NIRT: Active Nanoparticles in Nanostructured Materials Enabling Advances in Renewable Energy and Environmental Remediation

摘要提案标题：NIRT：纳米结构材料中的活性纳米颗粒促进可再生能源和环境修复的进步提案编号：CTS-0608896主要研究者： 大卫A. Dixon机构： 亚拉巴马大学塔斯卡卢萨分析（决策依据）：该项目将利用新的合成进展开发光电化学反应的催化材料，旨在促进可再生能源生产和环境修复。 活性纳米结构材料使得能够开发用于界面改性的新范例，所述界面由于其独特的受限结构和电子性质而容易地允许产生增强的催化和传感能力。这个综合的多学科计划包括可以进行可控变化的新纳米材料的合成，这些变化的测量，以及使用先进的计算方法来了解这些变化，以提供最深入的了解如何控制和利用主动纳米结构系统的实际技术应用。整体方法基于该团队最近的两项合成进展，以产生纳米颗粒和新的纳米结构，这些纳米结构可以被它们装饰。第一是开发用于光电化学反应的新化合物/材料。第二个关键进展涉及多孔硅电导传感器的开发。一个关键的应用领域是使用纳米TiO 2，其已通过添加氮进行改性以形成氮氧化物TiO 2-xNx。这改变了TiO 2的有效带隙的能量，从而在光谱的可见部分中产生光子的更好的光催化吸收剂。此外，这些纳米颗粒可以掺杂金属离子，以改变它们与水或有机分子等配体的相互作用。所提出的努力的一个目标是使用掺入混合微/纳米结构环境中的接种纳米结构颗粒作为光催化剂用于：（1）由水裂解或由气体变换反应产生H2和（2）破坏含水废物流中的有机化合物。这项工作的一个关键目标是利用综合的实验和计算方法来理解催化活性纳米结构的行为，特别是当它们改变结构并在其活性状态下开发新特性时。参与该计划的研究生和本科生将获得复杂仪器的培训，因为他们在互补领域追求新的基础知识，这将使他们能够研究有源纳米结构的基本行为。他们将带着更好的解决问题的技能和更大的科学独立性离开，从而更好地为国家的科学和技术努力做出贡献。此外，学生研究人员将接触到一种新的跨学科方法，该方法将涉及与其他大学和实验室在理解活性纳米粒子行为领域的广泛合作。本科生将通过亚拉巴马大学的荣誉学院以及凯斯-韦斯特和格鲁吉亚理工学院的本科课程直接参与研究项目。将继续鼓励代表性不足群体的成员参与该计划，并将积极努力招募这些群体的成员，特别是那些处于科学生涯早期的成员。少数民族学生将通过参与机构的外展计划和机构的夏季REU计划参与研究。该项目的所有参与者都将为在科学文献和会议上传播研究成果作出贡献。

AbstractProposal Title: NIRT: Active Nanoparticles in Nanostructured Materials Enabling Advances in Renewable Energy and Environmental Remediation Proposal Number: CTS-0608896Principal Investigator: David A. DixonInstitution: University of Alabama TuscaloosaAnalysis (rationale for decision):This project will utilize new synthesis advances to develop catalytic materials for photo-electrochemical reactions with the aim of advancing renewable energy production and environmental remediation. Active nanostructured materials enable the development of new paradigms for the modification of interfaces which readily allow the generation of enhanced catalytic and sensing capabilities due to their uniquely confined structural and electronic properties. This integrated multidisciplinary program includes the synthesis of new nanomaterials that can undergo controllable changes, measurements of these changes, and the use of advanced computational methods to understand such changes in order to provide the most insight into how to control and utilize active nanostructured systems for practical technological applications. The overall approach is based on two recent synthetic advances by this team to generate nanoparticles and new nanostructures, which can be decorated by them. The first is the development of new compounds/materials for photo-electrochemical reactions. The second key advance has involved the development of porous silicon conductometric sensors. A key application area is the use of nanoparticles of TiO2, which have been modified by the addition of nitrogen to form the oxynitride, TiO2-xNx. This shifts the energy of the effective band gap of TiO2 so as to create a better photocatalytic absorber of photons in the visible part of the spectrum. In addition, these nanoparticles can be doped with metal ions to change how they interact with ligands such as water or organic molecules. A goal of the proposed effort is to use seeded nanostructured particles incorporated into hybrid micro/nano-structured environments as photocatalysts for: (1) the production of H2 from water splitting or from the gas-shift reaction and (2) the destruction of organic compounds in aqueous waste streams. A critical goal of the work is to utilize an integrated experimental and computational approach to understand the behavior of the catalytically active nanostructures, especially as they change structures and develop new properties in their active state. Graduate students, and undergraduate students participating in the program will acquire training on sophisticated instrumentation as they pursue new fundamental knowledge in complementary fields that will enable them to study the fundamental behavior of active nanostructures. They will leave with improved problem solving skills and greater scientific independence, and thus be better positioned to contribute to the national effort in science and technology. In addition, the student researchers will be exposed to a new interdisciplinary approach that will involve extensive collaboration with other universities and laboratories in the area of understanding the behavior of active nanoparticles. Undergraduates will be directly involved in the research program through the Honors College at The University of Alabama and the undergraduate programs at Case-Western and Georgia Tech. Involvement in the program of members of underrepresented groups will continue to be encouraged, and proactive efforts will be made to recruit members of these groups, particularly those early in their scientific careers. Minority students will be involved in the research through outreach programs at the participating institutions and through summer REU programs at the institutions. All participants in the project will be expected to contribute to the dissemination of research results in the scientific literature and at conferences.