticles. The applicant will gain new expertise in finite element modelling and the preparation of porous pyroelectric composites offered by the host. This fellowship will be a key step in the applicant's career development by expanding her research and academic training. This will be facilitated by a focused training plan and the establishment of new long-term collaborations across the EU, and links with other leading thermal energy sensing and harvesting institutes/industries.