Funded projects
National and international research projects led by 3Nano-SAE across fuel cells, hydrogen storage, electrocatalysis, energy harvesting, and advanced functional materials.
3Nano-SAE participates in national research programmes funded through Romania's UEFISCDI agency — including PCCDI, PED, TE, STAR, and PNCDI-II competitions — and in space-related projects with the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA).
Project topics span the centre's three pillars: electrochemical energy conversion (fuel cells, electrolysers, CO₂ reduction), energy storage and harvesting, and the underlying materials science (graphene, nanocarbons, phase-change composites, tribological coatings). Several projects also extend into adjacent fields — biosensing, food traceability, water remediation, and space applications.
Ecological electrochemical method for precious metal recycling
Development of environmentally-friendly electrochemical processes to recover precious metals from end-of-life industrial waste streams — reducing reliance on conventional pyrometallurgical methods.
Project detailsInnovative copper electrocatalyst architectures for the CO₂ reduction reaction
Design and synthesis of novel copper-based nanostructured electrocatalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ into value-added products such as methanol, formic acid, and hydrocarbons.
Project detailsEco-innovative technologies for platinum group metals recovery from scrapped catalytic converters
Closed-loop recycling solutions for platinum, palladium, and rhodium from spent automotive catalytic converters — addressing critical raw materials supply and circular economy goals.
Project detailsFuel cells based on nitrogen-doped nanocarbon materials
Investigating nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials as platinum-free electrocatalyst support for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells — aiming to reduce cost and increase durability.
Project detailsThermal buffer based on intelligent phase-change materials
Development of advanced phase-change material (PCM) systems for adaptive thermal management — with applications in building energy efficiency and electronics cooling.
Project detailsBody energy harvesting and conversion for backup electronic power supplies
Research on wearable energy-harvesting technologies that convert body heat, motion, or bioelectrical signals into electricity to power small electronic devices and emergency backup systems.
Project detailsStationary fuel cell power sources for bio-organic greenhouse agriculture
Adapting fuel cell technology to provide clean, off-grid energy for sustainable bio-organic greenhouse farming — combining renewable power with low-emission agricultural infrastructure.
Project detailsRFID device for food traceability
Design of a low-cost RFID-based platform for tracking food products through the supply chain — enabling provenance verification, freshness monitoring, and food safety compliance.
Project detailsHybrid system for water purification by low-pressure reverse osmosis and wastewater denitrification using biofuel cells
An integrated water treatment platform combining low-pressure reverse osmosis with microbial biofuel cell denitrification — for cost-effective potable water generation and wastewater remediation.
Synthesis and controlled release of thiazole compounds with antioxidant, antiproliferative and antimicrobial activity
Development of novel thiazole, bithiazole, and thiazolidin-4-one compounds with bioactive properties, plus systems for their controlled release in medical and biotechnology applications. Coordinator: ICSI Rm. Vâlcea.
Original fuel cell technology for long-distance manned outer space missions
Development of fuel cell systems engineered for the unique constraints of long-duration crewed space missions — addressing weight, reliability, and operation in microgravity. Coordinator: ET Innovative Solutions.
Multilayered inorganic-organic tribological coatings for space applications
Engineering of multilayer protective coatings combining inorganic and organic phases to withstand the tribological stresses of spacecraft mechanical components in vacuum and radiation environments. Coordinator: AEG Progressive S.R.L.
Project detailsOptimised flow architectures for fuel cell bipolar/unipolar plates operating in outer space
Computational and experimental design of advanced flow-field architectures for fuel cell plates that maintain performance under reduced-gravity and vacuum conditions. Coordinator: ET Innovative Solutions.
Fast evaluation of meat product freshness using a high-sensitivity spectral device
Development of a portable spectroscopic instrument for rapid, non-invasive assessment of meat product freshness — supporting quality control in the food industry.
Project detailsDesign of advanced materials for ionic electrolyte membrane fuel cells based on graphenes and superionic conductors
Research into graphene-based composites and superionic conducting materials as next-generation ionic-conducting membranes for fuel cell technology.
Project detailsNovel electrochemical micro-biosensors based on bio-catalytical nanostructures for neuro-psychiatric disease diagnostics
Development of nanostructured biocatalytic sensors capable of detecting biomarkers associated with neuropsychiatric disorders — a step toward point-of-care diagnostic tools. Led by Dr. A.A. Ciucu.
Project detailsInterested in collaborating on a project?
3Nano-SAE welcomes partnerships with academic institutions, industry, and consortia on national and European research programmes across energy, materials, and nanotechnology.
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