Research
Synthesis of fiber-based ceramic capacitors
The research aims to fabricate an ultra-thin film of high-k ceramics including tantalum, titanium, lanthanum, and hafnium oxides on electrically conductive fibers of suitable materials, such as gold, aluminium, copper, tantalum, and carbon. Sol-gel techniques are employed to coat the fibers with the ultra-thin ceramic films. The resulting ceramic-coated fibers are then coated with a second electrically conductive layer to create the desired capacitor material. The fiber-based capacitor will be desirable for large-scale energy storage because it can easily be incorporated into a multifunctional format and it also offers a high surface-to-volume ratio.
Synthesis of catalyst-doped nanoporous carbon for fuel-cell electrode
This research focuses on the preparation and characterization of new catalyst-doped nanoporous carbon materials suitable for use as electrodes in PEM-style fuel-cell power sources. The primary goals of the research are to develop new methods for synthesizing monolithic carbon supports and to integrate highly dispersed catalysts into the nanoporous carbon supports in a way that maximizes catalyst utilization and specific activity. Templating methods with silica colloid dispersions are used to accomplish a high level of control over pore size and volume and interior surface area in mesoporous carbon supports. The availability of eletro-spun carbon fiber mat for fuel-cell electrodes is also investigated. |
