Leader: Fortuné Fábregas Silvia María
Work E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Scientific problem:
Sustainability requires addressing raw material supply, waste recycling, and economic development. Achieving those goals will be possible only if we take into account the availability of raw materials for strategic technologies such as fuel cells, batteries, microelectronics, sensors, and solar cells. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) — for example, CuXO, ZnO, and ZrO₂ — are promising semiconductor materials for optoelectronic devices because of their chemical stability, low cost, abundance, and tunable electronic properties. However, their performance is governed by intrinsic defects and charge-carrier recombination, which strongly affect their optical and electrical behavior. Neutron and electron irradiation have emerged as powerful, clean, and controllable techniques for defect engineering, allowing the modification of crystal structure, defect concentration and electronic states without changing the chemical composition of the material. Despite the growing interest in the radiation-induced functionalization of nanomaterials, the relationship between irradiation parameters, defect formation, and the resulting optoelectronic properties of TMOs is still not fully understood. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing radiation-engineered nanomaterials with enhanced performance in photodetectors, UV sensors, photocatalysis, and other next-generation optoelectronic devices.
Objective:
The main goal of this research is to investigate the effects of ion and neutron irradiation on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of nanomaterials based on transition metal oxides, such as CuO, ZnO, and ZrO₂, as well as to establish correlations between irradiation-induced defects and their performance in optoelectronic applications.
Tasks:
1. Synthesis of nanomaterials: Synthesize CuO, ZnO, and ZrO₂ nanostructures using chemical methods.
2. Radiation modification: Irradiate the nanomaterials with neutrons or ion beams at varying doses and energies.
3. Characterization: Investigate irradiation-induced structural modifications using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, SEM, and TEM; assess changes in optical absorption, band gap, and electrical conductivity before and after irradiation.
4. Defect analysis: Correlate irradiation conditions with defect formation mechanisms and their impact on the optoelectronic properties of the nanomaterials.
5. Application assessment: Evaluate the potential of irradiated TMOs for optoelectronic applications, such as photodetectors, sensors, solar cells, and photocatalytic devices.
Research facilities:
EG-5 accelerator, X-ray diffractometer, electron scanning microscope, optical microscope, multichannel ADC, potentiostat, impedance meter, chemical synthesis laboratory, other infrastructure of the EG-5 accelerator complex and FLNP.
Minimum requirements for applicants
Solid educational background (physics, chemistry, mathematics, nanotechnology, electronics); problem-solving and practical hands-on skills; creativity; ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team; diligence and a high degree of responsibility.