- Homepage
- Key Information
- Students
- Taught programmes (UG / PGT)
- Student Services and Procedures
- Academic Year
- Academic Appeals
- Attendance
- Change of Circumstances
- Disciplinary Procedures
- Mitigation Procedures
- Making a Complaint
- Module Choice
- Personal Tutors
- Student Responsibilities
- Student Membership of Professional (accrediting) Institutions
- Study Facilities and Resources
- Timetabling
- January Rubrics
- Student Support
- Events and Colloquia
- International Students
- Students as Change Agents (SACA)
- Student Staff Liaison Committees (SSLC)
- The Exeter Award
- Peer Support
- Skills Development
- Equality and Diversity
- Athena SWAN
- Outreach
- Living Systems Institute Webpage
- Alumni
- Info points and hubs
- Inbound Exchange Students
- Staff
- PGR
- Health and Safety
- Computer Support
- National Student Survey (NSS)
- Intranet Help
- X-AT
- The Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing (CALM)
- Electronics laboratory
- Functional nanomaterials laboratory
Functional nanomaterials laboratory
The Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory has equipped with a wide range of the state-of-the-art facilities for nanomaterials generation and nanocomposite fabrication. We have substantial amount expertise in a diverse type of 1-Dimensional nanomaterials creation, including nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes of carbon or non-carbon based structures. The in-house structural and property characterization facilities including AFM, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, EDX, XRD, FT-IR, UN/Vis, Raman, BET, TGA and DSC are ideally placed for fundamental nanomaterials research, whilst the high sensitive sensor development and solar cell workstations are available for nanodevice development projects.
The Functional Nanomaterials laboratory has also equipped with advanced facilities for separating, mixing, handling and processing nanomaterials at room and high temperatures for the fabrication of advanced nanocomposites, including ultrasonic probes, magnetic stirrer, centrifuge, and a 25 ton laboratory vacuum hot-press (2500 C).
Facilities
1. Tube furnaces: from 1200C, 1400C, 1600C up to 1800C, with hot zone varying from 150 cm up to 900 cm.
All can be used at different atmosphere (Ar, N2, H2 NH3, etc.) or under mechanical vacuum conditions, suitable for CVD synthesis or annealing of small samples;
2. AFM, suitable for force measurement and nano-manipulation;
3. Gas Sorption Analyser (BET surface analyser), for surface area, porosity and pore size measurement;
4. UV/VIS spectrum, for liquid sample analysis;
5. Solar light simulator working station, for solar cell development, efficiency characterisation;
6. Potentiostat, suitable for electrochemistry work; and for tiny (down to pico amp) electric signal measurement using Faraday Cage, for biosensor and gas sensor testing;
7. A powerful ultrasonic Probe and a normal 2.5 litre ultrasonic bath, for powder sample dispersion and processing;
8. Centrifuge, up to 11000 RPM, we only have container suitable for 6000 RPM;
9. TGA and DSC, up to 1500C, under air, Ar or H2, for thermal analysis;
10. Hydrothermal reaction vessels of 100 ml capacity, for use up to 250C, for materials synthesis;
11. A muffle furnaces, 1200C, for general annealing or heat treatment in air for large samples;
12. Hot-press, up to 2400C and 80 MPa, under vacuum or Ar protection, for sintering sample of 50 x 50 mm.
Further information
If you think any of these facilities that could be useful for your research, please contact Professor Yanqiu Zhu or Dr Yongde Xia for details and we will always be happy to help, most likely free of charge for internal project use.