COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: FLAME-GRADIENT SYNTHESIS OF TRANSITION METAL OXIDE NANORODS

俄克拉何马大学（OU）和北卡罗来纳州立大学（NCSU）的合作研究团队旨在实现过渡金属氧化物（TMO）纳米形态的受控合成，并对其潜在机制进行科学理解。火焰已经成功地应用于合成高需求的纳米材料，如金属和陶瓷纳米粉末、碳纤维、碳纳米管和富勒烯。作为一个几乎未开发的研究领域，火焰梯度合成TMO纳米结构由于其形成的纳米结构的潜在多样性和多功能性，其独特的性质，形态和前景应用而具有基础和实际意义。该团队将使用基于大块金属支架与不同温度和化学成分的火焰环境相互作用的火焰梯度方法，这是他们开创的一种方法。成功的初步实验证明了该方法在合成独特的TMO纳米结构方面的适用性，这些结构是使用火焰或其他传统合成方法从未生成过的。这项新研究将把该方法扩展到各种重要的过渡金属，如钼、钨、铁、钴、钽、铬、钒和锌，以建立一个关于生成的纳米形状和相应合成条件的实验数据库。所提出的研究的重点将是确认一个关键假设，即通过具有强热和化学梯度的高活性火焰环境的协同作用，可以在火焰中产生各种一维TMO纳米结构。在这项合作研究中，OU团队将研究生成的纳米形式的结构和形态，并将使用先进的材料诊断技术进行分析，NCSU团队将进行火焰诊断和建模以揭示其机制。火焰化学，火焰与金属表面相互作用的性质，以及合成过程的机理将被密切研究。更广泛的影响包括技术和教育。该研究将为火焰合成先进的TMO纳米结构的新技术的发展奠定基础，该技术在电子、医学、化学、光学、传感器、记录和成像介质等领域具有潜在的应用前景。与其他合成方法相比，火焰合成的优点包括降低成本、缩短加工时间、提高可扩展性和质量。所研究的方法与目前的合成方法相比，具有重要的经济和技术进步。俄勒冈州立大学和北卡州立大学的研究生和本科生在这个跨学科项目中工作，将获得燃烧、纳米技术和材料合成领域的专业知识。将鼓励和帮助未被充分代表的少数民族学生开始研究生院的学习，在他们的大三和大四期间为他们提供支持性和激励性的研究经验。此外，该教育项目还涉及北卡罗来纳州和俄克拉何马州社区的高中教师和学生，通过讲座、实验室演示和实践经验让他们接触到现代科学领域。

0854433Merchan-MerchanThis collaborative research between teams at the University of Oklahoma (OU) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) intends to achieve controlled synthesis of transition-metal-oxide (TMO) nanoforms and to develop a scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Flames have been successfully applied for the synthesis of high-demand nanomaterials such as metal and ceramic nanopowders, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes. As a nearly unexplored research area, the flame-gradient synthesis of TMO nanostructures is of fundamental and practical interest due to the potential variety and multifunctionality of the formed nanoforms, their unique properties, morphology and prospective applications.The team will use a flame-gradient method based on the interaction of a bulk metal support with a flame environment of varying temperature and chemical composition, a method they had pioneered. The successful preliminary experiments proved the applicability of this method for the synthesis of unique TMO nanostructures that have never been generated using flames or other traditional synthesis methods. The new research will extend the method to various important transition metals, such as molybdenum, tungsten, iron, cobalt, tantalum, chromium, vanadium, and zinc, to produce an experimental database on generated nanoforms and corresponding synthesis conditions. The focus of the proposed studies will be the confirmation of the key hypothesis that various 1-D TMO nanostructures can be generated in flames by a synergetic action of a highly reactive flame environment possessing strong thermal and chemical gradients. Within this collaborated research, the OU team will study the structure and morphology of generated nanoforms that will be analyzed using advanced material diagnostic techniques, and the NCSU group will conduct flame diagnostics and modeling to uncover the mechanisms. Flame chemistry, the nature of flame interaction with the metal surfaces, and the mechanism of the synthesis process will be closely studied.Broader impacts are both technological and educational. This research will serve as a fundamental basis for the development of novel technologies for flame synthesis of advanced TMO nanostructures with potential applications in electronics, medicine, chemistry, optics, sensors, recording and imaging media. The advantages of flame synthesis over other synthesis methods involve reduced cost, shorter processing times, improved scalability and quality. The method to be studied suggests essential economic and technological advances over current synthesis methods. Graduate and undergraduate students at OU and NCSU working on this interdisciplinary project will gain expertise in the fields of combustion, nanotechnology, and material synthesis. Underrepresented minority students will be encouraged and aided to start graduate school studies by providing them with a supportive and stimulating research experience during their junior and senior years. Additionally, the educational program involves high school teachers and students of North Carolina and Oklahoma communities by exposing them to the field of modern science via lectures, laboratory demonstrations, and hands-on experience.