Areas of Interest

       

     

               

Under the patronage of HE Dr. Ashraf Shaalan, president of NRC

Presently, there is an unprecedented energy crisis, which is triggered by increasing consumption and cost of energy and fuels. This is compounded by the fact that high consumption of fossil-based energy resources is causing imperative environmental and health problems including global warming, triggering severe climate changes. This is a project supported by US NSF intended to catalyze international research collaboration between US researchers and researchers in Middle East institutions. The proposed area of research is the development of efficient harvest and storage technologies of renewable, green energy and the study of their health and environmental impact.

The activity is intended to:

1. Facilitate communication and provide essential means for researchers in the partnership from the different countries involved to examine the feasibility of initiating and catalyzing a coherent, complimentary partnership among the institutions.
2. Conduct joint studies in the area of nano particle-organics composites for development of advanced renewable energy harvest and storage devices.
3. Focus on the synthesis and understanding of the electronic/optical nature of thin films of nanomaterial composites based on silicon as well as a variety of other materials, such as carbon, and conducting polymer as well as developing new prototype devices using the thin films.
4. Make significant contribution to the solutions of the present energy crisis and yield transformational energy technologies, which will get renewable energy to a point where it is economically competitive with current technology.

Other benefits:

Research in nanomaterial transcends energy. It will impose many important question of health, safety, effect on the environment, as well as nano ethics. Moreover, because of the importance of energy, we expect it to open up new channels for international collaborations with industry. One of the most pressing issues in nano-research/nano-industry is the shortage of qualified workforce. Because this project is intended to catalyze international collaborative research projects between several institutions in the US and the Middle East, it will provide excellent training and valuable international experience and perspectives for the graduate and undergraduate students working on the project. It will also build important intellectual bridges between U.S. scientists and scientists of key U.S. allies in the Middle East.