OUR TEAM
We are a young group led by Prof. Amir Pakdel in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering. We work closely with other groups in TCD Schools of Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, SFI Research Centers AMBER, CONNECT, and I-Form, and our international collaborators in National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS, Japan), National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, France), National Graduate School of Engineering of Caen (ENSICAEN, France), University of Montpellier (France), and University of Twente (the Netherlands).
We always welcome enthusiastic students and researchers to join us for ongoing research projects, summer internships, and Erasmus traineeships. We also strongly encourage PhD and postdoctoral applicants to apply for external funding, having discussed with Prof. Pakdel in advance of their application.
Linked-In profiles can be reached by clicking on the photos.
We always welcome enthusiastic students and researchers to join us for ongoing research projects, summer internships, and Erasmus traineeships. We also strongly encourage PhD and postdoctoral applicants to apply for external funding, having discussed with Prof. Pakdel in advance of their application.
Linked-In profiles can be reached by clicking on the photos.
Prof. Amir Pakdel - Group Leader
"Nanomaterials & nanocomposites, Renewable energy, Thermoelectrics, Thermal energy, Surfaces & interfaces, Electron microscopy, Additive manufacturing, Electronic skin, Flexible electronics" Professional Journey: Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), University College Dublin (Ireland), Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN; Ireland), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Japan), International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA; Japan), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS; Japan). Alma mater: University of Tsukuba (Japan) - PhD in Materials Science & Engineering (2012) |
Dr. Shaopeng Guo - Postdoctoral Fellow
"Thermal energy storage for clean and carbon-neutral heating" The main objective of this research is to develop an innovative technology that can store and release thermal energy efficiently. This research seeks to harness renewable energy sources, e.g. solar and geothermal power, to provide sustainable heating solutions and reducing carbon emissions. Alma mater: Tianjin University (China) - PhD in Thermal Energy Engineering (2013) |
Dr. Saeed Masoumi - PhD Student
"3D printing of thermoelectric energy harvesting devices" This multidisciplinary research includes: development and pre-/post-treatment of composites of conductive polymers and inorganic nanomaterials, testing their thermal and electrical properties, using them to fabricate flexible and wearable thermoelectric power generators. Alma mater: K.N. Toosi University of Technology (Iran) - PhD in Electronics & Electrical Engineering (2019) |
Mr. Ruifeng Xiong - PhD Student (TCD-CSC Scholarship)
"Electrospinning of thermoelectric nanofibers for smart clothing applications" Electrospinning of conductive polymers in the first stage, followed by preparation of polymer composites with inorganic semiconducting nanomaterials to produce nano-thermoelectric fibres and evaluating their thermal and electrical properties. Alma mater: Hangzhou Dianzi University (China) - MSc in Mechanical Engineering (2020) |
Ms. Lucy O'Sullivan - MAI Student
"Spray printing of wearable thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for body energy harvesting" The goal of this project is to investigate fabricating flexible, wearable TEGs by spray printing. First, a spray printing system will be designed and built for the deposition of thin films. This will be followed by systematic testing of TE ink properties and printing parameters in order to optimise film printability, ultimately leading to flexible, wearable TEG prototypes that will be characterised electrically. |
Mr. Luca Paolozzi - MAI Student
"Quality and reliability enhancement in blue light 3D scanning technology for additive medical products" Catering to the rising demand for additive medical products, this research project focuses on advancing the quality and reliability of these products through Blue Light 3D scanning technology. By exploring innovative scanning techniques, the project aims to elevate the precision and overall standards of additive medical manufacturing, ultimately benefiting patient care and the healthcare industry. |
Mr. David Gallagher - MAI Student
"Evaluation of the thermoelectric figure of merit by Harman method" This research includes designing and constructing an experimental setup to evaluate the thermoelectric figure of merit for both bulk and thin film thermoelectric materials. To enhance versatility, the setup incorporates a customizable sample holder capable of accommodating samples with varying dimensions. By providing a direct means for measuring the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT, this method eliminates the need to independently assess the thermal and electrical properties of a sample, which can be time-consuming and potentially introducing errors. |
Mr. Saravanan Hariharan - MSc student
"Design, fabrication, and characterisation of a highly sensitive and selective acetone sensor for diabetes diagnosis" The main objective of this project is to design, fabricate and develop a highly sensitive acetone sensor that operates at room temperature, ensuring user-friendly and cost-effective operation. This sensor can be utilised for diabetes diagnosis by detecting the breath acetone level. By providing a non-invasive and precise means of diabetes detection, this sensor has the potential to revolutionize healthcare diagnostics and significantly enhance the quality of life for individuals managing this condition. Mr. Neckata Gaydenko - BAI student
"Machine learning for identifying novel thermoelectric materials" Traditional experimental and calculation methods require long cycles for predicting the properties of new thermoelectric materials. The aim of this project is to use machine learning methods to identify novel thermoelectric materials with high efficiency, and accurately analyse the relationship between chemical features and thermoelectric performances. |
ALUMNI
● Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Anton Konopatsky - IRC/MSCA (DOROTHY Co-fund) Postdoctoral Fellow
"Novel catalytic materials for caron dioxide utilization"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen & Centre de Recherche (ENSICAEN; France)
"Novel catalytic materials for caron dioxide utilization"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen & Centre de Recherche (ENSICAEN; France)
Dr. Prasad Lokhande - Postdoctoral Fellow
"Development of porous wick structures and evaluation of their capillary and thermal performance"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (Chile)
"Development of porous wick structures and evaluation of their capillary and thermal performance"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (Chile)
Dr. Syed Mughees Ali - Postdoctoral Fellow *
"Simulation of 3D phase change behavior in thermosiphon applications"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → SuperNode Ltd: European Cryogenic Centre for Superconductors (Ireland)
"Simulation of 3D phase change behavior in thermosiphon applications"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → SuperNode Ltd: European Cryogenic Centre for Superconductors (Ireland)
Dr. Joseph Mooney - Postdoctoral Fellow *
"Thermofluidic characterization of porous metal capillary structures (wicks)"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; USA)
"Thermofluidic characterization of porous metal capillary structures (wicks)"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; USA)
Dr. Farzad Faraji Dizaji - Postdoctoral Fellow *
"CFD thermal analysis of convective cooling of heat exchangers"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2021 → Dublin City University (DCU; Ireland)
"CFD thermal analysis of convective cooling of heat exchangers"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2021 → Dublin City University (DCU; Ireland)
Dr. Mohamed B. Zakaria - IRC Postdoctoral Fellow
"Coordination polymer-based MXene nanocomposites for sodium-ion batteries"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2020 → Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship at Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
"Coordination polymer-based MXene nanocomposites for sodium-ion batteries"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2020 → Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship at Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
Dr. Myles Rooney - Postdoctoral Fellow
"Organic thermoelectric dyes for pintable TEGs on fabric"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2018 → TopChem Pharmaceuticals (Ireland)
"Organic thermoelectric dyes for pintable TEGs on fabric"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2018 → TopChem Pharmaceuticals (Ireland)
● Graduate Students
Mr. Daniel O'Donovan - MAI Student
"Synthesis and assessment of transparent thermoelectric nanomaterials"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → SuperNode (Ireland)
"Synthesis and assessment of transparent thermoelectric nanomaterials"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → SuperNode (Ireland)
Mr. Joshua Warren - MAI Student
"Design and fabrication of a voltage conversion module on a flexible PCB for body energy harvesting"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → Microchip Technology (Ireland)
"Design and fabrication of a voltage conversion module on a flexible PCB for body energy harvesting"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → Microchip Technology (Ireland)
Mr. Jack Flynn - MAI Student
"Thin films of 2D MXene nanomaterials for thermoelectric energy conversion"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → The Electricity Supply Board (ESB; Ireland)
"Thin films of 2D MXene nanomaterials for thermoelectric energy conversion"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → The Electricity Supply Board (ESB; Ireland)
Mr. William Howe - MSc Student
"Exhaled breath analysis for diabetes diagnosis"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → ASML Semiconductor Manufacturing (Netherlands)
"Exhaled breath analysis for diabetes diagnosis"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → ASML Semiconductor Manufacturing (Netherlands)
Ms. Karen Morrissey - MAI Student (Kinsella Scholarship)
"Sustainable design of high-temperature thermoelectric energy harvesters"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → Accenture IT Company (Ireland)
"Sustainable design of high-temperature thermoelectric energy harvesters"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → Accenture IT Company (Ireland)
Mr. Mikolaj Piotrowski - MAI Student (Kinsella Scholarship)
"Design and fabrication of a voltage conversion module for a thermoelectric power generator"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → Intel Corporation (Ireland)
"Design and fabrication of a voltage conversion module for a thermoelectric power generator"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2022 → Intel Corporation (Ireland)
Mr. Valentin Daniel Iatan - MAI Student
"Tuning the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of nanostructured mesoporous surfaces"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2021
"Tuning the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of nanostructured mesoporous surfaces"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2021
Mr. Alex Reilly - MAI Student
"Sustainable Design in Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting Research"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2021 → KPMG Consulting (Ireland)
"Sustainable Design in Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting Research"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2021 → KPMG Consulting (Ireland)
Ms. Maho Yamaguchi - PhD Student (NIMS Graduate Scholarship) *
"Fabrication and characteristics of melt-spun aluminum/BN nanotube composites"
University of Tsukuba (Japan)
2014 → Applied Materials Inc (USA)
"Fabrication and characteristics of melt-spun aluminum/BN nanotube composites"
University of Tsukuba (Japan)
2014 → Applied Materials Inc (USA)
● Undergraduate Students
Mr. Adam Peat - BAI Student
"Mechanical and chemical surface treatment to enhance dropwise condensation"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → University of Glasgow (Scotland)
"Mechanical and chemical surface treatment to enhance dropwise condensation"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023 → University of Glasgow (Scotland)
Mr. Alp Gurpinar - BAI Student
"Surface modification through nano‐structuring for dropwise condensation"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023
"Surface modification through nano‐structuring for dropwise condensation"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2023
Ms. Fatima Ba - Erasmus+ Internship Student *
"Preparation of biomimetic polymer surfaces"
University College Dublin (UCD; Ireland)
2019 → HAN University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands)
"Preparation of biomimetic polymer surfaces"
University College Dublin (UCD; Ireland)
2019 → HAN University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands)
Mr. Cathal Bailey - BSc Student *
"Application of cyano-bridged coordination polymers in Li-ion batteries"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2019 → Intel Corporation (Ireland)
"Application of cyano-bridged coordination polymers in Li-ion batteries"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2019 → Intel Corporation (Ireland)
Ms. Valeria Lo Re - Erasmus+ Internship Student *
"Synthesis and characterization of 2D bismuth telluride nanomaterials"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2018 → University of Catania (Italy)
"Synthesis and characterization of 2D bismuth telluride nanomaterials"
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
2018 → University of Catania (Italy)
* Co-supervised by Prof. Amir Pakdel.
Collaborators (past & present)
Prof. Takao Mori, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Prof. Dmitry Golberg, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan);Queensland University of Technology (Australia)
Prof. Yoshio Bando, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan);University of Wollongong (Australia)
Prof. Katsuhiko Ariga, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); University of Tokyo (Japan)
Prof. Takashi Sekiguchi, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Dr. Mohamed B. Zakaria, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); Waseda University (Japan)
Prof. Gaulthier Rydzek, Université de Montpellier (France)
Prof. Sylvie Hebert, École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen (France); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)
Dr. Florent Pawula, Université de Bordeaux (France); Institut National Polytechnique Bordeaux (France)
Prof. Chunyi Zhi, City University of Hong Kong (China)
Prof. Xuebin Wang, Nanjing University (China)
Prof. Yanming Xue, Hebei University of Technology (China)
Dr. John C.F. Zhang, EMPA- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Switzerland)
Dr. Atta Ullah Khan, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey (USA)
Prof. Karina Vink, University of Twente (the Netherlands)
Prof. Dmitry V. Shtansky, National University of Science and Technology (Russia)
Prof. Agnieszka Witecka, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)
Prof. Dayangku Noorfazidah Awang Shri, University of Malaysia Pahang (Malaysia)
Prof. Gunther Andersson, Flinders University (Australia)
Prof. Anthony Robinson, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Tim Persoons, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Rocco Lupoi, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Seamus O'Shaughnessy, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Valeria Nicolosi, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Roger West, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Dr. Niall McEvoy, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Takao Mori, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Prof. Dmitry Golberg, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan);Queensland University of Technology (Australia)
Prof. Yoshio Bando, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan);University of Wollongong (Australia)
Prof. Katsuhiko Ariga, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); University of Tokyo (Japan)
Prof. Takashi Sekiguchi, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); University of Tsukuba (Japan)
Dr. Mohamed B. Zakaria, National Institute for Materials Science (Japan); Waseda University (Japan)
Prof. Gaulthier Rydzek, Université de Montpellier (France)
Prof. Sylvie Hebert, École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen (France); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)
Dr. Florent Pawula, Université de Bordeaux (France); Institut National Polytechnique Bordeaux (France)
Prof. Chunyi Zhi, City University of Hong Kong (China)
Prof. Xuebin Wang, Nanjing University (China)
Prof. Yanming Xue, Hebei University of Technology (China)
Dr. John C.F. Zhang, EMPA- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Switzerland)
Dr. Atta Ullah Khan, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey (USA)
Prof. Karina Vink, University of Twente (the Netherlands)
Prof. Dmitry V. Shtansky, National University of Science and Technology (Russia)
Prof. Agnieszka Witecka, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)
Prof. Dayangku Noorfazidah Awang Shri, University of Malaysia Pahang (Malaysia)
Prof. Gunther Andersson, Flinders University (Australia)
Prof. Anthony Robinson, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Tim Persoons, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Rocco Lupoi, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Seamus O'Shaughnessy, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Valeria Nicolosi, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Prof. Roger West, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Dr. Niall McEvoy, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)