Carbon Nanomaterial Synthesis

Our laboratory activities seek to develop methods for gas-phase nanoengineering of materials by controlling synthesis from nucleation to macroscopic assembly. To do so we investigate fundamental aerosol dynamics and chemistries within reacting flows in order to synthesize unique nanomaterial structures.

A major research effort within the laboratory is the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from floating nanoparticle catalysts in a continuous high-throughput process for purposes of fibre spinning and mat production. The resulting CNT materials have unique thermal, electrical and structural properties, which are applied to a number of industrial areas. This work is conducted as a part of an international network based at Cambridge known as the Advanced Nanotube Applications and Manufacturing (ANAM) Initiative,  www.anam.eng.cam.ac.uk. Other laboratory efforts include the production of nanoparticle catalysts by means of controlling charging behaviour with applications in the automotive catalyst sector.

Particle Emissions and Air Quality

Airbourne particles represent a significant fraction of air pollution with noxious impacts on human health and impacts on local and macro climate. Our work seeks to characterize the size, quantity, morphology, phase and evolution of particle emissions. We have a number of ongoing research projects seeking to characterize and model emissions from heavy and light duty vehicles. As a part of this work we are seeking to develop new low-cost detection and particle characterization techniques. Our group is affiliated with other networks at the University of Cambridge, including the Centre for Sustainable Freight (www.csrf.ac.uk), the Cambridge Particle Meeting (www.cambridgeparticlemeeting.org) and Energy Efficient Cities initiative (EECi, www.eeci.cam.ac.uk), which focus on developing analysis tools that demonstrate achievable reductions in energy use and emissions. Ongoing efforts seek to develop new methods for portable emissions measurements (PEMs) as a part of the European Union Horizon 2020 project, (www.pems4nano.eu).

Funded Research

Advanced Nanotube Manufacturing and Application Initiative (EPSRC: EP/M015211/1)
Director                   EPSRC total £2.8M (Cambridge £2.1M) + £295k Industry  2015-2020
Serve as director of ANAM (7 co-Is) that seeks to increase carbon nanotube (CNT) gas-phase production throughput, impart multi-functional behavior and incorporate CNTs within large-scale devices.

Centre for Doctoral Training in Aerosol Science
(EPSRC: DEP/S023593/1)
Cambridge PI         EPSRC total £6.7 Million (Cambridge ~£900k) 2019-2027
Co-created with two other academics (Jonathan Reid Bristol and Darragh Murnane Hertfordshire) that organized and lead the CDT. Management board member and Industrial Coordinator with direct responsibilities of overseeing 50 industrial partners involving material synthesis, aerospace, metrology, atmospheric, pharmaceutical and agriculture.

Plasma based manufacture of CNT Fibre (UKRI: 105046)
Academic PI           £1.4M total (Cambridge £428k)          2019-2022
Working with Tortech UK to commercialize methods for carbon nanotube fibre production at large scale with superior properties. This work harnesses IP from Boies group to develop superior CNT materials.

High Powered Anodes for Fast Charging Buses (UKRI: 104174)
Academic PI           £1.0M (Cambridge £343k)     2018-2021
Project involving Cambridge spinout Echion Technologies and battery assembler Vantage Power to design materials capable of fast charging. This work builds on IP from Boies and De Volder group on nanomaterials.

Sustainable Road Freight Transport (EPSRC: EP/R035199/1)
Co-I                         £3.7M (Cambridge £3.7M)    2018-2023
One of six Co-Is investigating methods for reduced freight greenhouse gases, noxious emissions and fuel consumption. Primary efforts include one PDRA and one PhD investigating fuels and emissions.

Managing Air for Green Inner Cities (EPSRC: EP/N010221/1)
Co-I                         £4M (Cambridge £2.1M)        2015-2020
One of eight Co-Is focusing on emissions modelling, measurement and characterization from urban roadways.

PEMs4Nano (EU Horizon 2020: H2020-GV-2016-INEA)
Cambridge PI         €3.7 Million (Cambridge £271k)         2016-2019
One of nine partner organizations, seeking to develop an on-road portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) that can detect emission of particles down to 10 nm.

Integrated Research Observation System for Clean Air (OSCA, NERC: NE/T001909/1)
Cambridge PI         £2.5M (Cambridge £271k)     2019-2022
Boies group to lead research on brake and tyre ware emissions building a database of chemical and morphology for emissions.

Quantification of Utility of Atmospheric Network Technologies (QUANT, NERC: NE/T001879/1)
Co-I                         £1.6M (Cambridge £343k)     2019-2021
One of two co-Is at Cambridge. Boies to lead research on ultrafine particle measurement with low cost sensors.

Previously Funded Projects

• PI on Innovate UK projects: Low Carbon Freight and Logistics Trial – Gas Vehicles (TS/P010288/1), Plasma based manufacture of CNT Fibre (TS/S01618X/1), High Powered Anodes for Fast Charging Buses (TS/R013705/1).
• Sustainable Road Freight Transport (EPSRC: EP/K00915X/1), 2012-2017, £4.4 Million. Co-I on research program investigating methods for reduced freight greenhouse gases, noxious emissions and fuel consumption.
• Energy Efficient Cities Initiative (EPSRC: EP/F034350/1), 2011-2015, £2.3 Million. One of three Co-Is and led transportation and emissions, and supervisor of two PhD students and two research associates modeling emissions and impacts from transportation employing vehicle fleet models, vehicle dynamics models and emission dispersion and air chemistry models.
• Strategic Initiative: Gas-Phase Self Assembly of Catalytic Nanoparticles, 2011-2016, $208,000. Principle Investigator supervise one PhD student and one research associate studying methods for synthesis of gas-phase synthesis of mixed metal catalysts for purposes of increased oxidation of automotive exhaust.
• Airport Environmental Investment Toolkit (EPSRC: EP/H004505/1), 2011-2013, $240,478. Analysis of combustion-generated turbine emissions. Principle investigator supervising one PhD and one research associate researching the impacts and characteristics (morphology, black carbon fraction, mass and number concentration) of gas turbine emissions.

 

Carbon Nanotube Reactor