U.S.-Egypt Cooperative Research: Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Sensing Oxides

描述：该奖项旨在支持俄亥俄州哥伦布市俄亥俄州立大学材料科学与工程系Hendrik Verweij博士与埃及开罗国家研究中心陶瓷系Emad El-Meliegy博士的合作研究项目。他们的目标是通过溶胶-凝胶途径合成纳米晶气敏氧化物，特别是掺杂钛氧化物。氧化物的形态和微观结构将被控制，以适应其作为内燃机废气传感器的用途。感应氧化物将用于确定空气/燃料比或氧气/未燃烧或部分燃烧的碳氢化合物比在废气排放，以提高汽车效率。合成的纳米晶感测氧化物预计在1 ~ 100 nm量级。它们的纯度高，无团聚体，粒度分布窄至均匀，可以烧结成具有均匀三维结构的理想致密体。研究人员计划解决传统传感器在内燃机废气的恶劣条件下出现的问题，如化学稳定性、机械冲击和开裂。同时，针对纳米晶传感氧化物在合成过程中存在的成本高、产率低、形貌（粒度、形状和粒度分布）控制不足、纳米粉体纯度、粉体团聚和环境安全等问题，对合成条件进行优化。在传感器结构中使用具有新特性的纳米晶传感氧化物有望大大提高传感器的稳定性、灵敏度和选择性等基本性能参数。本研究将解决纳米晶传感氧化物的合成需求，并进一步详细分析这些氧化物的形态、微观结构和化学性质。范围和广泛影响：该项目预计将产生传感设备，帮助汽车行业减少汽车排放的空气污染。预计将开发出更稳定和更便宜的空气和其他气体传感器，可用于类似的应用。该项目得到了美国-埃及联合基金项目的支持，该项目向两国的科学家和工程师提供赠款，以开展这些合作活动。

0413961VerweijDescription: This award is to support a cooperative research project between Dr. Hendrik Verweij, Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio and Dr. Emad El-Meliegy, Department of Ceramics, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt. They aim to synthesize nanocrystalline gas sensing oxide, particularly doped titanium oxides via sol-gel route. The morphology and microstructure of oxides will be controlled to suit their use as a sensor for internal combustion engine exhaust gases. The sensing oxides will be used to determine the air/fuel ratio or the oxygen/unburned or partially burned hydrocarbon ratio in the exhaust emissions in order to improve the automobile efficiency. The synthesized nanocrystalline sensing oxides are expected to be on the order of 1-100 nm. They are expected to be of high purity and agglomerate free with narrow to uniform particle size distribution and can be sintered to ideal compact with uniform three-dimensional structure. The investigators plan to address problems in traditional sensors that occur as a result of the severe conditions in the internal combustion engine exhaust gases, such as chemical stability, mechanical shock, and cracking. Also, the problems that arise during the synthesis of nanocrystalline sensing oxides, such as high costs, low yield, lack of morphology control (grain size, shape and size distribution), purity of nanopowders, powder agglomeration and environmental safety, will be addressed to optimize synthesis conditions. Essential sensor performance parameters such as stability, sensitivity, and selectivity are expected to be greatly improved by the use of the nanocrystalline sensing oxides with novel characteristics in sensors construction. This research will address the need for synthesis of nanocrystalline sensing oxides and the need for further detailed analysis of the morphology, microstructure and chemistry of these oxides.Scope and broad impact: The project is expected to lead to sensing devices that will help the automobile industry cut air pollution emissions from automobiles. It is expected that more stable and less expensive sensors for air and other gases will be developed which can be used for similar applications. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.