UCLouvain: Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN)

General expertise of the research group

Research in the IMCN institute focuses on condensed matter and nanoscience from the atomic and molecular levels to real materials. This research concerns the synthesis, design, manipulation, implementation and modeling of (bio)molecules, (bio)surfaces and solid materials. The latter are characterized or simulated by means of advanced techniques, which are also sometimes developed as an inherent part of the research. The obtained compounds, materials or devices are then investigated for their functions, properties or reactivity, leading up to applications. Thematics in the frame of this general methodology, and resulting research projects conducted in the institute, lead to the study of molecules, materials, surfaces and interfaces, with a strong connotation of nanosciences, anotechnologies and nanomaterials

Specific hydrogen- related expertise & research topics

The groups of Yaroslav Filinchuk and Sophie Hemans are respectively centered on bulk (3D) and surface (2D) materials. The former has a background in metal and complex hydrides and more recently on using hydrides as solid-state electrolytes in batteries. The latter is having expertise in designing surfaces by functionalization and in surface characterization. The common research activity of the two groups is focused on porous materials, used in catalysis and for gas storage and separation. In particular, storage of compressed hydrogen in metal-organic frameworks, known as MOFs

Available equipment/tools:

• Fritsch Pulverisette 7 ball mill (bought in 2012), equipped with steel and tungsten carbide vials. Three sorts of experiments are possible, allowing creating and optimizing synthetic routes: milling under argon in standard vials, milling under gas pressures using gas lids and milling with pressure-temperature control. Second mill: Retsch S1 planetary ball mill with 250 cc agate vial. These are used, in particular, for synthesis of some MOFs.
• Two 4 cc autoclaves for 200 bar and an oven with temperature control;
• Edwards nEXT Turbo-molecular pump;
• Two complete Schlenk setups for wet synthesis of air-sensitive compounds;
• Two 4-hand gloveboxes, with integrated microscopes, a deep freezer and a vacuum oven;
• “Solvent-box” – a 2-hand plastic glovebox for wet synthesis under protective atmosphere;
• Diamond anvil cells for high-pressure experiments;
• 3D printer for producing plastic vials for ball-milling experiments;
• Two autoclaves for 200 bar and high temperatures, with magnetic stirring
• Charactezization:
  • Two MAR345 diffractometers with microfocusing Mo sources installed in summer 2020. The diffractometers are equipped with cryogenic gas blower (80-400 K), a hot air blower (RT-750 °C) and a manually-controlled gas rig with sample holders for
    experiments up to 200 bar.
  • Three volumetric instruments for measuring Pressure-Composition-Temperature (PCT) diagrams and temperature programmed desorption under gas pressures. Allows for physi- and chemi-sorption experiments.
  • TGA/DSC-MS integrated into an argon-filled glovebox, allowing to measure air-sensitive high energy materials under inert atmosphere.
  • FTIR instrument with heatable ATR cell was integrated inside one of our gloveboxes in 2017.
• Available within our institute, IMCN:
• transmission Raman, solution NMR and high resolution mass spectrometers. New generation of three NMR spectrometers is being purchased for the ASM platform and installed in 2023/2024. One of them will be able to operate with solid-state probe.
• Micromeritics ASAP 2020 Surface Area and Porosity Analyzer. A proposal for another porosity analyser with closed cycle helium cryostat (25-350 K) is submitted in parallel with this project for the EQP call, in collaboration with Prof. Sophie Hermans.

Participating in RW/B/EU funded projects with H2 related research:

• FNRS equipment project: Hydride. Research Infrastructure. Project running from 01/2013-12/2014 (call FNRS-EQP), with a total budget of 161 k€ (all for UCLouvain); allowed to install argon gloveboxes and high-pressure volumetric system for adsorption studies.
• FNRS research project: Hydrides. Under Practical Conditions. Project running from 07/2013-06/2017 (call FNRS-PDR), with a total budget of 303 k€ (all for UCLouvain); synthesis and characterization of H-rich hydrides; in situ diffraction studies of porous materials.
• FNRS equipment project: High-energy XRD at UCL. Project running from 01/2019-12/2020 (call FNRS-EQP), with a total budget of 196 k€ (all for UCLouvain); allowed to install two high-energy X-ray sources allowing to study in situ light-weight materials like hydrides and MOFs.
• FNRS research credit: Energy. Storage in Al-based Systems. Project running from 01/2020-12/2021 (call FNRS-CdR), with a total budget of 59 k€ (all for
  UCLouvain); synthesis and characterization of H-rich materials.
• Regional project ARC MicroBat: Solid-State Micro-Batteries with Nanowire Electrodes: from Materials to Integration Project running from 09/2018-08/2023 awarded by the Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles (FWB) as an Actions de Recherche Concertées with a total budget of 897k€ (all for UCLouvain -Profs. Y. Filinchuk (spokeperson), A. Vlad, G. Hautier, L. Piraux). Development of microbatteries, using hydride-based solid-state electrolytes.
• Collaboration with Michael Hirscher (Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Allemagne) on hydrogen storage in porous solids.
• Collaboration with Torben R. Jensen (University of Aarhus, Danemark) on the synthesis and the characterization of complex hydrides.
• Collaboration with Swiss-Norwegian Beam Lines, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, Grenoble, France) on structural studies of crystalline materials
• Tasks 32/40 expert (Hydrogen Implementing Agreement) of the International Energy Agency
• delegate to the ESRF council from BeNeSync consortium (Belgium, the Netherlands)
• chair of the FNRS contact group on synchrotron radiation
• elected as a member of the International Steering Committee (ISC) of the International Symposium on Metal Hydrogen Systems (MH series), mandate for 10 years
• Representative of UCL to the national accompanying committee “European sources for synchrotron radiation and neutrons” (NAC SRN), Belgian Science Policy Office BELSPO
• Co-chair of MH2024 with Fermin Cuevas. The conference is usually attended by >400 participants Vice co-chair of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Hydrogen-Metal in 2023, and co-chair of the GRC in 2025 with Rana Mohtadi

Main relevant publications

1. H. Oh, N. Tumanov, V. Ban, X. Li, B. Richter, M. Hudson, C. Brown, G. Iles, L. Daemen, D. Wallacher, R. Balderas-Xicohtencatl, A. Ramirez-Cuesta, Y. Cheng, M. Heere, M. Hirscher, T. Jensen, Y. Filinchuk Ultra-dense hydrogen in small pore hydridic framework
   accepted in Nature Chem. (2023) DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1177691/v1
2.  X. Li, Y. Yan, T.R. Jensen, Y. Filinchuk, I. Dovgaliuk, D. Chernyshov, L. He, Y. Li, H.W. Li Magnesium borohydride Mg(BH4 )2 for energy applications: A review Journal of Materials Science & Technology 161 (2023) 170-179.
3. T. Zhang, T. Steenhaut, M. Devillers, Y. Filinchuk Release of Pure H2 from Na[BH3 (CH3NH)BH2 (CH3NH)BH3] by Introduction of Methyl Substituents Inorganics 11 (2023) 202.
4. J. Wang, T. Steenhaut, H.W. Li, Y. Filinchuk High Yield Autoclave Synthesis of pure M2B12H12 (M = Na, K) Inorg. Chem. 62 (2023) 2153-2160.
5. T. Zhang, T. Steenhaut, X. Li, F. Devred, M. Devillers, Y. Filinchuk Aluminum methylamidoborane complexes: mechanochemical synthesis, structure, stability and reactive hydride composites Sustainable Energy Fuels 7 (2023)1119-1126.
6. I.E. Golub, M. Heere, V. Gounaris, X. Li, T. Steenhaut, J. Wang, K. Robeyns, H.W. Li, I. Dovgaliuk, K. Ikeda, G. Hautier, Y. Filinchuk Structural insight into the magnesium borohydride–ethylenediamine solid-state Mg-ion electrolyte system Dalton Transactions 52 (2023) 2404-2411.
7. T.H. Rupam, T. Steenhaut, M.L. Palash, Y. Filinchuk, S. Hermans, B.B. Saha Thermochemical energy applications of green transition metal doped MIL–100 (Fe) Chemical Engineering Journal 448 (2022) 137590.
8. M. Reberc, M. Mazaj, J. Stare, M. Pockaj, G. Mali, X. Li, Y. Filinchuk, R. Cerny, A. Meden Trinuclear Magnesium Imidazolate Borohydride Complex Inorg. Chem. 61 (2022) 12708-12718.
9. T. Steenhaut, S. Lacour, G. Barozzino-Consiglio, K. Robeyns, R. Crits, S. Hermans, Y. Filinchuk Synthesis, Structure, and Thermal Stability of a Mesoporous Titanium(III) Amine-Containing MOF Inorg. Chem. 61 (2022) 11084-11094.
10. M. Benzaqui, M. Wahiduzzaman, H. Zhao, M. Rafiul Hasan, T. Steenhaut, A. Saad, J. Marrot, P. Normand, J.M. Grenèche, N. Heymans, G. De Weireld, A. Tissot, W. Shepard, Y. Filinchuk, S. Hermans, F. Carn, M. Manlankowska, C. Téllez, J. Coronas, G. Maurin, N. Steunou, C. Serre A robust eco-compatible microporous iron coordination polymer for CO2 capture J. Mater. Chem. A 10 (2022) 8535-8545.
11. Dovgaliuk I., Senkovska I., Li X., Dyadkin V., Filinchuk Y., Chernyshov D. Kinetic barriers and microscopic mechanisms of noble gas adsorption by nanoporous γ-Mg(BH4)2 obtained by means of sub-second X-ray diffraction Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 60 (2021) 5250-5256.
12. Steenhaut T., Filinchuk Y., Hermans S. Aluminium-based MIL-100(Al) and MIL-101(Al) metal-organic frameworks, derivative materials and composites: synthesis, structure, properties and applications J. Mater. Chem. A 9 (2021) 21483-21509.
13. Le Ruyet R., Fleutot B., Berthelot R., Benabed Y., Hautier G., Filinchuk Y., Janot R. Mg3 (BH4)4 (NH2)2 as inorganic solid electrolyte with high Mg2+
    ionic conductivity ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 3 (2020) 6093-6097.
14. Steenhaut T., Hermans S., Filinchuk Y. Green synthesis of a large series of bimetallic MIL-100(Fe,M) MOFs New J. Chem. 44 (2020) 3847-3855.
15. Dovgaliuk I., Dyadkin V., Vander Donckt M., Filinchuk Y., Chernyshov D. Non-isothermal  kinetics of Kr adsorption by nanoporous gamma-Mg(BH4
    )2 from in situ synchrotron powder diffraction ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 12 (2020) 7710-7716. Hirscher M., Yartys V.A., Baricco M., Bellosta von Colbe J., Blanchard D., Bowman R.C., Jr., Broom D.P., Buckley C.E., Chang F., Chen P., Cho Y.W., Crivello J.-C., Cuevas F., David W.I.F., de Jongh P.E., Denys R.V., Dornheim M., Felderhoff M., Filinchuk Y., Froudakis G.E., Grant D.M., Gray E.M., Hauback B.C., He T., Humphries T.D., Jensen T.R., Kim S., Kojima Y., Latroche M., Li H.-W., Lototskyy M.V., Makepeace J.W., Møller K.T., Naheed L., Ngene P., Noréus D., Nygård M.M., Orimo S.-I., Paskevicius
    M., Pasquini L., Ravnsbæk D.B., Veronica Sofianos M., Udovic T.J., Vegge T., Walker G.S., Webb C.J., Weidenthaler C., Zlotea C. Materials for hydrogen-based energy storage – past, recent progress and future outlook J. Alloys Comp. 827 (2020) 153548. 39-page review