CAREER: Electrochemical Nanofabrication - Transformative Concept towards Synthesis of Novel Materials, Functional Surfaces and Metallic Nanostructures

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This project is supported by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms Program of the Division of Chemistry and the Metals and Metallic Nanostructures Program of the Division of Materials Research. Professor Stanko Brankovic and his research group at the University of Houston will investigate the governing thermodynamics and kinetics processes controlling the morphology of the metal nanodeposit obtained via surface limited galvanic displacement reaction. In this novel deposition method, a single monolayer of less noble metal is oxidized-displaced by more noble metal cations which are simultaneously reduced-deposited on a substrate surface. The obtained metallic deposit has just a single atom in thickness as nanoclusters uniformly distributed over the substrate surface. Such nanodeposit will be used as model system to study structure-property relation of catalyst monolayers, their stability in different chemical reactions and their self-organization. In addition, a nanoscale three dimensional metallic structures produced by this method or by dealloying will be evaluated as a potential path for the fabrication of more complex nanostructures, including those that can be used for ultrasound sensing application.The fundamental concepts that will be developed in this work will have an impact in many other scientific and technological disciplines. Perhaps the most immediate one is the application to microelectronics fabrication, where precise, uniform deposition (i.e., "conformal deposition") on complex substrates remains a daunting challenge. Self-organized 2D metallic architectures, design of active catalyst monolayers or organized growth of carbon nanotubes are some other examples. This program integrates an educational component which spans over the range from high school to graduate students, and addresses the development of cutting edge research in the physical sciences, with an over-reaching theme of long term sustainable technology development. The long term goal of this program is to produce the highly qualified scientist and engineers able to carry out the technical challenges of the modern world.