Development of multifunctional free-standing carbon composite nanofiber mats

The advancement of different technologies, including wearable electronics, requires the development of multifunctional free-standing mats, as they can be directly used without additional processing or coating procedures. Among different materials, metal phosphides/sulfides/nitrides (MexAy, where Me = transition metals, e.g., Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, and A = P, S, and N) are attractive multifunctional compounds that have a vast potential application, including energy storage. On the other hand, their synthesis in the form of nanostructured free-standing mats is complicated and expensive. In this project, the free-standing carbon composite nanofiber mats of different compositions and based on metal phosphides/sulfides/nitrides (MexAy, where Me = transition metals, e.g., Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, and A = P, S, and N) will be synthesized by facile and cost-effective method, comprised of electrospinning with heat treatments and applied as multifunctional materials for energy storage devices and beyond.

The idea of the project is to develop and synthesize new multifunctional carbon composite nanofibers composed of metal phosphides/sulfides/nitrides as free-standing mats for energy storage applications and beyond. The general formula of the materials is MexAy, where Me = transition metals, e.g., Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, and A = P, S, and N.

The problem that the project aims to solve is simplifying the synthesis procedure of nanostructured highly-demanded composite materials using water-soluble polymers by electrospinning with heat treatments. The application of the prepared materials is expected to improve the performance of energy storage/conversion systems owing to unique nanostructure and compositions.