Developing Devices that use Biotemplated Nanoparticles for Sustainable Energy Generation

Start date: 1 September 2023
End date: 31 August 2026
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Value: £458,479
Partners and collaborators: Fiona Meldrum – School of Chemistry Kevin Critchley – School of Physics and Astronomy Sebastian Ordyniak – School of Computing Arief Gusnanto – School of Mathematics Colin Freeman – University of Sheffield Drew Thomson – University of Glasgow Michael Johnston – University of Oxford Masayoshi Tanaka – Tokyo Institute of Technology
Primary investigator: Dr Jo Galloway

This project takes inspiration from Nature to develop sustainable materials that capture light energy, and uses these to make solar cells.

One way to contribute towards meeting climate neutral targets by 2050 is to switch to using renewable energy sources, such as solar power. Optically active nanoparticles can be used to make solar cells, and are also great for making colourful displays and for imaging. Making these mineral nanoparticles usually needs high temperatures (200 Celsius), dangerous solvents (toluene, acetone, etc.) and toxic elements (e.g. cadmium, lead). We need to find ways of making these at room temperature in mild solvents (like water), and from safer, more abundant elements. In this project I will develop kinder methods of making cadmium-free and lead-free optically active nanoparticles.

Natural biotemplating molecules control the size, shape and type of mineral that is formed with precision. They are able to bind to specific sides, corners or edges of a growing crystal to control crystal growth with precision. This is done in water, at ambient temperatures and using elements that are abundant on Earth. We have not found naturally occurring light harvesting biotemplated nanoparticles, so I will borrow tools from nature to make our own.

I will use biological scaffolds that display billions of different biomolecules to find ones that specifically bind to light harvesting nanoparticles. I will then evolve the binding proteins into templating proteins. The best ones will be used to make optically active nanoparticles from water and at room temperature. I will also use computational tools to study how the biomolecules bind to these target surfaces and template the nanoparticles from solution.

I will pattern the biotemplated optically active nanoparticles on surfaces under mild conditions. These surfaces will be used to build solar cells and for catalysis. These green methods will contribute to making devices for a sustainable climate neutral 2050.