Professor Nadi Braidy

Abstract

For over 40 years, the Université de Sherbrooke plasma lab have been developing and using inductive plasma reactors to produce a wide range of nanomaterials and advanced coatings. I will provide an overview of the main research themes since I cofounded the Plasma Process and Integration of Nanotechnology (2PIN) Lab in 2010. We have focused our efforts on two classes of advanced nanomaterials and related applications: nanocarbons and mixed oxides.

I will provide an overview of the research carried in the research group while focussing on the synthesis of ferrites, using high temperature plasma decomposition of metal precursors in a controlled atmosphere. This one-pot method can produce M_xFe_3-xO₄ with M = Co, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and mixture thereof at the rate of 40 g/h without the need of subsequent annealing. The shape of the particles, chemical uniformity, occurrence of segregation are investigated using XRD and analytical TEM (namely electron energy-loss spectroscopy). I will discuss the activity of these spinels for electrocatalysis (ORR), catalysis (alcohol amination) and discuss emerging applications possible with these novel nanomaterials.