CAREER: High-Speed Continuous Assembly of Nanoparticle Monolayers and Discrete Cluster Arrays

该学院早期职业发展(CALEAR)计划奖项旨在创造一种用于纳米结构的高速蒸发自组装(ESA)的制造技术，并将PI的纳米制造教育活动扩展到社区大学和高中。例如，纳米颗粒组件可用于光子学、生物/化学传感器、太阳能电池和电池、自清洁表面、数据存储、催化剂和其他应用。然而，尽管最近取得了进展，但由于晶区尺寸有限(1-100um)以及速率(通常为0.1 mm/S)比商业制造所需的速度慢了几个数量级，阻碍了ESA的实用性和可扩展性。该研究计划试图通过创建连续的ESA工艺来克服这些障碍，以解决两个关键限制：高速制造高质量的大面积颗粒单层；以及离散颗粒簇阵列的确定性组装。一种新的连续进料ESA装置将导致确定在cm/S或更高进料速率下进行单层组装的工艺条件。结合全面的现场和非现场表征，我们将阐明0.05-5微米尺寸范围内颗粒的传输和堆积机制。最后，我们将探索组装材料的光学特性，作为下一代传感器的应用，通过Fano共振实现灵敏检测，以及用于节能玻璃的工程涂层(与行业合作)。这些研究成果将对将实验室规模的欧空局方法转化为商业规模和应用产生变革性的影响，包括上述那些。同时，PI的教育和外展计划将包括三个主要举措：(1)与奥克兰社区大学(OCC)的材料科学纳米技术计划建立伙伴关系，其中PI将共享材料并与OCC教职员工协商，为他们的计划开发纳米制造工艺课程，并通过密歇根大学的一个高级设计项目创建一个关于自组装的实验室；(2)将PI关于博士研究过程的新课程扩展到机械工程第一年研究生课程的必备要素，这也符合NSF对负责任和道德研究行为培训的要求；以及(3)与艺术家和建筑师合作的增长，其中PI旨在通过艺术图像促进公众对纳米级科学和技术的认识，包括通过PI的Nanobliss画廊(http://www.nanobliss.com).OCC实验室将出现在高中暑期项目中，这些项目被证明可以提高不同学生群体对科学和工程的兴趣。通过研究和教育的协同整合，该计划的首要目标是增加拥有纳米制造相关主题专业知识的四年制大学毕业生的数量，并为密歇根州振兴的制造业劳动力和知识库做出贡献。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award seeks to create a manufacturing technology for high-speed evaporative self-assembly (ESA) of nanostructures, and to extend the reach of the PI's nanomanufacturing education activities to community colleges and high schools. For example, nanoparticle assemblies can be used in photonics, biological/chemical sensors, solar cells and batteries, self-cleaning surfaces, data storage, catalysts, and other applications. However, despite recent advances, the practicality and scalability of ESA is hindered by the limited size of crystalline domains (1-100 µm), and rates (typically 0.1 mm/s) that are orders of magnitude slower than required for commercial manufacturing. The research program seeks to overcome these barriers by creating continuous ESA processes that address two critical limits: high-speed fabrication of high-quality large-area monolayers of particles; and deterministic assembly of discrete particle cluster arrays. A novel apparatus for continuous-feed ESA will lead to the identification of process conditions for monolayer assembly at cm/s or greater feed rates. Together with comprehensive in situ and ex situ characterization, we will elucidate the mechanisms of particle transport and packing for particles across the 0.05-5 µm size range. Finally, we will explore the optical properties of assembled materials, for applications as next-generation sensors that enable sensitive detection via Fano resonances, and engineered coatings for energy-efficient glass (in collaboration with industry). These research outcomes would have transformative impact on the translation of lab-scale ESA methods to commercial scales and applications, including those mentioned above. In parallel, the PI's education and outreach program will include three main initiatives: (1) A partnership with the Nanotechnology in Materials Science Program at Oakland Community College (OCC), wherein the PI will share materials and consult with OCC faculty to develop a course on nanomanufacturing processes for their program, and create a lab on self-assembly via a senior design project at Michigan; (2) Extension of the PI's new course on the Ph.D. Research Process into a required element of the first-year graduate curriculum in Mechanical Engineering, which also meets the NSF requirements for training in responsible and ethical conduct of research; and (3) Growth of collaborations with artists and architects, wherein the PI aims to promote general public awareness of nanoscale science and technology using artistic images, including through the PI's Nanobliss gallery (http://www.nanobliss.com). The OCC lab will be featured in high school summer programs that are proven to increase interest in science and engineering across a diverse student population. Through synergistic integration of research and education, an overarching aim of this program is to increase the number of four-year university graduates with expertise in nanomanufacturing-related topics, and to contribute to a rejuvenated manufacturing workforce and knowledge base in Michigan.