2021 ANNUAL REPORT | Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials

Prof. Gil Goobes, an expert in the design of biomaterials and advanced materials using solidstate NMR spectroscopy, joined BINA in 2021. He received his PhD from the Department of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he developed pulse techniques in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for various applications. From there, he went on to complete a postdoctoral study at the University of Washington in the United States, where he used NMR to study the structure of statherin-enamel binding. In 2008, Prof. Goobes returned to Israel and established his lab in BIU’s Department of Chemistry. “In my lab, we use advanced solid-state NMR with electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques to advance the fundamental atomic understanding of how biogenic materials are formed, maintained and repaired in nature. We use our insights to construct biomimetic bone, coral and silica materials, which have significant implications for the development of implants and prosthetics, as well as for our ability to protect and preserve marine organisms,” says Prof. Goobes. He names a few examples of biomaterials with excellent mechanical properties: strong weightbearing bones, fracture-resistant skulls and seashells, and compression-resistant tooth enamel. “There are many hurdles to overcome in dealing with these and many other biomaterials before we will be able to replicate them in the lab in such a way that the artificial materials will perform like their natural counterpart,” he says. “I see great potential in BINA’s ability to elevate our recent work designing novel energy-related advanced materials for batteries and other future energy storage applications, as well.” In this research, Prof. Goobes focuses his efforts on providing unmatched atomic analysis of advanced materials for lithiumion and sodium-ion batteries. Many of the material elements investigated in his lab, such as the important coatings on electrodes, are nanometric in size and provide improvements of battery performance. “Using BINA’s advanced microscopy unit, we can gain a deeper understanding of the atomic structure of biogenic and synthetic materials. Based on this essential information, we can make great strides in the development of biocompatible and biodegradable materials and procedures to minimize waste and reduce carbon emissions—for a more sustainable future world.” “I see great potential in BINA’s ability to elevate our recent work designing novel energy-related advanced materials for batteries and other future energy storage applications, as well” Prof. Gil Goobes 16

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