Bridge

A $17 million lab that offers a wide range of capabilities for processing electronic materials and devices, from nano-materials to large-area electronics and electronics on unconventional substrates. Unique in Canada, we provide users with training and access to conduct their own cutting-edge research, as well as rapid system prototyping for commercial applications. Our facilities include equipment for characterization, deposition, etching, lithography and packaging and bonding.

Investigating green energy topics through modeling, system analysis, experimental research and scale-up design. Among our current projects, we are developing reliable, cost-effective polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and clean biodiesel engines for automotive purposes. Our lab capabilities include materials characterization, process development, circuit design and fabrication, and prototyping.

Look at how nanomaterials can advance clean energy and environmental technology. We're reducing the cost and improving the efficiency of fuel cells through electrocatalysts and proton exchange membranes. We're developing metal-air batteries, which can store more than three times as much energy, by weight, as lithium-ion batteries. Finally, we're investigating the use of polymer-zeolite composite membranes for water purification.

Nanotubes and graphene offer many intriguing applications for renewable energy and manufacturing. Our lab is developing improved nanocomposites energy-dense supercapacitors that can extend battery run time; and lightweight, flexible photovoltaic cells made from organic materials.

Encompassing complex material synthesis, physical and structural characterization, electrochemical testing and electrode design for various energy storage devices. Promising new directions particularly lie in nanomaterials. They offer the possibility of moving into the realm of high-capacity systems that operate on the basis of intimate contact of the redox active components. The research employs a range of physical chemistry techniques, including ex-situ and in-situ studies involving X-ray/neutron diffraction, Raman microprobe and NMR spectroscopies, combined with fundamental electrochemical studies used to examine the underlying processes in solids. We are a multidisciplinary group consisting of students enrolled in the Departments of Chemistry and Electrical and Computer Engineering.