The proposed knowledge transfer project on Advanced plasmonic-on-fibre devices for optical communication and sensing applications (Plasm-on-fibre) via this International Incoming Fellowship (IIF) programme will transfer the knowledge and expertise of the Marie Curie IIF Fellow Dr J Zhang from the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) of Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is specialised in plasmonics and nanophotonics, to the EU host -Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT) at Aston University in the UK to carry out the world-class research in the new emerging science area -Plasmonics. Working in the defined four key research objective areas: R1: In-depth theoretical study and advanced fabrication of novel fibre gratings for efficient excitation of surface plasmon polaritons; R2: Exploring nanomaterials and nanostructures for novel plasmonic functions; R3: Developing ultrafast magneto-plasmonic modulation function and devices based on novel hybrid multi-layer excitation of surface plasmon polaritons; R4: Developing next generation plasmonic-on-fibre biosensors based on hybrid fibre gratings and plasmonic nanostructures, we anticipate this project will generate new knowledge, explore potential functions and develop novel plasmonic-on-fibre devices for optical communication and sensing applications and lead to long term collaboration between AIPT and ISSP. In parallel, this IIF project will also aim to train Post-docs and Ph.D and Master students at AIPT and form a network with 4 academic and 3 industrial partners in Europe. The outcome of this project will enhance the EU leading position in fundamental knowledge, new ideas and novel devices and technologies in modern plasmonics.

The boost experienced by nanophotonics research during the past decade has been driven by the ability of surface plasmons to collect and concentrate light into deeply sub-wavelength volumes. The hybrid nature of surface plasmons (which emerge from the coupling of photons to the collective oscillations of conduction electrons in metals) has allowed an unprecedented control of light at the nanoscale, a regime inaccessible to standard photonic technology. This scientific success has been possible due to two factors: the high precision of modern nanofabrication and characterization techniques, and the extraordinary predictive value of classical electrodynamics. However, the miniaturization trend in experimental nano-optics is currently approaching dimensions comparable to the typical Coulomb screening length in noble metals (of the order of a few angstroms). A theoretical challenge arises in this spatial range for two reasons. On the one hand, at this sub-nanometre regime, macroscopic electromagnetism breaks down due to the emergence of quantum effects such as spatial non-locality. On the other hand, the enormous complexity of the full quantum numerical schemes available to describe the electron-ion dynamics in metals restricts their applicability to systems involving only a few hundreds of electrons. The objective of this proposal is to fill the gap between Maxwell's equations and first principle condensed matter theory methods. It aims to devise a mesoscopic platform able to treat accurately and efficiently the interaction between light and matter in nanodevices which, presenting angstrom-sized geometric features, contain millions of electrons. This is a prominent fundamental problem with significant technological implications. The further development of nanophotonic technology requires a complete and unified picture of the physical mechanisms behind its performance. The ultimate goal of this proposal is providing the theoretical framework for this purpose.

The proposed knowledge transfer project on Smart Optical Fibre Sensor Technology (SOFST)via this International Incoming Fellowship (IIF) programme will bring the knowledge and expertise of the Marie Curie IIF Fellow Dr Qizhen Sun from the University of Huazhongin Chinawith the integration of the advanced optical fibre devicesfabrication technology and sensing applications of the EU host -Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT) of Aston University to (1) develop advanced fibre grating and nano-micro structure based sensor platform; (2) explore speciality optical fibres for high function and multi-parameter sensors; (3) utilise functional nano and bio coating materials for sensor performance enhancement; (4) develop fibre laser based sensor systems for high resolution detection; (5) develop label-free on-line fibre sensor detection systems for food quality and security control. Together with proposed collaboration with 4 academic and 4 industrial co-hosts in Europe, the outcome of this project will not just enhance the EU leading position in smart fibre sensor technology but also the competiveness in commercialisation and wide range applications of this technology.

The proposed knowledge transfer project on Advanced plasmonic-on-fibre devices for optical communication and sensing applications (Plasm-on-fibre) via this International Incoming Fellowship (IIF) programme will transfer the knowledge and expertise of the Marie Curie IIF Fellow Dr J Zhang from the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) of Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is specialised in plasmonics and nanophotonics, to the EU host -Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT) at Aston University in the UK to carry out the world-class research in the new emerging science area -Plasmonics. Working in the defined four key research objective areas: R1: In-depth theoretical study and advanced fabrication of novel fibre gratings for efficient excitation of surface plasmon polaritons; R2: Exploring nanomaterials and nanostructures for novel plasmonic functions; R3: Developing ultrafast magneto-plasmonic modulation function and devices based on novel hybrid multi-layer excitation of surface plasmon polaritons; R4: Developing next generation plasmonic-on-fibre biosensors based on hybrid fibre gratings and plasmonic nanostructures, we anticipate this project will generate new knowledge, explore potential functions and develop novel plasmonic-on-fibre devices for optical communication and sensing applications and lead to long term collaboration between AIPT and ISSP. In parallel, this IIF project will also aim to train Post-docs and Ph.D and Master students at AIPT and form a network with 4 academic and 3 industrial partners in Europe. The outcome of this project will enhance the EU leading position in fundamental knowledge, new ideas and novel devices and technologies in modern plasmonics.

The capsid proteins of viruses have been shown to organize around a variety of non-biological polyanions, in a similar way that proteins assemble around RNA genomes, to form virus-like particles (VLPs). Metal-containing polymers such as polyferrocenylsilane possess additional interesting physical and chemical properties and may yield VLPs possessing very different morphologies and more diverse functionalities on co-assembly with capsid proteins. In a similar manner to almost all nanoscale objects, VLPs generally exist in the solid state but not in the liquid phase, because the scales of these systems are typically larger than the range of attractive interactions between such nanostructures. This situation comes with limitations regarding both storage and product formulation. Due to the recent development of liquid proteins via the surface engineering techniques, interest in the phase behavior of bionanomaterials has grown rapidly. The proposed research focuses on the fabrication and surface engineering of responsive VLPs through the self-assembly of polyferrocenylsilane-based copolymers and viral capsid proteins. This project is highly interdisciplinary and the project objectives will be accomplished by the proposed award of a Marie Curie Fellowship to a highly talented young scientist from China, Dr. Hongjing Dou. She has considerable expertise in the area of bionanomaterials and in biomedical science. The proposal involves her working at the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol in the UK together with Prof. Ian Manners, who has expertise in the field of synthetic metallopolymers such as polyferrocenylsilanes and also self-assembly, and cosupervisor Prof. Stephen Mann, an expert in bio-inspired chemically-derived routes to complex materials and a pioneer of solvent-free liquid proteins and viruses, to achieve the ambitious project goals.

This project aims to evaluate the effect of phosphonic acid adsorption on metal surfaces. Much is known about the adsorption of these molecules on oxide surfaces but very little is known about their behaviour on metals. The first primary aim is to determine adsorption and phase behaviour quantitatively as a function of surface charge, which will be controlled by varying applied electrical potential. A strategic combination of classical electrochemical and modern surface analytical probes will be employed, including atomic force microscopy and the recently developed in situ infrared technique, PM-IRRAS (Polarisation Modulation Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy). These results will be combined together with computational simulations, a combination of density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations, to form a complete picture of the surface aggregation phenomena of these molecules. The strategy will be to evaluate the phosphonic acid behaviour first on single crystal substrates and then on nanoparticle surfaces, which will be prepared on carbon substrate by electrodeposition. The second primary aim of the proposal project is to evaluate the effect of adsorption of these molecules on the electrochemical reduction of oxygen (ORR), a reaction of immense technological importance. Phosphonates have previously received very limited study for fuel cell and battery applications. We aim to determine whether phosphonic acid adsorption can be used as a tool to direct the selectivity of the ORR toward a specific product. If the reaction can be steered toward peroxide formation rather than water, this would open up possibilities for the commercial production of hydrogen peroxide (using existing fuel cell technology) and Li-air batteries, where the peroxo product is preferred to permit the re-charging of the battery.

The capsid proteins of viruses have been shown to organize around a variety of non-biological polyanions, in a similar way that proteins assemble around RNA genomes, to form virus-like particles (VLPs). Metal-containing polymers such as polyferrocenylsilane possess additional interesting physical and chemical properties and may yield VLPs possessing very different morphologies and more diverse functionalities on co-assembly with capsid proteins. In a similar manner to almost all nanoscale objects, VLPs generally exist in the solid state but not in the liquid phase, because the scales of these systems are typically larger than the range of attractive interactions between such nanostructures. This situation comes with limitations regarding both storage and product formulation. Due to the recent development of liquid proteins via the surface engineering techniques, interest in the phase behavior of bionanomaterials has grown rapidly. The proposed research focuses on the fabrication and surface engineering of responsive VLPs through the self-assembly of polyferrocenylsilane-based copolymers and viral capsid proteins. This project is highly interdisciplinary and the project objectives will be accomplished by the proposed award of a Marie Curie Fellowship to a highly talented young scientist from China, Dr. Hongjing Dou. She has considerable expertise in the area of bionanomaterials and in biomedical science. The proposal involves her working at the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol in the UK together with Prof. Ian Manners, who has expertise in the field of synthetic metallopolymers such as polyferrocenylsilanes and also self-assembly, and cosupervisor Prof. Stephen Mann, an expert in bio-inspired chemically-derived routes to complex materials and a pioneer of solvent-free liquid proteins and viruses, to achieve the ambitious project goals.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in combination with hydrogen are considered one of the best candidates to help to mitigate the climate change. However, there are still some challenges to release this technology to the market. One of the main costly issues for its commercialization is the amount of the platinum (Pt) that is used as catalyst, especially in the cathode where the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) takes place. Even though progress has been made during the past years decreasing the Pt loading, the utilization and stability of Pt must be increased to meet the application demands by changing the current commercial carbon support (mainly Vulcan XC-72). Here it is proposed the use of a hydrophobic carbon nanofiber (CNF) layer as Pt support that combine high stability to oxidation, high specific surface area without micropores and large pore volume. The first part of the project consists of the growth of a CNF layer, which is directly grown on one side of a carbon paper substrate. The first objective of the project is the direct deposition of Pt nanoparticles on only one side of the CNF layer while avoiding a deep penetration of the Pt particles and maintaining certain hydrophobicity. The external location of the Pt particles, close to the central membrane, is crucial for a high fuel cell performance. On the other hand, certain hydrophobicity is needed to improve the evacuation of water formed in the cathode eliminating, or at least reducing, the use of PTFE. The second objective is the study of the influence of the addition of proton conductive polymers in the electrocatalytic ORR of the electrode. Finally, the last objective is the fuel cell electrochemical characterization of the electrodes by preparing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) by using commercial and/or in-house prepared anodes and membranes, so that the fuel cell performance can be measured and compared with a commercial MEA based on Pt/Vulcan XC-72.

Energy crisis and environmental pollution have been suggested to be two serious problems to world countries. The efficient energy generation and use of clean energy are the effective pathways for solving these problems. This project promotes a cutting-edge research collaboration on the development of the late-model multi-junction nano-materials for energy applications in relation with solar energy driven production of hydrogen from water and rechargeable battery for renewable energy storage. Using a modified electrochemical atomic layer deposition method, multi-junction materials with large specific surface areas or complex shapes can be produced with a formation mechanism of atom-by-atom growth. Based on this, the narrow-band-gap semiconductors are conformally deposited onto TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTs) to form a coaxial heterogeneous structure with atomic-level control. Such structure can greatly improve the separation efficiency of photo-induced electrons and holes, resulting in a highly active photocurrent generation. On the other hand, both sulphur and carbon atomic layers are deposited alternately on the TiO2 NT walls in the atom-by-atom contact form. The resultant sulphur-carbon/TiO2 NTs multi-junction positive electrodes demonstrate properties useful for resolving these bottleneck problems that exist in the current Li-S battery. Furthermore, the relationships among the optimizing designs (including micro-geometrical structures, compositional control, and atomic-level interface properties), the charge transfer mechanism, and electrochemical performance are studied. On the basis of these results, the high-performance multi-junction photocatalysts and rechargeable Li-S battery are carried out for hydrogen generation and energy storage application. The proposed research will enrich the synthesized methods for multi-junction nano-materials, and be extremely useful to advance the technological quality of existing energy generation and energy storage industries.

Thermoelectric (TE) power generation, which offers potential for converting waste industrial heat into useful electricity, is foreseen to become increasingly important in the near future because of the need for alternative energy sources. How big this role is likely to be depends not only on the efficiency of TE materials but also on the crustal abundance and toxicity of their raw materials. BiSbTe intermetallic compounds, PbTe and SiGe alloys have served as the most widely used TE materials in the past half century. However, the key constituent elements, such as Te (0.001 ppm by weight), Sb (0.2 ppm), and Ge (1.4 ppm) are rare in the Earth's crust, and Te and Pb are toxic. In this project, TE sulphides operating in the medium temperature ranges, instead of tellurides are chosen as the research starting point to explore TE materials with high figure of merit zT, which requires higher Seebeck coefficient, higher electrical conductivity, and lower thermal conductivity. A combination of band structure engineering and nanostructuring will be simultaneously investigated as an effective approach for improving TE performance. We will identify promising optimized compositions and sinter powders by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) to produce three kinds of TE metal (Cu, Bi, Ti) sulphides. Also, grain size and morphology controllable bulk nanomaterials will be fabricated by nonequilibrium routes, for example, melt spinning or mechanical alloying followed by SPS. The main objective of this work is to develop high performance nanostructured TE sulphides and modules to replace current commercial materials that use costly, scarce and toxic elements. Moreover, this project will help to clarify the physical mechanisms behinds the two strategies, band structure engineering and nanostructuring. The effect of thermodynamic process of the nonequilibrium preparation route on the electrical and thermal properties will be studied and the mechanisms involved will be established.