Internship: Design of arrayed ZnO nanowire layers for battery applications

Today, batteries play a central role in technology. However, current batteries still face limitations in terms of capacity, charging speed, and lifespan. Nanotechnologies could offer solutions to overcome these challenges. Specifically, nanowires stand out for their potential. Nanowires are one-dimensional structures, with lengths which can reach up to several tens of micrometers while their diameter is in the nanometer to hundred of nm range. This particular configuration gives them physico-chemical properties that can be exploited to improve battery performance. Semiconductor compounds, such as Si or ZnO, have long been prepared as nanowires. Nanowires are particularly interesting in the field of batteries because they can increase the active surface area of an electrode, thus increasing a battery’s storage capacity. Additionally, the charge and discharge rates are increased because the small size of the nanowires facilitates ion exchange.

The internship project aims to make a significant contribution to the field of battery materials by exploiting the unique properties of ZnO nanowires to improve the efficiency and performance of energy devices. The trainee will work on the chemistry of baths to grow high aspect ratio, dense and long nanowires. The nanowires will be grown as arrays onto nickel substrate. The metal substrate surface preparation will be optimized. The trainee will investigate the preparation of colloidal ZnO solutions. These solutions will be used to prepare seed layers. These seeds will have the important role to govern and direct the growth direction of the wires. The final array properties will be directly link to the seeding and to the ZnO precursor solution properties. Furthermore, collaboration will be developed to growth ZnO branches in a second step.

The nanostructured films and seed layers will be mainly investigated by TEM, SEM, XRD and spectrophotometry techniquesThe internship will take place at the Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP) at Chimie Paristech, PSL University (France). The laboratory is located in the center of Paris.

Requested skills

Chemistry of solutions; Material science; Nanostructures; Crystal growth

The internship is open to:

A Master 1 student (3.5 – 4 months) or to a Master 2 student (5 months)