NanoSynergy secures NSERC grant for Nano-iSEM facility at UAlberta

⚡️🔋Pleased to share our latest article published in Journal of Power Sources Elsevier where my team explores the processability limitations of commercial hard carbon for sodium-ion battery electrodes: "Exploring #processability limitations of commercial #hardcarbon for negative electrodes of #Na-#ion #batteries" https://lnkd.in/eM5cFQ79 Optimizing electrode manufacturing is key to unlocking the full potential of sodium-ion batteries. In this study, we systematically investigated how fabrication parameters (like slurry formulation and calendering) affect the mechanical and electrochemical performance of hard carbon electrodes. We found that subtle changes in slurry composition can significantly influence rheological behavior, mechanical integrity, and ultimately the processability of the electrodes. Calendering showed limited effectiveness in reducing porosity due to the intrinsic mechanical properties of hard carbon, with excessive compression leading to structural damage. Electrochemical testing in both half- and full-cell configurations revealed that moderate calendering levels strike the best balance between mechanical robustness and electrical performance. These findings provide a valuable experimental foundation for improving the scalability and reliability of SIB electrode manufacturing. Congratulations to my postdoctoral researcher Dr. Hari Raj and my PhD student Soorya Saravanan for the great work, and many thanks to our co-authors Francois Rabuel, Melisa Herrmann Alba and Da HUO for the great collaboration. Many thanks to DigiCell Project and PEPR BATTERIES for the funding support. We believe this experimental dataset adds significant depth to the academic literature and provides a strong foundation for developing process models, particularly those emerging from our ongoing adaptations of the ERC- ARTISTIC framework to sodium-ion battery technologies. More papers about this to come! #NaIonBatteries #BatteryResearch #EnergyStorage #Electrochemistry #MaterialsScience #Manufacturing #DigitalModels #DigitalTwins RS2E - Réseau sur le stockage électrochimique de l'énergie Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV) CNRS CNRS Hauts-de-France Institut universitaire de France (IUF)

Gold nanobipyramids are renowned for their exceptional optical, catalytic, and photothermal properties. But what happens if we assemble them using an organic chromophore that has complementary optical features? That’s what we explored in our latest research publication in ACSPublications NanoLetters! Check it out

🌟Publication Alert!🎉 We are delighted to share that our latest research, entitled “Chromophore Driven Assembly of Gold Nanobipyramids for Plasmonic and Photothermal Enhancement towards Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting,” has been accepted in ACS Nano Letters. This study introduces the evolution of nanoscience beyond classical plasmonics (focused on fundamental effects and applications) toward integrative plasmonics, where plasmon meets multidisciplinary innovation to create next-generation technologies. Key Highlights: -First report for controlled assembly of nanobipyramids assisted by BODIPY chromophore -Enhanced photothermal conversion for pyroelectric energy harvesting. We would like to thank our collaborators, Dr. Dalip Saini, Ph.D., and our supervisors, Prof. Prakash P Neelakandan and Prof. Dipankar Mandal, for their invaluable guidance, encouragement, and scientific insights throughout this journey. Their expertise and consistent support were instrumental in making this work possible. A heartfelt thanks to ACS Publications. We would like to invite you to read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gV9mkwZM #Research #Nanoscience #Nanoplasmonics #EnergyHarvesting #ACS #NanoLetters #BODIPY #GoldNanoparticles

Can passivating contacts be demonstrated in perovskite top cells for perovskite-Si tandems using C₆₀? Yes! Our recent work showed that electron-selective passivating contacts, enabled through bimolecular chemical and field-effect passivation combined with fullerenes, delivered a certified VOC of 2.0 V in 1 cm² devices. This approach was further scaled to wafer scale (60 cm²) tandems, achieving a 28.9% certified efficiency in close collaboration with the Silicon & Perovskite teams at CSEM. 🚀 #perovskitesilicon #tandems Moreover, we are grateful to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE, European Commission, and Swiss State Secretariat for Education Research and Innovation for funding this work, as well as for the exciting collaboration between EPFL, CSEM, KAUST, IPVF & EDF, and the University of Potsdam. For more details on small and large area tandem device processing, please check out our latest publication in Nature Communications. https://lnkd.in/e2kRZPrK

CEA-Leti researchers have developed a miniaturized Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectrometer that brings lab-grade analysis into a portable form. Using compact permanent magnets and integrated circuits originally designed for telecommunications, the new design operates on just a few watts, rather than tens of kilowatts. The project, supported by CEA’s Carnot and Moonshot programs, could make on-site EPR analysis practical across various fields, including medicine, materials science, and energy applications. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gfbkS2R8

🔥 Read our Paper: 📚 Exploring the Electrochemical Signatures of Heavy Metals on Synthetic Melanin Nanoparticle-Coated Electrodes: Synthesis and Characterization 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dcyH_Cqt 👨🔬 by Mohamed Hefny, Rasha Gh. Orabi, Medhat M. Kamel, Haitham Kalil, Mekki Bayachou and Nasser Y. Mostafa 🏨 Suez Canal University, Cleveland State University, Saddleback College, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Applied Nano MDPI #melaninnanoparticles #differentialpulsevoltammetry #heavymetaldetection #electrodeposition #electrochemicalsensors #openaccess #appliednano

📢 Our latest work, “Boron-Induced Electronic Modulation and Nanocrystal Fragmentation Synergistically Boost Photocatalytic Water Oxidation in Ionic Carbon Nitrides,” has just been published in ACS Catalysis! 💧 Photocatalytic water oxidation is a critical yet challenging step toward overall water splitting due to sluggish reaction kinetics and the need for efficient active centers. In this study, we introduce a dual strategy of boron doping combined with nanocrystal fragmentation to significantly enhance the oxygen evolution reaction activity of ionic carbon nitrides. ⚙️ The optimized catalyst (0.25%B–KPHI) achieves an apparent quantum efficiency of 4.6% at 420 nm (with CoOx cocatalyst), outperforming most previously reported carbon nitride-based photocatalysts. 🔬Through extensive experiments and DFT calculations, we reveal how boron incorporation leads to nanocrystal fragmentation and local electronic modulation, extending visible-light absorption, improving hydrophilicity, and accelerating charge separation and water oxidation kinetics. 🤝 This work was made possible through the METHASOL Project (https://methasol.eu/) and was led by my PhD student Haijian Tong. Grateful to our great collaborators Prof. Guillaume Maurin (University of Montpellier) and Prof. Yuanxing Fang (Fuzhou University) for their invaluable support. You can read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/e86rjHcx Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces SunThesis Group: https://lnkd.in/egHT-Ste #ACSCatalysis #Photocatalysis #WaterSplitting #OxygenEvolutionReaction #CarbonNitride

🔬 Excited to share two new publications from my PhD research! 1️⃣ Review Article: Interfacial fracture toughness testing for TBCs, EBCs, and SOCs — evaluating testing methods for interfacial reliability in high-temperature and hydrogen energy systems. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ewr7TBUY 2️⃣ Research Article: Mechanical and interfacial properties of SOC electrode materials — investigating durability and long-term stability of SOCs for efficient hydrogen energy conversion. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e_8MbjJz 💡 Why it matters: Reliable interfaces are key to improving the efficiency, lifetime, and scalability of next-generation hydrogen energy technologies. These studies advance the design of tougher, longer-lasting materials for sustainable energy systems. I am really grateful to my supervisor Prof. Stefan Schafföner and co-authors Dr. Nico Langhof and Dr.-Ing. Carolin Sitzmann for their continuous support and collaboration. The work was funded by German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space BMFTR (formerly BMBF) under the H2Giga project, subproject HTEL-Stacks. I’m always open to collaborations and exploring new research prospects in hydrogen energy materials and interface mechanics. Feel free to connect or reach out! #HydrogenEnergy #MaterialsScience #SolidOxideCells #TBC #EBC #EnergyMaterials #Collaboration #H2Giga

UH, UMN Energy Researchers Discover the Part of an Electron That Drives Catalysis A team of researchers from the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering has discovered and measured the fraction of an electron that makes catalytic manufacturing possible. https://lnkd.in/eJ_eQN8u #StatNano #NBIC #Nanotechnology #Catalysis #ElectronFraction #UniversityOfHouston #UniversityOfMinnesota #MaterialsScience #ChemicalEngineering #Innovation

#TAMUCHEN professor Dr. Jeetain Mittal and Texas A&M researchers have received funding to study novel polymers called salogels with the goal to improve thermal energy storage. From buildings to biomedical devices, temperature management is a common challenge engineers face, which is why the team developed star-shaped polymers that, combined with salogels, solve these problems! Read more: tx.ag/salogelsresearch