A research team has received a Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grant to develop three-dimensional nanoporous materials.
The research team comprises researchers from two government research institutes, five universities and a private firm. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research has offered the grant totaling over $7 million for a five-year period.
The research team will design a technology required to develop graphene sheets and carbon nanotubes into nanoporous structures, which may demonstrate superior thermal and electrical conductivity as well as other characteristics in three dimensions. It intends to develop three-dimensional structures of alternating layers of graphene, a one-atom-thick carbon sheet that demonstrates two-directional conductivity across the plane of the sheet and carbon nanotubes, single rolled molecules that demonstrate strong unidirectional conductivity.
Nanoporous materials from boron-carbon-nitrogen nanosheets and/or nanotubes would demonstrate better performance at higher temperature applications, including thermal dissipation, sound and mechanical damping. Purdue University researchers form prognostic models of thermally conductive nanomaterials and will work on developing methods for the production and characterization of nanoporous materials.
Texas University researcher will lead the development using multi-scale computer modeling, while Case Western Reserve researchers will characterize the thermal, mechanical, electrochemical properties of the nanoporous materials. They will also study the application of mechanical strain in manipulating thermal and electrical transport in the nanostructures. The resultant basic material will then be used for custom applications.
Georgia Institute of Technology’s Zhong Lin Wang will incorporate zinc oxide components to create and characterize frameworks. Quan Li, who serves as Director at the Liquid Crystal Institute’s Organic Synthesis and Advanced Materials Laboratory, will develop multi-purpose functionalities using his knowledge in liquid crystals.