The goal of the Advanced Energy Materials Thrust is to develop molecular, nano, and bulk materials based on new science of surfaces, interfaces, and microstructures for applications involving H2, H2O, and CO2. The research is directed to two classes of materials, catalytic and structural. In the area of catalytic materials, our objective is to develop bio-inspired molecular systems for fuel and energy generation that are centered on biological and synthetic catalysts. In addition, we explore the production of fuels and materials of added-value from ubiquitous chemicals through using solar energy. In the area of structural materials, the research focuses on the development of the fundamental science that enables optimization of the cost, performance, and safety of materials for H2 technologies. This includes the association of basic science underlying deactivation of catalytic surfaces to industrial approaches for the mitigation of hydrogen embrittlement. In addition, we aim at advancing our mechanistic insight into the degradation of metals and alloys for technologies that operate at elevated temperatures in the presence of hydrogen. Lastly, it is our objective to develop next-generation tribo-systems with higher efficiency and durability to conserve energy, thus contributing to CO2 emissions reduction.
Projects, Objectives and Research Efforts
