Advanced environmental and energy material processing

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The proposed research program aims to accelerate discovery in the area of “advanced environmental and energy material processing” with the ultimate goal of developing new generation, but cost-effective and scalable, environmental and photo-electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies. This is approached via the innovative integration of aqueous solution process engineering and nanomaterials. There are two thrusts in the proposed research program. The first thrust is the development of altogether new environmental technologies for the immobilization or elimination of toxic pollutants (e.g. As and Se) from industrial effluents via the engineering of “core-shell” or multi-functional (adsorptive-reductive-photocatalytic) nanocomposite structures. Such novel environmental technology will enable the sustainable exploitation of our natural resources and position Canada as world leader in clean resource extraction/processing practices and exportable innovations. The second thrust of this program is focusing on fabrication (aqueous synthesis and electrophoretic deposition) of nanostructured mesoporous electrodes and photocatalysts for lithium-ion energy storage or water disinfection/splitting (hydrogen generation) applications. Li-ion batteries (LIBs) that are behind the explosive proliferation of all kind of portable electronics-2016 marks 25 years since the commercialization of LIBs, they are now called to power our shift as society towards electrification of transportation (EV) and solar energy-derived electricity use and storage. This represents a tremendous growth potential and as such research in this area of energy material processing is highly strategic, well aligned with international cutting edge research directions. The proposed program will provide a fertile ground for training HQP in advanced material processing enabling them to become tomorrow's innovators. Nanostructured materials offer superior functionalities as electrodes in photo-conversion and Li-ion battery storage systems but further improvements both in their performance and fabrication are needed. To this end the proposed program among other will investigate new high-energy and -power cathode materials, such as LiCoPO4 and graphene composites on one hand for building EV LIBs with longer driving range at lower cost; and on the other explore the development of full (UV-Vis-NIR) spectrum TiO2-Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) photocatalysts made from abundant and non-toxic elements that could find applications in water purification or in producing hydrogen via photo-splitting of water. As such the program focuses on water/environment protection and green energy technologies that are at the heart of our sustainable future.