Event
Aerosol Nanoparticle Technology Enabling Solar Energy R&D
Monday, April 9, 2012
11:30 a.m.
JM Patterson 3201
Michael Zachariah
mrz@umd.edu
Maryland NanoCenter presents:
Aerosol Nanoparticle Technology Enabling Solar Energy Research and Development
Pratim Biswas
The Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor
Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis
Research in the Aerosol and Air Quality Research Lab at Washington University in St. Louis focuses on use of novel aerosol methodologies for synthesis of various nanomaterials with controllable sizes, morphologies, and functionalities, ranging from inorganic oxides to soft materials, for a variety of different applications. This talk will focus on nanostructured thin films that are efficient light harvesters and used in solar PV and solar fuel production.
An aerosol chemical vapor deposition (ACVD) process has been developed to deposit semiconductor thin films in a one step process. By controlling the processing conditions, different morphologies of the nanostructured thin film can be readily obtained. Important physical characteristics include the arrival size of the particles (gas phase aerosol growth dynamics) and substrate temperature / temperature gradients (heat transfer rates). The phenomena of particle sintering (affected by particle size and substrate temperature) post deposition is important in establishing the final morphology of the thin film. These films have been tested in a variety of configurations, solar PV and water splitting cells to demonstrate the improved efficacy of the 1-D columnar structure.
Novel light absorbers from plants and photosynthetic bacteria were isolated and used to create bio-hybrid devices. The design and assembly of such nano-bio hybrid devices were facilitated by the use of in-flight aerosol size characterization (mobility measurements) and charge distribution measurements. The antenna structures were used to enhance light absorption in the longer wavelengths, and preliminary results indicate enhanced energy conversion efficiencies. Following these studies, monomers were created synthetically and then assembled to create analogs of the biological light absorbing antenna structures. Studies in the self-assembly of these pigmentary monomers were enabled by use of electrospray atomization. Results of energy transfer studies conducted with ultrafast spectroscopy in the biomimetic structures will be discussed.
Dr. Pratim Biswas received his B.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 1980; his M.S. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1981 and his doctoral degree from the California Institute of Technology in 1985. He joined Washington University in St. Louis in August 2000 as the inaugural Stifel and Quinette Jens Professor and Director of the Environmental Engineering Science Program. In 2006, he became the Chair of the newly created Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He has won several Teaching and Research Awards: was the recipient of the Kenneth Whitby Award given for outstanding contributions by the American Association for Aerosol Research; and the Neil Wandmacher Teaching Award of the College of Engineering. He served as the President of the American Association for Aerosol Research in 2006-07. He served on a National Academy of Science Committee to review the Federal Nanotechnology Safety Strategy. He is a Fellow of the American Association for Aerosol Research, and the Saint Louis Science Academy. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from IIT Bombay. He serves on a Government of India Advisor Committee to the Ministry of Environment and Forests. His research and educational interests are in aerosol science and technology, nanoparticle technology, energy and environmental nanotechnology, air quality and pollution control and the thermal sciences. He has published more than 225 refereed journal papers and presented more than 150 invited talks all across the globe.
Refreshments will be served at 11am.
