NENS

Research group for NanoEngineering and NanoScience (NENS)

Group leader: Dr (HDR). Tran Dinh Phong
Location: Room 606, A21 Building, University of Science and Technology of Hanoi - Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology - 18 Hoang Quoc Viet - Cau Giay - Hanoi

1. History and Objectives

Research group “NanoEngineering and NanoScience” (NENS) was setted up in 2016 at University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH). NENS aims to develop into a strong research group that performs high-level research in the field of new material for energy conversion and storage. Currently, group’s activities are focusing study on nanostructured materials, suitable for applying artificial leaves for H2 production from water and sunlight; fabrication the hydrogen battery, Lithium battery, Sodium battery and Magnesium battery.

In the coming time, the research group will prepare conditions for research orientation, staffing and facilities, operation and management approaches towards the establishment of an international collaborative laboratory with the moving of USTH to new campus in Hoa Lac hi-tech park (expected in 2020).

2. Partnership

Vietnamese partners

Institute of Materials Science, VAST (Prof. Nguyen Quang Liem)
Nano and Energy Center (Dr. Nguyen Tran Thuat)
Le Quy Don Technical University (Dr. Tran Viet Thu group)
Institute of Chemical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Dr. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai)

International partners

CEA Grenoble, France (Dr. Vincent Artero)
College de France, France (Prof. Marc Fontecave)
LCC Toulouse, France (Prof. Catherine Amiens)
Reims University, France (Prof. Gilles Lemercier)
Tohoku University, Japan (Prof Iratu Honma and Prof. Truong Quang Duc)
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (Prof. James Barber)
Hanyang Univeristy, Korea (Prof. Myung Mo Sung, Sung-Hwan Han)

3. Funding sources

01 VAST project (45 K$)
01 NAFOSTED projects (50 K$)
01 Objectif Labo project (50K$)
02 USTH setting up project (20 K$)
02 GUST postdoc projects (30K$)

4. Equipment

No.	Equipment	No.	Equipment
1	Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) + flow cell	13	Research Arc Lamp Source
2	Spin coater	14	Silicon Detector kit
3	Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer	15	Hinged Tube Furnances
4	Vacuum dryer	16	Centrifuges
5	UV-Vis Spectrophotometer	17	Oven (300C for materials synthesis)
6	Zeta meter	18	Autoclaves (01 set of different volumes)
7	Ultra low freezer	19	Small pumpe (for colonne application)
8	Rotating disk ring electrode	20	pH meter
9	Potentiostat Galvanostat + EIS	21	Magnetic stirrers (with and without heating)
10	Chemical compound storage	22	Mechanical stirrer
11	Fume hood	23	Ultrasonic cleaner
12	Rotary evaporator

5. Ongoing research activities

Currently, NENS focus to study and develop the nanostructured materials, suitable for energy conversion and storage. NENS has strong expertise in developping electrocatalysts and photocatalysts made of earth abundant elements for solar water splitting, solar H2 generation, CO2 reduction and proton exchange membrane fuel cell application (figure 1). NENS has successful developed the materials for Lithium, Magnesium batteries based on the transition metals sulfide (Figure 2)

Figure 1. Current works at NENS toward engineering an artificial leaf for splitting water to H2 and O2 (or reduction CO2 to HCOOH fuel)

Figure 2: Schematic of Magnesium ion battery

6. Group members

No	Full name	Position	University/Institute	Remark
1	Dr. With HDR Tran Dinh Phong	Group leader	USTH	PhD at Paris Sud University in 2007 and HDR at Grenoble Alpes University in 2016
2	Dr. Nguyen Duc Anh	Member	USTH	PhD at Lemans University in 2015
3	Dr. Le Thi Ly	Member	USTH	PhD at Toulouse Paul Sabatier University in 2016
4	Dr. Le Van Hoang	Postdoc	Thai Nguyen University	PhD at Graduate University of Science and Technology, VAST in 2019
5	Master. Nguyen Thi Chuc	PhD student	Hung Yen University of Technology and Education	PhD student at Graduate University of Science and Technology
6	Master. Nguyen Thi Quyen	PhD student	Laboratoire de Chimie Coordination, Toulouse, France	Co-supervisor with Prof. Catherine Amiens (Toulouse Paul Sabatier University)
7	Master. Tran Duc Tien	PhD student	USTH	Co-supervisor with Prof. Han Sung-Hwan (Hanyang University, Korea)
8	Master. Nguyen Ngoc Duc	PhD student	USTH	Co-supervisor with Dr (HDR) Vincent Artero (CEA Grenoble, France)
9	Duong Minh Tuan	Master student	USTH

7. Featured publications

N^o	Publications	Authors	Journal	Year
1.	Hybrid amorphous MoSx-graphene protected Cu2O photocathode for better performance in H2 evolution	Le, Hoang V. Le, Ly T. Tran, Phong D. Chang, Jong-San Dieu Thuy, Ung Thi Liem, Nguyen Quang	*International Journal of Hydrogen Energy*	2019
2.	Insights into the Electrochemical Polymerization of [Mo3S13]2- Generating Amorphous Molybdenum Sulfide	Tran, Phong Dinh Duong, Tuan M. Nguyen, Phuc D. Nguyen, Anh D. Le, Ly T. Nguyen, Loan T. Pham, Hai V.	*Chemistry – A European Journal*	2019
3.	Novel Amorphous Molybdenum Selenide as an Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b18675	Quyen T. Nguyen, Phuc D. Nguyen, Duc N. Nguyen, Quang Duc Truong, Tran Thi Kim Chi, Thuy Thi Dieu Ung, Itaru Honma, Nguyen Quang Liem and Phong D. Tran	*ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces*	2018
4.	Gold nanoparticles as an outstanding catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction DOI: 10.1039/C8CC00038G	Tien D. Tran, Mai T. T. Nguyen, Hoang V. Le, Duc N. Nguyen, Quang Duc Truong and Phong D. Tran	*Chemical Communications*	2018
5.	Unravelling the Surface Structure of MgMn2O4 Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Magnesium-Ion Battery DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b01252	Quang Duc Truong, Murukanahally Kempaiah Devaraju, Phong D. Tran, Yoshiyuki Gambe, Keiichiro Nayuki, Yoshikazu Sasaki, and Itaru Honma	*Chemistry of Materials*	2017
6.	Crystallization of Amorphous Molybdenum Sulfide Induced by Electron or Laser Beam and Its Effect on H2 Evolving Activities DOI : 10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b08817	Duc N. Nguyen, Linh N. Nguyen, Phuc Dinh Nguyen, Tran Viet Thu, Anh Duc Nguyen, Phong D. Tran	*Journal of Physical Chemistry C*	2016
7.	Coordination polymer structure and revisited hydrogen evolution catalytic mechanism for amorphous molybdenum sulfide	Phong D. Tran, Thu V. Tran, Maylis Orio, Stephane Torelli, Quang Duc Truong, Keiichiro Nayuki, Yoshikazu Sasaki, Sing Yang Chiam, Ren Yi, Itaru Honma, James Barber, Vincent Artero	*Nature Materials*, 15, 640-646	2016
8.	Disulfide-Bridged (Mo₃S₁₁) Cluster Polymer: Molecular Dynamics and Application as Electrode Material for a Rechargeable Magnesium Battery DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b02593	Quang Duc Truong, Murukanahally Kempaiah Devaraju, Duc N Nguyen, Yoshiyuki Gambe, Keiichiro Nayuki, Yoshikazu Sasaki, Phong D Tran, Itaru Honma	*Nano Letters*	2016

8. Research outcomes or featured results have been achieved

Artificial leaf version 1 is capable of self-assembling, operating at 3 % efficiency for 3 hours continuously