Metallic Core-Shell Nanostructures: Synthesis, Stability, Coupled Properties and Novel Devices

该研究的基本目标是研究纳米尺寸的金属核的合成，稳定性和耦合功能特性（磁/光和磁/自旋相关传输，磁/生物功能），其表面已被金属壳改性或化学功能化用于特定应用。它探索了一个新的方向，通过合成下一层次的纳米级积木，金属核壳结构。认识到表面能在纳米尺度系统中的重要性，实验通过将系统视为“纳米晶”来解决其热力学稳定性。它解决了表面工程纳米晶体的耦合特性的演变，阐明和优化，强调具体影响其动态磁行为和光学特性的尺寸依赖的标度律。它带来了许多先进的表征方法，这些方法对于在纳米尺度上评估微观结构并将其与观察到的性能相关联至关重要。它还建立在对纳米盘组装的早期观察的基础上，并创建了一个新的实验，该实验可能导致最小磁阻传感器的演示。这个项目有非常广泛的国际科学参与，计划进行协作互动，以利于研究生的培训和教育。该研究对包括磁记录在内的各种传感应用具有广泛的技术影响。此外，磁性核-壳结构的合成和表面功能化可以在生物医学中产生许多新的治疗和诊断应用。这包括用于磁共振成像中对比度增强的生物标记、用于癌症治疗的热疗、基于动态磁弛豫的磁传感器以及使用具有耦合磁和光学功能的核壳结构的微流体传感器。该研究对UW的教学，教育和推广活动产生了广泛的影响，直接影响到研究生（磁性材料，键合和晶体学）和本科生（纳米科学和纳米技术）课程。后者采用合作学习模式，研究生在本科生教育中有监督地参与。PI和他的研究小组，特别是研究生和本科生，通过每年的UW工程学院开放日积极参与外联活动，当地学校有4000多名学生参加。去年首次举办的关于磁性和自旋电子学的广泛、互动和非常受欢迎的展览将在今后几年得到改进和扩大。PI致力于提高研究生参与其研究计划的多样性。他是华盛顿大学研究生院少数民族服务机构招聘教师委员会的创始成员。PI继续与教学研究与发展中心（CIDR），工程学习与教学中心（CELT），少数民族科学与工程计划（MSEP）和科学与工程妇女（WiSE）积极合作，以增加妇女和不同背景的人参与他在UW c的教学和研究活动。

The fundamental goal of the research is to investigate the synthesis, stability and coupled functional properties (magnetic/optical and magnetic/spin-dependent transport, magnetic/biofunctionality) of nanometer-size, metallic cores whose surfaces have been modified with metallic shells or chemically functionalized for specific applications. It explores a new direction by synthesizing the next hierarchy of nanoscale building blocks, metallic core-shell structures. Recognizing the importance of surface energies in systems of nanoscale dimensions, experiments address their thermodynamic stability by treating the systems as "nanocrucibles". It addresses the evolution, elucidation and optimization of the coupled properties of surface-engineered nanocrystals, emphasizing size-dependent scaling laws that specifically affect their dynamic magnetic behavior and optical properties. It brings to bear a number of advanced characterization methods that are critical to the evaluation of microstructure at the nanometer length scale and correlating it with the observed properties. It also builds on an earlier observation of the assembly of nanodisks and creates a novel experiment that may lead to the demonstration of the smallest magnetoresistive sensor. There is very broad international scientific participation in this project with collaborative interactions planned to benefit the training and education of graduate students. The research has broad technological impact on a variety of sensing applications that include magnetic recording. Moreover, synthesis and surface functionalization of magnetic core-shell structures could lead to a number of novel therapeutic and diagnostic applications in biomedicine. This includes bio-labeling for contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging, hyperthermia for cancer treatment, magnetic sensors based on dynamic magnetic relaxation, and microfluidic sensors using core-shell structures with coupled magnetic and optical functionalities. The research has broad impact on teaching, education and outreach activities at UW with a direct bearing on both graduate (magnetic materials, bonding and crystallography) and undergraduate (nanoscience and nanotechnology) courses. The latter is taught in a cooperative learning mode with supervised involvement of the graduate students in the education of undergraduates. The PI and his research group, especially the graduate and undergraduate students, are actively involved in outreach activities through the annual UW, College of Engineering open house that is attended by more than 4000 students from local schools. An extensive, interactive and very popular exhibit on magnetism and spinelectronics, developed for the first time last year, will be refined and enlarged in coming years. The PI is committed to enhancing the diversity of graduate student participation in his research program. He is a founding member of the UW Graduate School faculty committee on Recruitment from Minority Serving Institutions. The PI continues to work actively with the Center for Instructional Research and Development (CIDR), the Center for Engineering Learning and Teaching (CELT), the Minority Science and Engineering Program (MSEP), and Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) to increase the participation of women and people of diverse backgrounds in his teaching and research activities on the UW c