Nanostructured materials: laser/plasma based synthesis, nanohybridization and integration into photoconversion devices

纳米结构材料（nsm）为设计和开发具有高度吸引力的电学、光学、电磁和/或光催化性能的新型材料提供了一个肥沃的研究领域。由于其构建块的纳米尺寸，nsm通常表现出新的和前所未有的特性，这些特性通常取决于它们的构建或组装方式。在纳米尺度上，有足够的空间用纳米粒子修饰材料的表面，从而形成新的纳米杂交体（NHs），这有望带来不同技术的革命。我的研究项目旨在更好地理解控制nsm /NHs世界的基本过程，以及后者在暴露于阳光或超快激光脉冲时如何反应。这些知识对于在对加拿大重要的不同部门开发高度创新和潜在破坏性的技术至关重要。这些包括先进的太阳能电池、超灵敏的光电探测器、可靠的太赫兹源和用于水净化的高表面积光电阳极。在我的研究小组中，我们使用强大的激光/等离子体工具在受控的实验条件下分解（在原子/分子水平上）固体（或气体）物质，目的是引导其重新形成一种新的纳米结构形式，这种形式可能会表现出新的特性。一旦形成，我们拥有所需的专业知识，通过使用最复杂的材料表征工具来探测这些nsm /NHs的纳米结构和性能。我的研究计划的最终目标是通过将nsm /NHs整合到创新设备中来利用发现的新特性。通过利用我的专业知识和成功的研究成果，我将继续领导一个雄心勃勃的研究计划，具体目标是：(i)开发基于激光/等离子体的可控合成工艺(a)由局部装饰有适当金属或半导体纳米颗粒的一维材料（例如碳纳米管，硅纳米线）组成的新型nsm /NHs，以及(b)分别用于光转换，光敏，光发射和光催化应用的MoS2， Ge和magnli相Ti4O7纳米结构薄膜；（ii）研究这些nsm /NHs的纳米结构和物理性质，以发现其光电子响应与其纳米结构特性之间的关系。这将使这些nsm /NHs的全部潜力被开发成高效的光活性设备；（iii）利用上游研究成果与加拿大工业发展伙伴关系；最重要的是（iv）继续在战略领域（如先进的光伏、光电、太赫兹技术、创新的水卫生）为HQP提供高质量的培训，这将推动加拿大的经济发展并加强其国际竞争力。

Nanostructured materials (NSMs) constitute a fertile research field for the design and development of novel forms of materials with highly attractive electrical, optical, electromagnetic and/or photocatalytic properties. Due to the nanometer size of their building blocks, the NSMs often exhibit new and unprecedented properties that generally depend on the way they are built or assembled. At the nanoscale, there is plenty of room to decorate the surface of materials with nanoparticles, leading thereby to the formation of new nanohybrids (NHs) which hold the promise of revolutionizing different technologies. My Research program aims at better understanding the fundamental processes governing the world of NSMs/NHs and how the latter react upon their exposure to sunlight or to ultrafast laser pulses. Such knowledge is essential to develop highly innovative and potentially disruptive technologies in different sectors of importance to Canada. These include advanced solar cells, ultrasensitive photodetectors, reliable THz sources, and high-surface-area photoanodes for water decontamination. In my research group, we use powerful laser/plasma tools to decompose (at the atomic/molecular level) solid (or gaseous) matter, under controlled experimental conditions, with the intent to guide its re-formation into a novel nanostructured form, which would potentially exhibit new properties. Once formed, we have the required expertise to probe the nanostructure and properties of these NSMs/NHs by using the most sophisticated material characterization tools. The ultimate objective of my research program is to capitalize on the discovered new properties of the NSMs/NHs by integrating them into innovative devices. By capitalizing on my expertise and successful research achievements, I will continue to lead an ambitious research program of which specific objectives are: (i)to develop laser/plasma based processes for the controlled synthesis of both (a) novel NSMs/NHs consisting of one-dimensional materials (e.g. carbon nanotubes, silicon nanowires) locally decorated with appropriate metallic or semiconducting nanoparticles, and (b) nanostructured films of MoS2, Ge and Magnéli-phase Ti4O7 intended to photoconversion, photosensing, photoemitting and photocatalytic applications, respectively; (ii)to study the nanostructure and physical properties of these NSMs/NHs in order to discover relationships between their photoelectronic response and their nanostructural characteristics. This will enable the exploitation of the full potential of these NSMs/NHs into highly-efficient photoactive devices; (iii)to leverage the results of this upstream research to develop partnerships with Canadian industries; and most importantly (iv)to continue providing high-quality training to HQP in strategic areas (e.g., advanced photovoltaics, optoelectronics, THz technology, innovative water sanitation) that will fuel up Canada's economy and strengthen its international competitiveness.