Elastocaloric effect in MXenes and other nanostructures

• Grant number: 25/14786-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Fontes da Fonseca
• Grantee: Albert Wendler Lemos Serra
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/14403-4 - A Computational Study of Metamaterials, Architected Materials and Functional Devices, AP.R

Abstract

The United Nations has endorsed numerous Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil and globally. Specifically, items 7 and 12, which pertain to clean energy and responsible consumption and production (see this link: https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/page/sustainable-development-goals), are pertinent to the present project. In light of these developments, researchers have pioneered novel paradigms for cooling devices and environments that do not depend on the compression of greenhouse gases. One such paradigm is based on the elastocaloric effect (eC), defined as the thermal response of a material to external mechanical stimuli. The master's degree program under consideration involves a computational study of the eC in MXenes and other nanostructures, employing protocols that have been previously documented in the existing literature. The research will consist of computational simulations of eC thermodynamic cycles. The characterization of these cycles will be conducted in terms of temperature variation and performance coefficient. The findings of this study are suitable for publication in scientific journals. (AU)