Sensors: Engineered Nanowires and Arrays as Advanced Chemical Nanosensors

研究：该项目的目标是阐明工程纳米线的自组装阵列的概念，其中每条纳米线都可以单独作为化学纳米传感器来处理。为此，PI将合成工程金属-氧化物-金属(MOM)纳米线，由贵金属纳米线组成，其中一小段被非晶态传感器氧化物SnO2取代。换句话说，MOM纳米线具有精确尺寸的纳米SnO2圆柱体，具有完整的贵金属纳米线互连。由于(I)纳米级SnO2片段，(Ii)SnO2中的纳米晶颗粒，(Iii)作为整体催化剂的贵金属纳米线互连，以及(Iv)低温度敏感性和低欧姆损耗，MOM纳米线传感器有望具有前所未有的灵敏度和选择性。此外，MOM纳米线提供了直接测量纳米级传感器材料电导率的难得机会。广泛的影响：该项目将导致培训一些纳米传感器研究领域的研究生和本科生，同时让他们接触到与印度浦那国家化学实验室的国际合作。此外，PI将进行K-12外展，以激发高中生对工程职业的热情。

Research:The objective of this project is to elucidate the concept of self-assembled arrays of engineered nanowires, where each nanowire can be addressed individually as a chemicalnanosensor. To that end, the PI will synthesize engineered metal-oxide-metal (MOM)nanowires, comprising of a noble-metal nanowires with a small segment being replaced by ananocrystalline sensor oxide: SnO2. In other words, a MOM nanowire has a nanoscale SnO2cylinder of precise dimensions with integral noble-metal nanowire interconnects. The MOMnanowires sensors are expected to have unprecedented sensitivity and selectivity due to:(i) nanoscale SnO2 segment, (ii) nanocrystalline grains within the SnO2, (iii) noble-metalnanowire interconnect serving as an integral catalyst, and (iv) low temperature-sensitivity and low Ohmic losses. Moreover, MOM nanowires offer the rare opportunity of measuring directly the electrical conductivity of a nanoscale sensor material.Broader Impact:This project will result in the training of a number of graduate and undergraduate students in the area of nanosensor research, while exposing them to an international collaboration with the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India. In addition, the PI will perform K-12 outreach to get high school students excited about careers in engineering.