Nature-inspired design and fabrication of nanostructured functional carbon for nextgen energy storage devices

用于下一代储能设备的纳米结构功能碳的受自然启发的设计和制造

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03533
• 负责人: Sain, Mohini
• 金额: $ 6.56万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 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=759689
• 关键词: Nature; inspired; design; fabrication; nanostructured

Electrification and green energy are going to have a profound influence in our quality of life. In a global context, unreliable performance and unsafe design of current energy devices are pressing research issues to tackle in the next 3 to 10 years. This project focuses on design and engineering multi-functional natural carbon materials for energy storage device components to transform green energy production. In particular, here I propose to design new functional energy storage materials and components by improved understanding of biogenetic "structure-function" correlation of nature-inspired unique architecture built-in wood lamella and plant stems. In the past, my fundamental research have elucidated mechanism of chemi-morphological transformations of wood nanofibrils, lignin and other natural polymers as a function of molecular compositions and configurations controlled by thermodynamic and kinetic factors. A precise control of free energy of local and uniquely architectured wood and stems from selective plant species with temperature limiting kinetic multi-step graphitization led to single crystal graphitic structure with perfectly organized 2D-2D layers. This newly discovered structural assembly opens new avenues to fabricate sustainable functional materials for various targeted applications such as in energy storage, sensing, and biomedical scaffolding. The corner stone of this research is unlike mimicking natural unique phenomenon by artificial means, it builds novel materials and devices by chemi-catalytic tuning graphitization of those unique natural attributes of wood and plant. The later ensures the robustness of biogenic functions of nature largely remains unaltered in their post-conversion state. It is anticipated that tunable graphitization and, understanding their molecular assembly with operando reaction reengineering approach will inspire building novel functional attributes such as improved electron and thermal transport; more regulated ion mobility by restructuring tortuous microchannels, pore structure, membrane and their organized assembly. The long-term objective of the proposed program is to foster fundamental understanding and robust control of the nanostructured 2D-carbon layer assembly of graphitized wood and plant stems into varied architectural forms, which can inspire design and fabrication of safe and durable energy storage and medical devices with unique functionalities including but not limited to enhanced energy storing capacity, improved service-lifetime, lighter in weight, and cost competitive. This new, greener, low-cost and 3D architecture natural components will also provide a sustainable and eco-friendly solution primarily to address the recycling and other environmental issues of conventional materials and devices. For HQP training this proposal is highly relevant to Canadian Energy security and national advanced manufacturing infrastructure development goal and to tackle climate change.

电气化和绿色能源将对我们的生活质量产生深远的影响。在全球范围内，当前能源设备的不可靠性能和不安全设计是未来3至10年内需要解决的紧迫研究问题。该项目的重点是设计和工程多功能天然碳材料的储能装置组件，以转变绿色能源生产。特别是，在这里，我建议设计新的功能性储能材料和组件，通过提高对生物遗传的“结构-功能”相关性的理解，自然启发的独特建筑内置在木材薄板和植物茎。在过去，我的基础研究已经阐明了木材纳米纤维，木质素和其他天然聚合物的化学形态转化的机制，作为由热力学和动力学因素控制的分子组成和构型的函数。对局部和独特结构的木材的自由能的精确控制，以及来自具有温度限制动力学多步石墨化的选择性植物物种的自由能的精确控制，导致具有完美组织的2D-2D层的单晶石墨结构。这种新发现的结构组装为制造可持续功能材料开辟了新的途径，用于各种目标应用，如储能，传感和生物医学支架。这项研究的基石不是通过人工手段模仿自然界的独特现象，而是通过化学催化调谐石墨化木材和植物的独特自然属性来构建新的材料和器件。后者确保了自然界的生物功能在转换后的状态下基本上保持不变。预计可调石墨化和理解它们的分子组装与操作反应再工程方法将激发建立新的功能属性，如改善电子和热传输;通过重组曲折的微通道，孔结构，膜和它们的组织组装更受管制的离子迁移率。拟议计划的长期目标是促进对石墨化木材和植物茎的纳米结构2D碳层组装成各种建筑形式的基本理解和稳健控制，这可以激发设计和制造具有独特功能的安全耐用的能量存储和医疗设备，包括但不限于增强的能量存储能力，改善的使用寿命，重量更轻，成本竞争力。这种新的，更环保，低成本和3D建筑的自然组件也将提供一个可持续和生态友好的解决方案，主要是解决传统材料和设备的回收和其他环境问题。对于HQP培训，该建议与加拿大能源安全和国家先进制造业基础设施发展目标以及应对气候变化高度相关。