2023
Federico Rosei
Researcher takes interdisciplinary approach to promising nanotechnology research
2023
Researcher takes interdisciplinary approach to promising nanotechnology research
The synergy that comes from bringing different disciplines together to solve problems makes all the difference in Federico Rosei’s work. Dr. Rosei, who held the Canada Research Chair in Nanostructured Materials from 2016 to 2023, studies the structure and properties of objects at the nano scale. One nanometer (one meter divided by one billion, or one millimeter divided by one million) of matter typically contains three to four atoms.
“When you work at such small dimensions, the boundaries between disciplines are quite blurred. “So what we do is considered physics, but also chemistry and materials science and even engineering. That’s one of the fascinating aspects of my work, that I get to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and then we can exchange ideas and perspectives, and this brings about insights that would be difficult to obtain if we worked independently of each other.”
Dr. Rosei, a professor in materials science and nanotechnology at the University of Quebec’s Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), has won a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship, the only one in the Engineering category. His research on very small objects, which exhibit quantum effects that do not occur at the macro scale, could lead to new materials that support technological breakthroughs in energy, electronics and health.
Some of these objects are called quantum dots, which are ubiquitous in modern technologies. They were recently in the spotlight as their invention was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2023. “They’re used extensively in display technologies, including computer screens and smart phones,” he says. “But instead of focusing on quantum dots like these that emit light, we’re more interested in quantum dots that absorb solar radiation, so that we can transform it into other usable forms of energy”. Dr. Rosei also holds the UNESCO Chair in Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Saving and Storage since 2013. The latter comprises a network of over 30 organizations from 22 countries that have agreed to pool resources and jointly develop renewable energy technologies.
“If you consider the commercial standard of solar panels, it’s silicon. To work with materials beyond silicon, the next generation of solar panels, quantum dots have a lot of potential.”
