Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas
The Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH) was founded in 1983 and is one of the largest research centers in Greece with well-organized facilities, highly qualified personnel and a reputation as a top-level research institution worldwide. The Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH-ICEHT) conducts forefront scientific research in the fields of Nanotechnology/Advanced Materials, Energy/Environment, and Biosciences/Biotechnology. The FORTH-ICEHT team has extensive expertise in Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, particularly in non-crystalline solids, amorphous semiconductors, and low-dimensional (1D and 2D) nanocrystals. Over the past decade, the team has concentrated on advancing cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods for producing high-quality graphene-based hybrid nanomaterials. This has involved the laser-assisted transformation of both inorganic (metal carbides) and organic (polymers and biomass-derived materials) compounds under ambient conditions.
In parallel, the team has pioneered innovative laser-assisted techniques, including roll-to-roll (R2R) compatible in-situ graphene deposition on textiles and flexible substrates, as well as laser-scribed graphene electrodes for energy harvesting applications (such as triboelectric nanogenerators for battery-free flexible electronics) and electrochemical energy storage (including flexible micro-capacitors). Their work also includes comprehensive structural, morphological, optical, electrical, and electrochemical characterization of these materials. In certain cases, experimental findings are complemented by ab initio simulations to elucidate atomic-level structures.
Role within INERRANT
FORTH acts as coordinator of the INERRANT Project.
FORTH will develop a novel green laser-assisted method for preparing LIB electrode materials with innovative architectures and nanostructures. The goal is to scale this lab-scale process up to a pilot-scale laser-assisted method for fabricating safer and more efficient Gen 3 LIB cell anodes, utilizing few-layer turbostratic graphene/Si-SiOx nanohybrids. This advancement will enable the creation of eco-friendly, scalable, and roll-to-roll (R2R) compatible material integration directly into electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices. Additionally, the FORTH team will focus on fabricating and optimizing Li-ion battery cells, offering advanced electrochemical characterization. Moreover, FORTH will contribute to the development of novel electrolyte formulations to enhance battery safety and performance by improving impact resistance and mitigating cathode material degradation through shear-thickening effects. FORTH will also lead data maneen and open science activities.
