HMLab - IIT BHU - Research

Broad Research Area:

Solid-, Liquid-, Glass-, state materials chemistry.
Hybrid organic-inorganic network structures, Metal organic frameworks.
Materials engineering toward sustainable clean energy applications, Thermoelectrics.

Materials Design and Synthesis

In our HMLab, we aim to produce a new category of functional materials, called hybrid organic-inorganic networks, which are the second known category of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) apart from recently developed zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). These highly dense, hybrid materials are capable of variety of functions, including ionic transport, ferroelectrics, and in energy conversion. Here, we aim to expand and capitalise upon the recent discovery of the liquid and glass formation upon heating and cooling in hybrid organic-inorganic networks, and open up new materials discovery in a field previously dominated by the synthesis of crystalline structures.

Materials Charecrization

Phase transitions between crystalline hybrid networks upon application of external stimuli such as temperature or pressure are relatively common. Such transitions are commonly associated with, amongst other factors, displacement of the organic A site cation, and a large anisotropic thermal expansion. The potential of this new class of functional materials is heightened by their ability to be processed, or formed, at relatively low temperatures. We use differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to fabricate the liquid and glassy phases, and later on via several analytical tools, such as, spectroscopic (NMR, UV-Vis, FT-IR) and X-ray total scattering techniques (pair distribution function analysis) characterize them.

Materials Application

The fundamental synthesis and processing of these hybrid glasses are addressed, and their mechanical, dynamical and thermomechanical properties are studied. We optimize physical properties in several key areas for potential applications – for example, the very low values of thermal conductivity (0.2 W m-1 K-1) and moderate electrical conductivities (10-3 S m-1) found in [TPrA][M(dca)3] hybrid glasses (TPrA = tetrapropylammonium cation; M = Mn, Fe, Co; dca = dicyanamide anion), which suggest potential uses in thermoelectric settings of efficient energy conversion and waste-heat power generation. The further improvement in this physical properties of this new family of glasses, forms the bulk of the research of our group. This research will contribute to addressing several key global societal challenges, e.g. in reducing energy demands through thermal energy harvesting from solar power and geothermal settings, and in the cooling of electronics.

Facilities

To be updated..

Materials Application

Facilities

Funding