Developing Transparent Selectively Permeable Heat Mirrors

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The vast majority of the world's energy consumption is derived from burning fossil fuels, which has caused harm to the environment. One solution is to switch to solar energy. The sun provides an abundant source of energy in the form of broadband radiation. However, it is difficult to transform solar radiation into useful forms of energy such as electricity, heat, and fuels. This research program focuses on developing a new class of materials called Transparent Selectively Permeable Heat Mirrors (TSPHM), which are capable of controlling the flow of solar radiation, heat, and chemicals, and can be used to facilitate solar energy conversion.Nature of the Research Program: Transparent heat mirrors are used to control the flux of solar and thermal radiation between two regions in space. On the other hand, selectively permeable membranes are used to control the flux of chemical species. The TSPHM developed in this research program will provide a means of engineering by design the flux of solar and thermal radiation AND the flux of chemical species between two regions. That is, TSPHM will exhibit a high degree of transparency to solar radiation, a high reflectivity to thermal radiation, and selective permeability towards different species such as O2, CO2, and H2O vapor. The long-term objective of the research program is to develop TSPHM and demonstrate their applications in energy intensive solar-driven processes. Significance of the Research Program: TSPHM will enable the improvement of a broad range of sustainable energy technologies including CO2 capture and utilization, water desalination, and solar-powered drying systems. The research program will also provide new knowledge that will be useful for the design and fabrication of multi-functional nanostructured materials.Anticipated Outcomes: This research program will (i) advance our understanding of the structure-property relationship of the photonic properties of porous and multi-phase materials, (ii) provide insight about fabrication methods for porous nanostructured films that are designed to control the flux of solar and thermal photons as well as chemical species, and (iii) provide training for 15 highly qualified personnel (HQP). HQP will be provided with an extensive set of knowledge, experience and skills that can be used to design and fabricate novel porous and/or multiphase photonic materials targeting numerous applications with emphasis on sustainable energy technologies. Potential Benefits to Canada: The knowledge acquired from the research program has potential to provide Canadian industries with foundational knowledge about materials that will advance strategically important technologies in the renewable energy sector. With target applications such as water purification and CO2 utilization, this research program is consistent with Canada's clean technologies research strategy.