Harvesting solar power is a crucial element in the shift towards sustainability. However, many factors can significantly reduce the effectiveness of solar panels. One major challenge is keeping them clean, as dust and sand can build up and block sunlight over time. Could nature provide a solution for protecting solar panels?
MMD FinnCERES: Energy
Projects of the Multifunctional Materials Design research group funded by FinnCERES (theme Energy)
Loading table of contents
Highlights:
Aalto Virtual Exhibitions | Time Out! Rethinking Construction (Designs for a Cooler Planet 2023)
Creating solar cells and glass from wood – or a billion tons of biowaste
Researchers map out how biomass from plants could replace unrenewable resources in optical applications
FinnCERES is a competence centre, jointly formed by Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in the area of materials bioeconomy. Its mission is to harness the natural properties of lignocellulose to create new sustainable materials.
FinnCERES programme is enabled by: Aalto University, VTT, Academy of Finland and its Flagship Programme.
The Multifunctional Materials Design group is conducting research under the FinnCERES theme 'Electronics, Optics and Energy Applications'. We aim to approach the research challenges from different angles.
Project STORAGE: Stable and Sustainable Organic Radical Battery
Project team
Andrew Kerr, Postdoctoral Researcher
Project: STORAGE (Stable and Sustainable Organic Radical Battery)
Research area: Current research focuses on organic radical polymers for batteries and the design of thermo-responsive films.
Project alumni
FinnCERES.fi
FinnCERES.fi
Public defence in Chemistry, M. Sc. Yazan Al Haj
Title of the thesis: Nanocellulose-Derived Hydrogels and Aerogels: Advanced Applications in Sustainable Technologies
Public defence in Chemistry, MSc Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi
Fabrication of bio-inspired films and surfaces (title of the thesis)
Yazan Al Haj, Doctoral Candidate
"My research work focuses on the development of flexible energy storage and conversion devices using bio-based resources. I currently work on the conversion of daily biowaste, animal bones and brewery residues into more valuable materials, such as porous carbon and cellulose nanocrystals. Porous carbon will be used as an electrode material, whereas cellulose nanocrystal will be used as a host matrix for the formation of the hydrogel electrolyte for flexible supercapacitors."
Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi, Doctoral Candidate
"In my doctoral research, I am focusing on improving the lifetime and efficiency of solar cell substrates by means of organic light management layers. For this purpose, my work currently involves translation of leaf structures into functional hierarchical surfaces. As a result, tunable substrate surface with self-cleaning and icephobic properties can be made by combining, for instance, leaf replication, all-optical patterning of azopolymers, and coating with hydrophobic nanoparticles."
Publications
Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi*, Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi, Miika Heikkilä, Sami Franssila, Jaana Vapaavuori, Ville Jokinen*
2024
Small
Fevzihan Basarir, Yazan Al Haj, Fangxin Zou, Swarnalok De, An Nguyen, Alexander Frey, Ijlal Haider, Veikko Sariola, Jaana Vapaavuori
2024
Advanced Functional Materials
Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi, Karl M.O. HÃ¥kansson, Tiffany Abitbol, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2024
Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Yujiao Dong, Fangxin Zou*, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2024
Carbohydrate Polymers
Tao Zou, Erfan Kimiaei, Zahra Madani, Muzaffer A. Karaaslan, Jaana Vapaavuori, Johan Foster, Scott Renneckar, Monika Österberg*
2024
Materials Advances
Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi, Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi, Seyede Maryam Mousavi, Magnus Markkanen, Janne Halme, Ville Jokinen, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2024
Communications Materials
Yazan Al Haj, Ahmed B. Soliman, Jaana Vapaavuori*, Mady Elbahri*
2024
Advanced Functional Materials
Joice Jaqueline Kaschuk, Yazan Al Haj, Joaquin Valdez Garcia, Aleksi Kamppinen, Orlando J. Rojas, Tiffany Abitbol, Kati Miettunen, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2024
Carbohydrate Polymers
Swarnalok De, Hoang M. Nguyen, Fangxin Zou, Fevzihan Basarir, Maryam Mousavi, Kristiina Mäkinen, Mauri A. Kostiainen*, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2024
Advanced Materials Interfaces
Swarnalok De, Hoang M. Nguyen, Ville Liljeström, Kristiina Mäkinen, Mauri Kostiainen*, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2023
Virology
Isaac Benito-González, Jose Cucharero, Yazan Al Haj, Tuomas Hänninen, Tapio Lokki, Marta MartÃnez-Sanz, Amparo López-Rubio, Antonio MartÃnez-Abad, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2022
Advanced Sustainable Systems
Fevzihan Basarir, Joice Jaqueline Kaschuk, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2022
Biosensors
Yazan Al Haj, Seyedabolfazl Mousavihashemi, Daria Robertson, Maryam Borghei, Timo Pääkkönen, Orlando J. Rojas, Eero Kontturi, Tanja Kallio, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2022
Chemical Engineering Journal
Valentina Guccini*, Josphat Phiri, Jon Trifol, Ville Rissanen, Seyede Maryam Mousavi, Jaana Vapaavuori, Tekla Tammelin, Thaddeus Maloney, Eero Kontturi
2022
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Joice Jaqueline Kaschuk, Yazan Al Haj, Orlando J. Rojas, Kati Miettunen, Tiffany Abitbol, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2022
Advanced Materials
Julius Gröndahl, Kaisa Karisalmi, Jaana Vapaavuori*
2021
Soft Matter
Engagement activities
Related events
Related events
Media & SoMe
Contact information:
Accountable project leader: Prof. Jaana Vapaavuori (jaana.vapaavuori@aalto.fi)
Project researchers:
Andrew Kerr, Postdoctoral Researcher (andrew.kerr@aalto.fi)
Project alumni:
Yazan Al Haj, Doctoral Candidate -> PhD
Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi, Doctoral Candidate -> PhD
Project page on the Research Aalto portal:
