A Safe-by-Design Nano Materials Research Platform for Practical Applications in Optoelectronics and Energy Conversion

用于光电子和能源转换实际应用的安全设计纳米材料研究平台

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-02673
• 负责人: Sivoththaman, Siva
• 金额: $ 3.35万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=751658
• 关键词: Safe; Design; Nano; Materials; Research

This Discovery Program will launch Safe-by-Design (SbD) research on nanomaterial-based optoelectronics by following a unique, proactive approach that also takes material toxicity, safety, and process scalability issues into consideration. The global nanotechnology market has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of >18%, and is poised to reach $175B by 2025. Of the different types of nanomaterials, quantum dots (QDs) are growing at the highest pace (27.8% CAGR, US$ 13.6B by 2026), leading to disruptive new approaches in display technologies, photovoltaics, solid state lighting, and biomedical imaging. While their benefits are indisputable, certain nanomaterials lead to safety and health (S&H) concerns. A majority of the QD materials who are leading contenders for high-performance devices are based on toxic elements such as cadmium, lead, and mercury. Also, at the R&D stage most efforts tend focus on device performance, and less on S&H. When production volumes grow in the future, S&H can become an insurmountable issue at the 3 levels of materials synthesis, device processing, and system deployment. Air-borne nanoparticles will also be an important concern in processing environments, even with non-toxic material systems. It is therefore essential for the scientific community to pro-actively make the right material choices, apply scientific innovation to enhance the properties of safer nanomaterials, and to develop device processing schemes that are both scalable and safe, before it becomes too late. Unlike their bulk counterparts, nanomaterials offer us the unique possibility to engineer their properties through compositional, dimensional modifications. In this 5-year program I will establish a unique SbD research program with the focus on synthesis, enhancement, and deployment of safe QD materials in photovoltaic, display, and emission devices. The focus will be on non-toxic graphene, silicon, and copper-indium based QD systems. The program will have four research thrusts, (i) synthesis and enhancement methods for non-toxic QDs to bring them on par with current top-performing QDs, (ii) development of safe and scalable processes for QD-based photovoltaic, emission, and display devices, (iii) Detection and quantification methods for nanoparticles spread in processing environments, and (iv) guidelines for safe and high volume processing of QDs and QD-enabled devices. Supported by my research experience and technical expertise materials processing and devices at the Centre for Advanced Photovoltaic and Display Systems, the proposed program will provide an essential, timely, and innovative research platform to accelerate nanomaterials research in a meaningful way. The program will also offer excellent HQP training in both scientific and hands-on research, and will steer the safe translation of research into scaled-up applications by ensuring R&D and S&H go hand in hand.

该发现计划将通过遵循一种独特的、主动的方法，同时考虑到材料毒性、安全性和工艺可扩展性问题，启动基于纳米材料的光电子学的安全设计（SbD）研究。全球纳米技术市场一直以18%的复合年增长率增长，到2025年将达到1750亿美元。在不同类型的纳米材料中，量子点（QDs）以最高的速度增长（27.8%的复合年增长率，到2026年将达到136亿美元），从而在显示技术、光伏、固态照明和生物医学成像领域带来颠覆性的新方法。虽然它们的好处是无可争辩的，但某些纳米材料会导致安全和健康（S&H）问题。作为高性能器件的主要竞争者，大多数量子点材料都是基于镉、铅和汞等有毒元素。此外，在研发阶段，大多数努力都集中在设备性能上，而较少关注S&H。当未来产量增长时，S&H可能会成为材料合成、设备加工和系统部署这三个层面上无法克服的问题。空气传播的纳米颗粒在加工环境中也将是一个重要的问题，即使是无毒材料系统。因此，科学界必须在为时已晚之前，积极地做出正确的材料选择，应用科学创新来增强更安全的纳米材料的性能，并开发既可扩展又安全的设备加工方案。与它们的块状材料不同，纳米材料为我们提供了通过成分和尺寸修改来设计其性能的独特可能性。在这个为期5年的项目中，我将建立一个独特的量子点研究项目，重点是在光伏、显示和发射设备中安全量子点材料的合成、增强和部署。重点将放在无毒石墨烯、硅和铜铟基量子点系统上。该项目将有四个研究重点，(i)无毒量子点的合成和增强方法，使其与当前性能最高的量子点相当，（ii）基于量子点的光伏、发射和显示设备的安全和可扩展工艺的开发，（iii）纳米颗粒在加工环境中扩散的检测和定量方法，以及（iv）量子点和量子点支持设备的安全和大批量加工指南。在我在先进光伏和显示系统中心的研究经验和材料加工和设备的技术专长的支持下，拟议的项目将提供一个必要的、及时的、创新的研究平台，以有意义的方式加速纳米材料的研究。该项目还将在科学和实践研究方面提供优秀的HQP培训，并通过确保研发和科学与卫生齐头并进，将研究安全转化为大规模应用。