TÜBİTAK Support for GTU Academics
February 21, 2024-Office of Press and Public Relations
The scientific evaluation results of TÜBİTAK 1001 projects have been announced. GTU will receive support for 6 projects.
During the second term of 2023, projects submitted under the "1001-Scientific and Technological Research Projects Support Program," which allows re-application without waiting for the next term, were evaluated by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK). According to the results, projects led by Prof. Dr. Elif Damla Arısan from GTU's Institute of Biotechnology, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Oluş Özbek from GTU's Department of Chemical Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuray Kızıldağ from GTU's Institute of Nanotechnology, Dr. Gülfem Soydemir from GTU's Department of Environmental Engineering, Dr. Recep Önler from GTU's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Research Assistant Muhammed Taha Demirkan from GTU's Department of Materials Science and Engineering will receive support.
Details of the supported academics and projects at GTU are as follows:
Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Elif Damla ARISAN from GTU's Instiute of Biotechnology, the project titled "Production, Characterization, and Investigation of the Effects of Bioactive Molecule-Loaded PLA and Microalgae-Based Nanoparticles on Wound Healing, ECM, and Matrix Remodeling."
Under the coordination of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Oluş ÖZBEK from GTU's Department of Chemical Engineering, the project titled "Determination of Selectivity between Co and Co2 in Methanol Conversion with Copper-Based Catalyst on Synthesis Gas Using Density Functional Theory."
Project Detail:
Currently, methanol synthesis gas (a mixture of CO/CO2/H2) is industrially produced via the reaction on Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. However, the energy efficiency of industrial production under high pressure and temperature conditions is low. Improving the catalyst and catalytic reactions will reduce the energy requirements of the process. It is known that the catalytic reaction predominantly converts CO2 to methanol. At this point, producing methanol from CO instead of CO2 suggests a lower energy reaction pathway. It is known that copper and zinc used in alloy form in the catalyst separately produce methanol from CO. However, despite numerous studies on the Cu/ZnO catalyst developed in the 1920s, the reason for the selectivity of this alloy for CO2 and the catalytic mechanism have not yet been clearly understood.
In this study, which will be carried out using periodic density functional theory (DFT) models, unlike similar studies in the literature, DFT parameters that accurately express Cu-CO interactions have been determined and will be used in the planned simulation studies. In preliminary studies examining CO and CO2 conversions on metallic copper surfaces, the positive effect of these parameters on catalytic route energies has been observed. In the planned study, the hydrogenation reactions of CO and CO2 to methanol will be investigated primarily on catalysts containing copper and zinc in different proportions. It is planned to determine the active phase of the industrial Cu/ZnO catalyst and the point at which the CO/CO2 selectivity changes in methanol production. Thus, molecular-level information needed for both improving the applied catalyst for low-energy methanol production and developing new catalysts will be obtained.
Under the coordination of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuray KIZILDAĞ from GTU's Institute of Nanotechnology, the project titled "Development of Single-Phase and Composite Ceramic Nanofibers for High-Performance Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode Applications."
Project Detail:
Within the scope of the project titled "Development of Single-Phase and Composite Ceramic Nanofibers for High-Performance Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode Applications," ceramic nanofibers will be developed to enable solid oxide fuel cells to operate at lower temperatures with higher performance and durability. The project team will include Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aligül Büyükaksoy and Dr. Mehmet Sezer from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at GTU, and Prof. Dr. Leyla Çolakerol Arslan from the Department of Physics at GTU as researchers.
Under the coordination of Dr. Gülfem SOYDEMİR from GTU's Department of Environmental Engineering, the project titled "Investigation of Ammonia Recovery from Landfill Leachate, Renewable Energy Biogas Production, and Water Recovery with Innovative Hybrid MVR-AnEMBR Technology."
Project Detail:
The subject of the project is to develop an innovative hybrid technology that combines mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) with anaerobic electro-membrane bioreactor (AnEMBR) for the production of economically valuable (NH4)2SO4 fertilizer in MVR, renewable energy methane production in the AnEMBR process, and energy and water recovery. Within this scope, the project aims to investigate the combined use of MVR technology with the AnEMBR process for the cost-effective treatment and product recovery of landfill leachate containing high concentrations of organic matter and ammonium, determining the optimal process conditions for both processes, and exploring the utilization of a new hybrid technology for the treatment of leachate, resulting in fertilizer, energy, and water recovery. Additionally, the proposed innovative hybrid technology approach, being studied for the first time, is expected to make a significant contribution to the literature in terms of environmental compatibility, energy, and sustainability.
The information obtained from the project aims to address the environmental problem of landfill leachate treatment through fertilizer production, thereby creating resources for agricultural production and food security. Renewable energy methane production will contribute to energy supply security. Furthermore, evaluating the potential of water recovery will contribute to the conservation of water resources. In conclusion, the innovative hybrid MVR-AnEMBR technology will contribute to the development of environmentally friendly sustainable technology that minimizes waste generation, while also producing knowledge for food security, energy security, and water security.
Under the coordination of Dr. Recep ÖNLER from GTU's Department of Mechanical Engineering, the project titled "Production of Copper Composites with Enhanced Thermal and Mechanical Properties by Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing with Reduced Graphene Oxide Addition."
Project Detail:
The Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing method enables the production of complex geometries with desired properties from metals, ceramics, and composite materials, thanks to its rapid and economical production potential. Unlike laser and electron beam-based methods, materials in this method are shaped by sintering without melting, similar to powder metallurgy. This allows even materials that are difficult to process at high temperatures, such as diamond and graphene, to be used in additive manufacturing. This project aims to improve the thermal, mechanical, and tribological properties of functional structures by combining the design freedom provided by additive manufacturing, the production flexibility of the binder jetting additive manufacturing method, the thermal and mechanical properties of reduced graphene oxide, and the capabilities of machine learning in generating new designs.
Under the coordination of Research Assistant Muhammed Taha DEMİRKAN from GTU's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the project titled "Piezoelectric Material-Added Sb/C Composite Anodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries."
Project Detail:
Due to the limited availability of lithium reserves worldwide, there is a need for alternative chemical energy storage types to lithium-ion batteries. Sodium-ion batteries are among the most promising alternatives; however, unfortunately, the problems currently present in lithium-ion batteries also apply to sodium-ion batteries. To address these issues, developing high-capacity and durable anode materials is seen as one of the most suitable approaches in current scientific research. Antimony/carbon anodes are among the promising anode materials recently tested for sodium-ion batteries. However, similar to other alloying-type anodes, these anodes also face challenges such as high volume changes and low electrochemical performance. In this project, it is proposed to use piezoelectric materials as additives to address these issues.
Kaynak: https://tubitak.gov.tr/sites/default/files/26720/desteklenmesine_karar_verilen_projeler_1.pdf
