International researchers gather at Waterloo for a “summer school” in advanced 2D materials
A group of international and local researchers gathered at the University of Waterloo for the 2024 NSERC CREATE Training Program for Graduate Students in Scalable 2D-Materials Architectures.
Dubbed the “2D-MATURE summer school”, this interdisciplinary seminar led by Dr. Michael Pope, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, engaged 53 researchers in a collaborative program focused on leveraging 2D materials for advanced manufacturing applications.
The participants came from the Universitat Duisburg-Essen in Germany, the University of Cambridge in England, Waterloo’s faculties of Engineering and Science and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology. All benefitted from a research training experience that is closely aligned to industry needs.
The importance of 2D materials
Investment in 2D materials research holds transformative potential for an advanced, prosperous and sustainable future. The development of these materials will contribute to more efficient energy storage systems, promote the use of renewable resources, create new markets and employment opportunities, and reduce industries’ carbon emissions.
The applicability of 2D materials is vast thanks to their consistency. They’re made up of extremely thin layers that extend in two dimensions with almost no thickness in the third dimension which allows for a variety of useful electrical, optical and mechanical properties.
“The future of 2D materials is promising and multifaceted with potential impacts across numerous fields,” says Pope. “Societally, these advancements can enhance the quality of life through improved consumer products, optoelectronics and energy storage materials.
"This program trains graduate students as Highly Qualified Personnel to drive innovation, bridge the skills gap, foster collaboration between academia and industry, and create next-generation technology. The participants’ diverse backgrounds add enormous value to program’s content and outcomes.”
Innovation, sustainability and partnership
The program invited industry partners to present on utilizing 2D materials in manufacturing processes. These guest speakers added a critical voice to the seminar, providing participants with important insights and real-world applications to help shape innovative research.
“The industry presentations were valuable for gaining perspective on how our academic research could translate to industry and it was really exciting to see some of the work being done at companies in the Waterloo region,” says Waterloo Engineering master’s student Casey Dudding.
Sustainability is a central theme in advanced 2D materials research for industrial applications. A key component of the program was integrating Indigenous people’s knowledge and ways of thinking to facilitate research and training towards a more sustainable world. Using this lens, participants were encouraged to share their diverse perspectives and problem-solving skills as they quantified the impact of 2D materials using an environmental lifecycle assessment. This session included topics such as the circular economy and carbon accounting, the impact of climate change and its effects on human health and the environment, and the importance of inclusive research for truly sustainable outcomes.
Research breakthroughs and ongoing collaboration
Some students from the Universitat Duisburg-Essen will remain on campus to continue their research collaborations with Waterloo graduate students and faculty over the next six to eight months.
“My research contribution is to understand how the properties of the 2D materials change,” says Leon Daniel, a master’s student from the Universitat Duisburg-Essen. “I’m working with Waterloo researchers and an ultra-fast microscope to examine the critical mechanisms in the 2D material — the equipment and collaboration are generating important insights.”
The collaboration between graduate students has been fruitful leading to several research breakthroughs such as improving graphene production, developing anodes for high-performance sodium-ion batteries, improving LEDs by utilizing transport layers and using 2D films for optoelectrical applications.
“What graduate students expect from a global research-intensive university renowned for entrepreneurship and innovation, is a research training experience that combines access to cutting-edge facilities with mentorship and networking in an international collaborative setting. And this is exactly what the program delivers,” says Dr. Mario Ioannidis, Chair of Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering.
Learn more about the NSERC CREATE Training Program for Graduate Students in Scalable 2D-Materials Architectures.
Feature image: Participants of the 2024 NSERC CREATE Training Program for Graduate Students in Scalable 2D-Materials Architectures visit local industry partner Angstrom Engineering.
