Materials for Energy
Prof. Fox’s research is supported by diamond growth facilities in the School of Chemistry. Seven research reactors are used to produce single crystal and polycrystalline diamond coatings. They are also used to produce free-standing membranes for device evaluations.
To support materials for energy surface analysis, the group operates the University’s NanoESCA facility, based in the ultra-quiet laboratories located within the Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information.
This state-of-the-art instrument platform is unique to the UK, giving researchers the ability to analyse the top three atom layers of a crystalline material, revealing chemical and electronic information in real space, as well as electronic band structure in momentum space.
In addition to diamonds, many materials for energy are evaluated including:
⦁ 2D materials
⦁ magnetic materials
⦁ photovoltaic materials
⦁ nuclear reactor materials
⦁ topological insulators
⦁ single crystal metals.
Material samples are routinely pre-analysed by NanoESCA and transported by vacuum suitcase to the national synchrotron facility (Diamond Light Source) on the Harwell Campus. Here they undergo analysis by researchers on the Diamond Light Source beam line end stations.