Chemical Transformations of Nanoparticles for Isolation of Metastable Phases

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This award by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) program supports work by Professor Richard Robinson at Cornell University - endowed to investigate the fundamental chemical principles governing chemical transformations of nanoparticles. The PI will investigate chemical transformations of nanoparticles using state-of-the-art experimental methods including a new, advanced in-situ x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) tool that is designed for synchrotron studies. The proposed work will attempt to uncover new information on bond formation kinetics, including amorphous and crystalline contributions, dynamic changes in oxidation states, coordination chemistry, band structure, and local structure. These experimental results will be correlated with first-principles computations of formation energies, electronic structure, and diffusion coefficients to build a more comprehensive understanding of chemical transformations of nanoparticles.The broader impact of this proposal, and the long-term goal of the proposed work, is to establish a toolkit of post-synthetic methods for designer nanoparticles. The proposal integrates several educational initiatives with the research efforts. The PI will develop his national outreach efforts by participating in new films on the hidden world of the nanoscale. The PI's local and regional outreach efforts include mentoring graduate students through the Sloan diversity fellows program, and incorporating undergraduates into his research activities.