Urgent Need of Atomic Layer Deposition for Advanced Materials Development in Renewable Energy and Green Chemistry

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We urgently require an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system at Concordia University to accelerate the research programs in renewable energy and green chemistry, including the next-generation solid-state batteries, upcycling of waste plastics, and micro-nano integration for photosynthesis. ALD is a powerful thin-film technique that can realize excellent coverage and conformal deposition even on high-aspect-ratio structures and the thickness of the as-deposited film is precisely controllable at the atomic level due to its self-limiting nature. It also has unparalleled advantages in developing multiple types of functional materials with various nanostructures, from inorganic materials (metal oxides, halides, nitrides, etc.) to organic polymers (polyurea, PEDOT, etc.), from single atoms/nanoclusters to continuous thin films. Therefore, the team will take full advantages of the requested ALD equipment in the development of advanced materials from nanoscale to atomic-scale in their expertise, including the interface design of solid-state batteries (Dr. X. Li), single-atom hydrogenolysis catalysts for the upcycling of waste polyethylene (Dr. Z. Ye), and atomic-scale metal-oxide coating materials for the micro-nano integration and sensing (Dr. M. Packirisamy). The equipment is of significant importance for the development of nanotechnology in Concordia University that will facilitate the cross-disciplinary collaboration between the departments and broadening the range and quality of training HQP. Successful acquirement of the ALD equipment will benefit the Canadian industry and the nanotechnology community by transferring new knowledge, expertise, and technologies to clean energy and green chemistry industries by accelerating the relevant application commercialization process and directly reducing the environmental pollution.