Rice University, Houston, and Pennsylvania State University, University Park, announce that scientists at a new research center will study, in collaboration with industry, the development of atom-thin two-dimensional coatings. The goal is to identify materials that solve fundamental scientific and technological challenges in corrosion, oxidation, abrasion, friction, wear, energy conversion, and storage. The partners expect to develop techniques for the large-scale synthesis and deposition of multifunctional coatings.
Rice researchers led by materials scientists Prof. Jun Lou and Prof. Pulickel Ajayan will collaborate with colleagues at Penn State and industry to develop two-dimensional, multifunctional coatings in a National Science Foundation-backed initiative. Both are well-versed in two-dimensional materials such as graphene, molybdenum disulfide, and boron nitride, which are the focus of worldwide research. An atom-thick Rice Owl created in 2013 demonstrated an ability to make fine patterns in a hybrid graphene/hexagonal boron nitride material.
Multifunctional coatings would protect what they cover, but also add value by taking on additional duties, Prof. Lou said. For example, a coating that protects the inside of an oil production well from corrosion might also be a sensor that could detect possible degradation of the structure. The researchers see potential partnerships with manufacturers in the glass, polymer, automotive, electronics, civil infrastructure, and marine industries.
Prof. Lou said Rice’s location in Houston, the center of the nation’s energy economy, will make it most convenient for collaborations with oil and gas companies interested in the development of novel antifouling and anticorrosion coatings. He characterized the economic significance of coatings as “staggering,” and said even incremental advances will have major impact.
The Center for Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings, aka ATOMIC, is one of more than 80 Industry/University Cooperative Research Program centers established by the National Science Foundation to encourage scientific collaboration between academia and industry. It is the only NSF center dedicated to the development of advanced 2-D coatings.
