Fast and Scalable Fabrication of Nanofibers of Polymers, Carbons, Ceramics, and Composites by Centrifugal Spinning

这项拨款为一种新型离心纺丝工艺的基础研究提供资金，该工艺能够以高速和低成本生产聚合物、碳、陶瓷和复合纳米纤维。离心纺丝消除了当前纳米纤维生产方法所遇到的限制。在本研究中，将通过对纳米纤维形成过程和加工-结构关系的基本认识，为新型离心纺丝工艺奠定基础。将建立聚合物、碳、陶瓷和复合材料的纳米纤维生产指南，并且在这项工作中获得的加工-结构关系可用于指导各种潜在应用的先进纳米纤维材料的设计，包括电池、燃料电池、太阳能电池、生物催化剂、净化、传感器、复合材料、质子和电子微器件。在这项工作中，将探索离心纺丝纳米纤维在电池和燃料电池中的潜在用途。如果这项研究成功，将导致一种新的离心纺丝工艺，可以生产多种不同材料的纳米纤维，这将对广泛的应用产生重大影响。纳米纤维的聚合物，碳，陶瓷和复合材料将得到。探索潜在的应用，特别是在能源储存和转换方面，将有助于减轻对外国石油的依赖，改善空气质量，减少温室气体排放，促进可持续发展。此外，新兴的研究概念、理论和技术将在课堂教学中实施，以准确反映行业的变化趋势，并培养学生参与和推进新型加工和制造技术所需的技能。这些研究和教育活动也将有助于美国在这些战略领域保持领先地位。

This grant provides funding for the fundamental research on a novel centrifugal spinning process that is capable of producing polymer, carbon, ceramic, and composite nanofibers at high speed and low cost. Centrifugal spinning eliminates the limitations encountered by current nanofiber production methods. In this research, the foundation of the novel centrifugal spinning process will be established through the fundamental understanding of the nanofiber formation process and the processing-structure relationships. Guidelines for producing nanofibers of polymers, carbons, ceramics, and composites will be established, and the processing-structure relationships obtained in this work can be used to guide the design of advanced nanofiber materials for a wide variety of potential applications including batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, biocatalysts, purification, sensors, composites, and protonic and electronic microdevices. In this work, the potential use of centrifugally-spun nanofibers in batteries and fuel cells will be explored. If successful, this research will lead to a new centrifugal spinning process that can produce nanofibers of many different materials, which have significant impacts on a broad range of applications. Nanofibers of polymers, carbons, ceramics, and composites will be obtained. The exploration of potential applications, especially in energy storage and conversion, will help alleviate foreign oil dependence, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote sustainable development. In addition, emerging research concepts, theories, and technologies relevant to the proposed work will be implemented in classroom teaching to accurately reflect the changing trends in the profession, and produce students with the skills needed to participate in and advance novel processing and manufacturing technologies. These research and education activities will also help the United State stay in the leading position in these strategic fields.