Sustainability

We are exploiting our understanding of molecular and nanoscale physics, alongside state of the art characterisation, modelling and formulation to create novel materials to address global challenges in sustainability.

Example project areas include:

We are engineering semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) to create more efficient LEDs, which could be used for displays and lighting devices. To achieve this we developing low-cost, sustainable methods to fabricate these quantum dot devices, minimising waste throughout the fabrication process.

We are engineering more sustainable and ethical plant derived biomaterials constructed from proteins which exploit selective chemical cross-linking to enable tuneable porosity and viscoelastic properties. We are transforming sustainable plant proteins into high performance lubricating microgels.

We are unravelling the design rules that underpin the convergent evolution of pyrenoids across algal species to engineer by design carbon dioxide fixation efficiency.

We are combining neutron diffraction and structural refinement modelling to provide unique insight into the ability of aqueous solutions to store carbon dioxide, a critical process for carbon capture and storage solutions.

MNP academics working in this area:

• Engineering semiconductor nanocrystals for efficient lighting displays and devices (Kevin Critchley)
• Development of sustainably sourced protein-based biomaterials (Lorna Dougan, Simon Connell)
• Carbon fixation in algal species (Charley Schaefer)
• Carbon capture and storage in aqueous solutions (Lorna Dougan)