Dr Rebecca Boston

Every electronic device on the planet, from mobile phones to complex scientific equipment, relies on functional oxide materials (crystalline matter composed of a mixture of metallic elements and oxygen) to control operation or performance. This might be directly as part of a circuit, for example in capacitors, which are predicted to have a global market of $50 billion by 2020, or as a stand-alone device, e.g. a thermoelectric generator which recovers waste heat energy. Many of these materials contain rare or toxic elements, making the devices which use them expensive or difficult to recycle.

We can improve the function of these materials (and potentially remove the need for the toxic/scarce elements) by controlling the nano- and micro-structure of the devices. This requires the development of new synthetic methods which control the morphology from the bottom up. Biotemplates and solvent-based combustion syntheses are a rapid and sustainable way of doing this and so my research is concerned with improving functionality through controlling crystal morphology.

Sintering technology is also a key area of development, as at present there are very few ways to preserve nanostructures within a sintered ceramic. Cold sintering is a means to preserve this type of structure, and we have an active research interest in this for emergent morphology-function relationships

Current research projects include:

• Nanostructuring in Na-ion battery anodes and cathodes
• Materials discovery in Na-ion battery materials
• Low temperature sintering in dielectric materials
• Nanostructured La-SrTiO₃ thermoelectrics
• Synthesis and sintering of next generation fusion materials

Applications from self-funded students are welcome and a range of projects are currently available. Please contact Dr Rebecca Boston directly to discuss further.