Energy Evolution: Materials and Technologies of the Future
The development of next-generation advanced materials requires a multidisciplinary approach, which integrates materials research with physics, chemistry, and electrochemistry, extending into the fields of biological and environmental sciences. High demands are placed on the preparation of these materials, whether in terms of the original raw materials used for their preparation, the impact of the manufacturing process on the surrounding environment, performance, efficiency, stability, and durability, up to the final phase of the product's lifecycle.
Teams of experts from all necessary areas are addressing these questions at VSB-TUO. Chemists and materials scientists are represented, but physicists are also an important part of the team. The synergistic combination and creation of a research program are the key elements in achieving the set goals.
Research Programme Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications
The research programme was established by combining research carried out at the Nanotechnology Centre and the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology at VSB-TUO. It is divided into five activities, all united by the theme of energy and its related impact on the environment. All activities in the programme focus on research and development of advanced next-generation materials that ensure future sustainable development and reflect the requirements from the European Green Deal for carbon-neutral technologies. Materials will be developed and studied with a focus on their efficiency, taking into account the lowest possible negative environmental impact. Whether in terms of the materials and raw materials used, or in terms of production processes and disposal after use. The fundamental rule applied in designing new materials is the principle of "do no significant harm." An important contribution to further research is the incorporation of existing knowledge from the field of nanotechnologies into the research process.
„Our research programme focuses on the research and development of materials and nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications. These materials are intended for the conversion, storage, and transportation of thermal, solar, and electrical energy. An important component of the program is also the development of membranes for hydrogen technologies and other industrial applications. In the programme, we are not only focusing on these materials, but also on research to increase the corrosion resistance of existing energy equipment, which will lead to reduced losses and increased efficiency in the energy industry.“ The following was stated by prof. Ing. Daniela Plachá, Ph.D.
The research programme addresses very current and attractive topics with high potential for international cooperation. Energy conversion, accumulation, storage, and transportation of energy will play a key role in the transition from fossil fuel-based technologies to green, emission-free, carbon-neutral technologies, and this transition will require innovative materials for the new generation.
Five areas of the research programme
The first area focuses on the accumulation and storage of electrical energy, with a focus on the research and development of materials for batteries and supercapacitors, where a strong emphasis is placed on the conservation and sustainability of raw materials with the elimination of hazardous and toxic substances in their composition. The research aims to enhance their safety and efficiency, focusing on materials for 4th and 5th-generation batteries that will contribute to the development of lithium and cobalt-free batteries. The research team is led by prof. Gražyna Simha Martynková from the Nanotechnology Centre and includes a prominent scientist in the field of electrochemical energy storage, Prof. Hatem Akbulut from SARGEM Research Centre and Sakarya University in Turkey, who was featured in the last issue of the newsletter.
The second area focuses on the research of materials for the conversion of solar energy and its storage in the form of chemical fuels, under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Kamil Postava from the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology VSB-TUO, which brings, among other things, cooperation with several leading French universities. The research focuses on the study and development of new materials and systems for generating solar fuels that monolithically integrate a photovoltaic component, which is the source of required voltage, and an electro-photocatalytic component enabling the production of solar fuels without the need for an external electrical circuit. The research also involves modeling dynamic charge carrier transfer processes and their measurement using optical spectroscopy with ultrashort laser pulses.
The third area focuses on research and development of materials for the accumulation and transportation of thermal energy, led by prof. Bedřich Smetana from the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology VSB-TUO. His team collaborates, among others, with the University of Oxford. Within the research programme, the members of the research team are researching innovative, environmentally friendly, inorganic and organic materials, in solid and liquid phases, so-called TESm - "Thermal Energy Storage" materials, for the possible accumulation and release of thermal energy, materials for the transport of thermal energy (especially HTF materials – Heat Transfer Fluids) and energy materials (EM) for low and high-temperature energy applications.
The fourth area involves the study of properties, modifications, and functionalization of polymeric and composite materials, which form the basis of membranes in hydrogen technologies used in electrolyzers, fuel cells, or gas separations. Due to the wide range of compositional possibilities, polymer and composite membranes will be tested for other important applications, such as gas and vapor separation for industrial purposes, water and air purification, materials with self-healing properties, anti-freezing protection, or materials for additive technologies. The international team led by prof. Daniela Plachá from the Nanotechnology Centre has already established several important collaborations within the Czech Republic and abroad in the university and industrial space.
The fifth area focuses on researching creep, high-temperature corrosion, and fatigue, aiming to improve condition monitoring of power equipment to extend its lifetime. Under the leadership of prof. Bohumír Strnadel, the research team in this area investigates microstructure, analyzes welded components, and estimates the residual life of energy system components during their planned technical lifespan. The research includes the prediction of critical values of material properties, component limit state and equipment failure state in multilevel probabilistic models, on the basis of which operational approaches and repair plans can be formulated. Extensive collaboration with industry is also a valuable contribution of the team.
The project also involves Mgr. et Ing. Lucie Vychodilová, Ph.D. with prof. Jana Hančlová from the Faculty of Economics of VSB-TUO. The multidisciplinary cooperation consists in linking economic tools and models with technical research in order to search for optimal solutions from an economic point of view.
Project Refresh and Energy Lab
We have also offered cooperation in the strategic Project Refresh, namely in the development of materials for environmental applications in the research programme "Research on environmental and health aspects in the field of energy" and "Research on the Utilization of Secondary Raw Materials and Alternative Energy Sources." Across Project Refresh, we complement each other with the Materials-EnviLab, whose excellent facilities are essential for the characterisation of the materials we develop. Our cooperation within the VSB-TUO is also supported by connections with the project of the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Programme in the Top Research Challenge "Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Development", known under the acronym MATUR, whose principal investigator is prof. Bohumír Strnadel, and the topics addressed in both projects complement each other.
In the Czech Republic, we cooperate with Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University, Palacký University in Olomouc, including CATRIN, Brno University of Technology, Technical University in Liberec and others. Our international partners include Northumbria University, ENSTA Bretagne, ICTP-CSIC Madrid, Sakarya University, National Institute of Material Physics, University of Lille, Washington University in St. Louis and others. Colleagues from the German Fraunhofer Institute, especially from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Pfinztal, where they are working on similar topics, have also expressed interest in collaboration. A number of Czech business entities have also expressed interest in cooperation, which is very important given REFRESH's goals to move towards higher levels of technological readiness. However, we remain open to future collaborations and the establishment of international teams, as well as the exchange of experts, both experienced and young scientists.
The aim of the project is, of course, to achieve the set goals, such as the development of advanced next-generation materials. This development goes hand in hand with the effort to build modern laboratories with an international staff, which will be attractive not only for colleagues from the Czech Republic, but also from abroad, as well as for young students who are just deciding on their future career and heading to Prague and Brno to study. Our aim is to attract them to our laboratories, as they can study a number of interesting fields within the Faculty of Materials Technology, including the Nanotechnology study programme, and they can increase their expertise and practice both at the Faculty and in the laboratories of the Nanotechnology Centre and our newly built shared laboratories, which we are now equipping with new instruments not yet acquired at the University, whether for characterising membranes, batteries and supercapacitors, materials for thermal energy transfer and storage, or devices for testing the corrosion of steels.