Climate change has driven the development of more efficient and sustainable technologies in areas as essential as energy, sensors and catalysis. Faced with this urgent need, the Materials for Energy, Photonics & Catalysis Research Group (ENPHOCAMAT) of the University of Barcelona (UB) has developed a new hybrid nanomaterial, which has a long life cycle and a high resistance to corrosion and extreme temperatures.
The research has been led by the professor of the Faculty of Physics, Enric Bertran Serra, and has had the participation of: Dr. Roger Amade, Dr. Jose Luís Andujar, Dr. Stefanos Chaitoglou, Dr. Rogelio Ospina. Mr. Ghulam Farid, Mr. Yang Ma, Mr. Shubhadeep Majumdar and Mr. Muhammad Asim.
The exceptional characteristics of this new nanomaterial mean that it has a wide range of potential applications in key technologies for the energy transition, such as batteries and fuel cells, gas sensing devices and catalytic systems, to perform under extreme conditions .
The hybrid nanomaterial developed at the UB combines carbon structures on the micrometric scale with structures on the nanoscale. These hybrid carbon nanostructures have a higher specific surface area than existing materials, with significantly improved properties and great resistance to extreme conditions, for energy applications, sensors, and new generation catalyst systems.
Great robustness and insulation capacity
This innovative carbon-based hybrid structure has great structural robustness and both physical and chemical resistance, which allows it to withstand very adverse environments. In addition, its high porosity makes it ideal for energy storage.
The possibility of hybridizing carbon structures with other components, such as nanoparticles and other metal compounds, turns this material into a very versatile and competitive alternative as a sensitive material in gas sensors and as an active material in complex catalytic processes .
The characteristics of this new material make it ideal for use, for example, in anodes and cathodes of batteries and fuel cells, in electrical filters for high-power networks or electromagnetic brakes for vehicles, improving durability and reducing maintenance costs, in gas sensors such as hydrogen, and in electrocatalytic systems for the transformation of CO2.
Scalable manufacturing and competitive production costs
An important advantage of this innovation is that its manufacturing process is already well established. This possibility of large-scale manufacturing, together with the reduced cost of production, facilitates its adoption in the industrial field, contributing to the creation of more efficient and sustainable technologies.
This combination of versatility and competitive cost makes this nanomaterial an attractive proposition for companies looking for efficient and sustainable solutions for their energy needs.
With an extensive life cycle, high resistance to extreme conditions and great efficiency, this new nanomaterial developed by experts from the University of Barcelona is positioned as a promising technology for the energy transformation of the future.
<< Advanced materials for energy production and storage with a long-life cycle