Surface Chemistry of Complex Multi-Element Metal Oxides

本研究在化学系化学结构、动力学和机理项目的资助下，由凯文·E。来自波士顿大学的史密斯将使用X射线光谱的强大组合来测量复杂多元素金属氧化物的表面电子结构和化学反应性。 这些氧化物的表面化学具有基础科学重要性，因为它们在催化、能量产生和能量储存中发挥着重要作用。 虽然许多简单的化学计量金属氧化物的化学性质是很好理解的，但对于含有多种金属元素并具有非化学计量和/或有缺陷的表面的氧化物，情况并非如此。 该计划的目标是了解在广泛的物理条件下控制小分子与此类氧化物表面化学反应的基本机制。 在这样做的过程中，该计划的结果将允许复杂金属氧化物表面化学的基本科学知识应用于许多应用中的重要问题，不仅在固体氧化物燃料电池中，而且在太阳能和电解水分解装置以及金属-空气电池中。 该计划有望改变对复杂氧化物材料表面和界面的理解。这是一项雄心勃勃的研究计划，使用强X射线研究一类具有重大技术和科学意义的材料的基本物理性质，即大量金属原子和氧原子的化合物。 这些材料用于催化、能量产生装置（如燃料电池）和能量存储装置（如电池）。 该计划旨在对这些复杂金属氧化物的化学反应性和电子特性进行明确的测量，从而大大扩展我们对此类材料的理解。 它解决了可再生能源发电中的重要问题，即测量控制燃料电池和其他能源设备效率的基本参数。

In this research, supported by the Chemical Structures, Dynamics and Mechanisms Program of the Division of Chemistry, Prof. Kevin E. Smith from Boston University will use a powerful combination of x-ray spectroscopies to measure the surface electronic structure and chemical reactivity of complex multi-element metal oxides. The surface chemistry of these oxides is of fundamental scientific importance due to the significant role they play in catalysis, energy generation, and energy storage. While the chemical properties of many simple stochiometric metal oxides are well understood, this is not the case for oxides that contain multiple metal elements and have non-stochiometric and/or defective surfaces. The goal of this program is to understand the fundamental mechanisms controlling the chemical reaction of small molecules with the surfaces of such oxides under a wide range of physical conditions. In doing so, the results of this program will allow basic scientific knowledge of complex metal oxide surface chemistry to be applied to problems of importance in numerous applications, not least in solid oxide fuel cells, but also in solar and electrolytic water-splitting devices, and metal-air batteries. This program holds the promise of transforming the understanding of the surfaces and interfaces of complex oxide materials.This is an ambitious research program that uses intense x-rays to the study the fundamental physical properties of a class of materials of great technological and scientific importance, namely compounds of numerous metal atoms and oxygen atoms. These materials are used in catalysis, in energy generation devices such as fuel cells, and in energy storage devices such as batteries. The program aims to produce definitive measurements of the chemical reactivity and electronic properties of these complex metal oxides, and thus greatly expand our understanding of such materials. It addresses important problems in renewable energy generation, namely measuring the fundamental parameters that control the efficiency of fuel cells and other energy devices.