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Project Leader
Christopher Ratcliffe
Phone: 613-991-1240
Fax: 613-998-7833
Email: Christopher.Ratcliffe@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Porous Materials
Supramolecular chemistry is producing an ever increasing array of materials which display porosity and can be harnessed for the uptake of gases, liquids and even solids. This project capitalizes on the NRC-SIMS’ strengths in the design and synthesis of host-guest and porous materials, and in characterization using solid state NMR and XRD for complementary studies of structures, to produce new materials and study their properties. The project aims to generate new knowledge about porous materials with an emphasis on their potential for use in areas associated with Energy and the Environment.
The first area of research deals with the synthesis and characterization of porous materials to determine the feasibility of using the materials for sensing, for example, inexpensive greenhouse gas sensors for emissions monitoring.
The second area involves the characterization and development of porous materials for gas separation, capture and storage. Many of the porous host-guest materials produced can absorb gases and have potential use in O2 enrichment for pre-combustion applications, CO2 capture from flue gas and hydrogen synthesis gas, as well as methane and hydrogen gas storage and transport. Other applications include nano-encapsulation and materials for programmable capture and release. Modeling studies are also performed to determine optimum features to maximize gas absorption.
The third area of research deals with the characterization of gas hydrates which are a major global concern because of their immense potential as an energy resource and their potential threat as a ‘sink’ for greenhouse gases. They also have considerable potential for capture, storage and transport of different gases, including H2, CH4 and CO2. Gas hydrate structure, stability, gas content, mechanisms of hydrate formation and decomposition, and methods for hydrate control all are very active areas of international research in which NRC-SIMS plays a leading role.
Recently, NRC celebrated Fifty Years of Excellence in Gas Hydrate Research.
A booklet in PDF format is available for download which highlights the research.
