Agreement No: 1.1.1.3/1/24/A/070
Type: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Duration: 01.06.2025 - 30.05.2028.
Project Leader: Institute of Solid State Physics University of Latvia (ISSP UL), Dr.phys. Aleksejs Kuzmins.
Project partner: JSC Olaine Chemical Plant BIOLAR, Dr. Andrejs Gerbreders.
Total budget: 656 000.00 EUR
ERDF funding: EUR 509 712.00
ISSP UL budget: 347 680.00 EUR
Project description:
X-ray technologies are an integral part of modern life. Their applications range from medical diagnostics and security scanners to industrial inspection and cutting-edge scientific research using synchrotrons and free-electron lasers. X-ray detectors are among the most crucial components of this technology, with a global market size of approximately 4 billion EUR in 2024. Currently, they are implemented using various approaches, typically based on X-ray films, ionization chambers, semiconductors, and scintillators. However, there is a growing demand for radiation detectors that are better suited to specialized applications or offer improvements in one or more technical parameters, such as sensitivity to specific spectral ranges, spatial resolution, low power consumption, flexibility, environmental sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.
The main goal of this project is to develop materials (organic polymers and inorganic nanomaterials) for novel flexible X-ray detectors based on hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposites and nanostructured materials.
This industrial research project is being implemented by the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP UL) and JSC Olaine Chemical Plant BIOLAR.
The project is directly aligned with the RIS3 specialization field “Photonics, smart materials, technologies, and engineering systems” and involves research activities in Physical (1.3) and Chemical (1.4) sciences, Electrical engineering, electronics, information and communication technologies (2.2), Materials science (2.5) and Nanotechnology (2.10), according to the OECD Frascati Manual.
The total project cost is 656000.00 EUR (53% ISSP UL and 47% JSC Olaine Chemical Plant BIOLAR), including the ERDF funding of 509712.00 EUR (77.7%), state investment of 89872.00 EUR (13.7%) and private investment of 56416.00 EUR (8.6%).
PROJECT PROGRESS
Time period: 01.06.2025. - 31.08.2025.
Solution-grown SnS₂ nanoplatelets and WSe2 nanowires were synthesized and studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Tungstate (SrWO4 or CdWO4) nanoparticles were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using citric acid as a limiting reagent to control grain growth. Their phase composition, crystallinity, and morphology were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM.
The first paper on the project results was published in the journal Materials (doi: 10.3390/ma18174118).
A data management plan (DMP) was created using the ARGOS platform, and one dataset (doi: 10.5281/zenodo.15424390) was placed in the Zenodo repository.