Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

We are requesting a nanopore and catalyst analyzer BEL CAT SORP II with multicomponent gas and VOC sorption capabilities for taking our ongoing biocarbon research to the next level. The requested equipment will support multiple research programs led by a diverse team of researchers built on the quality of individual members' research scholarship while ensuring gender, career stage, race, cultural, and disciplinary diversity in engineering and science. We have successfully developed our thermochemical conversion technologies and have established ourselves as one of the globally recognized leaders in converting bioresources to biocarbon material for various applications. The most promising future end uses for in-house biomass-derived carbon are "activated carbons" and "advanced carbon materials," with related applications in anodes, batteries, hydrogen storage, catalyst support, and additive manufacturing. However, our carbon production capabilities are not matched with surface characterizing capabilities. The successful development of each targeted end use depends on establishing correlations between the microstructural parameters and the electrochemical properties of the conventional and novel types of carbon materials. An accurate and precise description of molecule surface- interactions is the first step toward a fundamental understanding of reactions on surfaces. Finding distinct boundaries of sorption due to physisorption and chemisorption is still a challenge, and has gained interest in recent years especially for hydrogen storage application. The requested system will enable a "chemisorption-focused complete sorption facility" capable of handling corrosive gas, and enabling easy quantitative multiple gas analysis by a dedicated benchtop-type quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS). This capability is highly advantageous and cost-effective, as it will enable us to quantitatively evaluate corrosive and mixed gas sorption. Moreover, in recent years interest in understanding and minimizing potential sources of errors in sorption studies has evolved due to potential application of artificial intelligence in developing advanced porous materials. The requested system is critical to the progress of the research of PI, Co-PI and the training of the HQP in these innovative studies. The instrument is not replacing any existing one or available at any institution nearby. It will be housed within the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph. The degree of utilization is expected to be very high (~250 days/year) and a large no of HQPs (~30) will be trained using the instrument over the next five years. The requested system will significantly propel and accelerate the research capability as well as enable the examination of new and important questions in different domains of sciences. Delay in acquiring this instrument will significantly interrupt the progress and success of the cutting-edge research and compromise Canadian standing globally.