Thermochemistry of Nanosintering

What if you could control the behavior of nanoparticles and nanostructures under heat treatment? This is what Professor Castro’s research group is looking for. Using specially designed thermochemical experiments, nanostructure characterization by TEM, SEM, BET, and others, we are currently designing a relationship between the interface energetics and nanosintering, nanostability, and phase transition, enabling a thermodynamic control of these phenomena. This work is supported by the NSF CAREER award.

Radiation Tolerance

Nanostructured materials are likely to play a large role in future nuclear reactors and radioactive waste storage due to their strength and potential resistance to structural damage from radiation. The goal of this project is to investigate nanomaterials with potential interest for nuclear components and establish the link between composition, interface thermodynamics, and radiation resistance, aiming to enable a better understanding of the nature of enhanced performance in nanocrystalline ceramics. This work is supported by the Early Career Research Program award, and MDI UCDavis-LANL.

Carbon Nanotubes in Super Wires

In this application-oriented research, carbon nanotubes and their outstanding electrical properties are exploited by forming thin films on metallic wires, transfering some of their properties to them, and creating a new generation of "super"conductors. This project is supported by Elektro, Inc. (Brazil), in an international collaboration with the University of Santa Cecília in Brazil and the company ECIL Informatica.