STiBNite · Project

Custom-Doped Carbon Materials for Better Displays, Lighting, and Thermal Coatings

manufacturingPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

stibnite.univie.ac.at

Imagine carbon sheets — like ultra-thin graphite — that you can tune like a radio dial by swapping in boron and nitrogen atoms at precise spots. By controlling exactly where those atoms sit, the team changed how the material conducts electricity, absorbs light, and handles heat. They turned these engineered sheets into working prototypes: color-changing smart windows, flexible nano-heaters, and thermal coatings. Think of it as programming matter at the atomic level to get the exact electronic and thermal behavior you need.

By the numbers

Working prototypes delivered (electrochromic device, thermal coatings, thermal rectification material, flexible nanoheaters)

Consortium partners across the value chain

Countries represented in the consortium

Early-stage researchers trained in BN-doped materials science

SME partners with near-market perspective

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Electronics and displays generate more heat and demand more energy-efficient components, but current organic semiconductor materials offer limited tunability — you get what the base material gives you. Companies making smart windows, flexible sensors, or thermal management products are stuck with materials that cannot be precisely programmed for specific electrical or thermal performance targets.

The solution

What was built

The team built 4 prototypes: a fully working colored electrochromic display device, BNC-based thermal coating composites, BN-doped 2D materials for one-way heat flow (thermal rectification), and flexible nanoheaters with built-in nanothermocouples. All were delivered at project month 42 across 17 total deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Smart glass and electrochromic window manufacturersThermal interface material and heat management companiesFlexible electronics and wearable sensor developersOLED and organic lighting manufacturersSpecialty chemical companies producing advanced coatings

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Display and Smart Glass Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of electrochromic windows, e-paper, or smart glass products

If you are a smart glass manufacturer struggling with limited color range or slow switching speeds in your electrochromic devices — this project built a fully operative colored electrochromic display prototype using BN-doped organic semiconductors. The consortium of 10 partners across 6 countries validated the approach from molecular design through to a working device. This could expand your product palette beyond the usual blue-to-clear switching.

Electronics Thermal Management

any

Target: Producers of thermal interface materials, heat spreaders, or cooling solutions for electronics

If you are a thermal management company facing rising heat densities in chips and power electronics — this project developed prototype BNC-based thermal coating composites and BN-doped 2D materials for thermal rectification. These materials let you direct heat flow in one preferred direction, acting like a thermal diode. With 4 prototype deliverables validated at month 42 of the project, the technology is past proof-of-concept.

Flexible Electronics and Wearables

SME

Target: Companies developing flexible sensors, wearable health monitors, or printed electronics

If you are a flexible electronics developer looking for reliable heating and temperature sensing on bendable substrates — this project produced a prototype of BN-doped nanoheaters and monolithic nanothermocouples on mechanically flexible substrates. This means heating elements and temperature sensors built into the same flexible film. The 15 early-stage researchers trained in the project also represent a talent pipeline for hiring.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would licensing or accessing this technology cost?

No pricing or licensing terms are available in the project data. The technology was developed across 10 partners including 3 SMEs and 7 universities, so IP ownership is likely shared. You would need to negotiate with the coordinator (Universitat Wien) or the specific partner that produced the prototype relevant to your application.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

The project produced lab-scale prototypes at month 42, not industrial production lines. Scaling from laboratory synthesis of BN-doped materials to volume manufacturing would require additional process engineering. The 2 industry partners in the consortium (including YNVISIBLE for electrochromic devices and GXT for thermal composites) bring some manufacturing perspective.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP from MSCA-ITN projects is typically shared according to the consortium agreement, with each partner retaining rights to their specific contributions. Key prototype IP likely sits with the delivering partners: UCLouvain (thermal rectification, nanoheaters), GXT (thermal coatings), and YNVISIBLE/UNIVIE/UNITS (electrochromic devices). Contact the coordinator for licensing specifics.

How close is this to a product I can buy or integrate?

Four working prototypes were delivered at month 42: a colored electrochromic device, thermal coating composites, thermal rectification materials, and flexible nanoheaters. These demonstrate feasibility but are not off-the-shelf products. Expect additional development cycles before commercial integration.

What regulations apply to these materials?

BN-doped carbon nanomaterials would fall under EU REACH regulation for chemical substances. Nano-specific provisions may apply given the project produced nanoparticles (BNC-NPs) and nanodots. Based on available project data, regulatory compliance testing was not a stated deliverable.

Can these materials integrate with existing manufacturing processes?

The project used both solution-based and surface-based synthesis approaches, which are compatible with existing coating and thin-film deposition methods. The flexible substrate prototypes suggest compatibility with roll-to-roll processing. However, specific integration guidance would need to come from the consortium partners.

Consortium

Who built it

The STiBNite consortium brings together 10 partners from 6 countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands), with a 7-university, 1-research-center, and 2-industry-partner mix. The 20% industry ratio is modest but meaningful: YNVISIBLE contributed electrochromic device expertise, and GXT brought thermal composites know-how — both directly involved in prototype delivery. With 3 SMEs in the consortium, there is some commercial orientation, though the dominant academic presence (7 universities) and the MSCA-ITN training mission mean the primary output is knowledge and trained researchers rather than market-ready products. The coordinator, Universitat Wien, is a strong research university but not an industrial scaling partner.

UNIVERSITAT WIENCoordinator · AT
GRAPHENE-XT SRLparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITEIT LEIDENparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRIESTEparticipant · IT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHENparticipant · DE
AIMPLAS - ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE MATERIALES PLASTICOS Y CONEXASparticipant · ES
APPLIED NANOLAYERS BVparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAINparticipant · BE
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGENparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PERUGIAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Universitat Wien, Austria — reach out to the chemistry or materials science department that led STiBNite

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITAT WIEN profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the STiBNite team for licensing discussions or collaboration on thermal coatings or electrochromic devices? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the right consortium partner.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0