The first goal of the proposed NFM is to stimulate research in advanced materials science and engineering through facilitation of inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research groups of the Centre. The proposed researcher activities at NFM for each proposed area in the 5 yrs period is based on the synergetic effect of involved research groups/laboratories based on the focusing on the best existing research thematic as well as by opening of new hot research topics that promise fast developments of scientific excellences and new high technology products. The proposed enhancing of the cooperation of researchers within the Center will be focused within the following three research programmes:
P1. Silicon nanostructures for advanced applications (leader M. Ivanda)
P2. Sol-gel technology for new functional materials (leader M. Ristić)
P3. Nanostructural materials for energetic (leader N. Radić)
Within the first programme P1. Silicon nanostructures for advanced applications the research will be focused on nanostructural silicon thin films for advanced applications. The Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) developed at Ivanda’s group will be used for deposition thin films and wires of silicon, silicon reach oxide, silicon reach nitride, amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, doping with boron, phosphorus, erbium and europium on flat silicon, quartz glass and alumina substrates as well as on silica microspheres. The porous silicon will be prepared by anodisation process. The structural, optical, electrical and transport properties will be investigating. The research work will be carried out under following projects that will be leaded by M. Ivanda:
T1. Low dimensional silicon for chemical sensing,
T2. Silicon thermoelectric element
T3. Novel silicon based materials for photonics
T4. Development of new Raman scattering techniques
Within the second programme P2. Sol-gel technology for new functional materials the research on the synthesis of diversity of nanocrystals and nanostructures and their possible applications will be performed. Mechanisms of the precipitation of metal oxides for sensing such as iron oxides and Me-doped iron oxides will be investigated. Novel metallic nanoparticles in the form of colloidal suspensions for biomedical applications will be synthesized and analysed. An apparatus for the synthesis of nanowires will be built. The green-chemistry routes will be used in the synthesis of metal oxide and metallic nanoparticles. Characterization of structural, particulate, and surface properties of the synthesized materials will be performed by well established techniques. The research work will be carried out under following projects:
T1. Nanocrystalline metal oxides for chemical sensing (leader M. Ristić)
T2. Nanoparticles for the use in medical application (leader M. Gotić)
T3. Low dimensional 1D and 2D metal oxides for new functional materials (leader M. Ristić)
T4. R&D of novel multiferroic materials (leader I. Đerđ)
The main goal of the third programme P3. Nanostructural materials for energetic is investigation of preparation, structural properties and application of nano-based materials prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition. The prime interest is investigation of recently invented materials based on self assembled nanoparticles in amorphous matrices. These materials are discovered and developed by our group in the recent few years. They consist of regularly ordered nano-objects of different composition (metallic, semiconductor, and mixed) embedded in various amorphous matrices (alumina, silica, mullite). These materials have a great potential for application in various nanotechnology fields. The most promising applications of semiconductor quantum dots are super-efficient solar cells and photodetectors. Metallic nanoparticles are of great interest for different, today very popular, spintronic applications. The mixed nanoparticles are expected to have some extraordinary properties like electric-field tuneable magnetic properties for the case of semiconductor-metallic mixture. Additional advantage of these materials is regular ordering of nanoparticles in them. It is well known that in such systems are expected some collective behaviour effects, which enable engineering and design of the materials opto-electrical properties. Additionally, our most-recent activities resulted in development of nanomaterials which show extraordinary capability to store hydrogen. These materials are of great interest for energy storage. The main objective of the programme is to become a Croatian center for preparation, characterization and application of these extraordinary nano-based materials. The activities of the programme will be realised under the 3 projects:
T1. Semiconductor quantum dots (leader M. Buljan)
T2. Metallic nanoparticles (leader N. Radić)
T3. Materials for hydrogen storage (leader N. Radić)