Trinity researcher awarded €500,000 for advancements in ICT and energy sector
Posted on: 18 October 2016
Dr Niall McEvoy, a researcher at AMBER, the Science Foundation Ireland funded materials science centre hosted in Trinity, has today been awarded €500,000 over 4 years through Science Foundation Ireland’s prestigious Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG) Programme. The award is given to excellent early-career-stage investigators to carry out their own research project and to support excellent scientific research that has potential economic and societal impact. Dr McEvoy’s research will focus on one family of 2-dimensional (2D) materials, known as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Due to their extraordinary properties, TMDs offer exciting opportunities in the fabrication of novel devices and device components, of particular relevance to applications in ICT and energy industries.
Prof Georg Duesberg, AMBER Investigator and Niall’s mentor, said, “I’m delighted for Niall. This is a great opportunity to further his work on producing stacks of different TMDs, with different properties. This is of particular interest to companies in the ICT industry, who may be able to use them to enhance the performance of devices. While a range of 2D materials are ultra-thin, flexible and conductive making them highly promising for future technologies, the pace of material development is somewhat of a hindrance to practical implementation. We see real opportunity with the production method Niall will employ to develop TMDs.”
A recent publication in the internationally renowned journal ACS Nano by Dr McEvoy, Prof Duesberg and their team have demonstrated the potential of one type of TMD, platinum diselenide (PtSe2) to be used by the ICT industry. The team showed how the material could be grown at 400 degrees Celsius, a much lower temperature than 2D materials are traditionally grown, and compatible with industry standards. It could offer better performance than currently used materials such as silicon, due to its greater electron mobility. The funding awarded today will support further research into the development of other types of more efficient TMDs like this. Industry interest in this specific type of research is high amongst the ICT sector.
This same publication also demonstrated that PtSe2 could have further applications, in addition to those within semi-conducting devices. It could be applied within sensors and also solar cells. When PtSe2 was exposed to nitrogen dioxide gas its performance as a gas sensor exceeded those which are commercially available – with a higher sensitivity and faster response time. This material could also have crucial advances within photovoltaics, i.e. generating electric power through solar cells.
Prof Michael Morris, AMBER Director, said, “I want to congratulate Niall on this fantastic achievement. He has demonstrated what is possible for talented, dedicated early-career stage scientists. He has established himself within the field of 2D materials, working within Prof Duesberg’s team for the last 5 years. I wish him success in his transition to an independent researcher and look forward to advances in his research with TMDs, which has already gained interest from our industry partners in AMBER”.
The SIRG programme aims to support excellent postdoctoral researchers who are yet to hold an independent research post in taking the initial steps towards a fully independent research career. The award provides salary to Dr McEvoy for 4 years and also provides funding for a postgraduate student.