The Advanced Materials Group is involved in the development of low-dimensional materials, thin films and alloys for tribology, energy harvesting/storage and electronic applications. The group combines atomistic simulations and synthesis methods with the aim to produce nanoengineered functional structures with target properties. The main research lines of the group are as follows.
- One of the main research topics of our group is to fully understand the origin of friction at the atomic scale. To achieve this, we decided to tackle the problem by combining different techniques, i.e. atomistic simulations and experiments at nanoscale. In our group, friction-related phenomena are theoretically studied continuously along various timescale and system sizes – from a few atoms (by means of quantum mechanical methods) to tens of thousands of atoms (using classical Molecular Dynamics simulations (MD)) – and supported by Atomic Force Microscopy experiments. This paves the way for the design of tribological materials with on-demand friction response controlled by external electromagnetic fields (phototribology). The theoretical framework we are developing has broad applicatons, and is currently being used in other fields beyond tribology.
- The reduction of friction continues to be a key focus of mechanical engineering. Lower friction between mechanical parts in contact reduces energy consumption, vibrations, noise, contact temperature, and wear. Application of traditional (liquid) lubricants is connected with many environmental concerns, as the lubricants are damaging to the environment and are commonly composed of chemical compounds which are not biodegradable. To counter the harmful effects of liquid lubricants, our group is focused on the development and research of different coatings. These coatings are either self-lubricating, or they are hard coatings which require a minimum amount of lubricant to provide excellent tribological performance.
- Today, the search for new super hard materials is of great interest to modern science and technology. However, despite being extensively studied, hardness, defined as the resistance of a material to deformation, still remains a challenging issue for a formal theoretical description due to its inherent mechanical complexity. Our studies fall under the umbrella of developing new metallic systems or alloys with superior performance under different extreme environments or applications, such as aerospace and nuclear reactors. We explore different strategies to optimize materials performance by collectively tailoring their chemistry and microstructure.
- The generation and storage of energy represent one of the major tasks that the scientists and engineers of the 21st century face. New technologies are required to replace the traditional polluting ones; such technologies must provide clean, cheap and plentiful energy supplies for future generations according to the principles of sustainable development. Our group investigates the design of materials for sustainable, maintenance-free and self-sufficient power generators, including transition metal dichalcogenides heterostructures and diamond-derived compounds, among others. The ambitious goal is to design materials with multi-harvesting capability, that is, able to convert and store the energy provided by a broad range of energy sources present in the environment (photons, water waves, human body motion, thermal vibrations and chemical energy, among others).
