Development of functional polymer-based materials for special technological applications

这项研究计划的主要目标是开发和表征基于聚合物复合材料和纳米复合材料的新型高性能功能材料，特别是用于氢燃料电池，压电传感器和光伏电池器件。我们已经开发了质子交换膜燃料电池的双极板和电极原型，我们将使用新的纳米材料，碳纳米管和石墨烯，以研究它们作为导电填料的协同作用，以减少双极板的厚度，提高其机械性能和导电性。我们在荧光技术方面的专业知识将被探索，以表征（首次）纳米复合材料在加工过程中电导率的演变。我们还将专注于改善我们实验室开发的新膜和电极之间的相容性，通过用合成这些膜的相同单体合成新的相容剂。我们的研究还将侧重于开发基于半导体聚合物和特定纳米材料的新型低成本/高性能光活性材料。我们最近开发了简单的方法来合成各种结构可控的半导体硫化铅纳米颗粒。这些纳米粒子将用于开发具有高光子捕获和向电池电极电荷转移的新型纳米复合光伏柔性薄膜。将开发电池原型，并对其转换效率进行表征。我们目前正处于一个新项目的早期阶段，该项目使用原始加工技术开发柔性压电细胞薄膜。我们将优化这些过程来发展和稳定薄膜的细胞结构。此外，我们将优化电荷存储，从而使所开发的薄膜具有压电特性。最后，我们将评估薄膜热处理对所制备的细胞薄膜的压电和力学性能的影响。

The main objective of this research proposal is to develop and characterize new high performance functional materials based on polymer composites and nanocomposites particularly used for hydrogen fuel cells, piezoelectric sensors and photovoltaic cell devices. We already developed bipolar plate and electrode prototypes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells and we will use new nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes and graphene, in order to investigate their synergetic effect as conductive fillers to decrease bipolar plate thickness and improve its mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. Our expertise in fluorescence technique will be explored to characterize (for the first time) the evolution of the electrical conductivity the nanocomposites during their processing. We will also focus on improving the compatibility between new membranes and electrodes developed in our Lab by synthesizing new compatibilizers from the same monomers used in the synthesis of these membranes. Our research will also focus on the development of new low cost/high-performance photoactive materials based on semiconductive polymers and specific nanomaterials. We recently developed simple routes to synthesize various kinds of semiconductive lead sulfide nanoparticles of controlled structures. These nanoparticles will be used to develop new nanocomposite photovoltaic flexible films of high photon capture and charge transfer toward cell electrodes. Cell prototypes will be developed and characterized for their conversion efficiency.We are presently in an early stage of a new project on the development of flexible piezoelectric cellular films using original processing techniques. We will optimize these processes to develop and stabilize the cellular structure of the films. Also, we will optimize charge storage, which allows giving the piezoelectric character de the developed films. Finally, we will evaluate the impact of film heat treatment on the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of the developed cellular films.