Materials Discovery through Novel Nanocomposite Design

非技术描述：该项目旨在加深对新型双相纳米复合材料的基本了解和开发，以获得增强的或新颖的多功能。初级研究人员(本科生和研究生)和高中教师也参与了这项研究。与剑桥大学的朱迪思·德里斯科尔博士的合作以及与洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室的贾全喜博士的合作加强了这个项目和学生的经验。这一成果可能会对薄膜固体氧化物燃料电池(SOFC)、薄膜太阳能电池、纳米电子学和记忆元件等领域产生积极影响。这些发现正在被整合到材料科学与工程(MSE)课程中。该研究团队参与了几个外展项目，重点是纳入科学和工程领域。技术细节：该项目专注于一种独特的两相垂直排列纳米复合材料(VAN)方法，它为材料发现和设计提供了一个新的平台。结合这两种相的性质，与单层或多层膜相比，VAN膜可以提供改进的和/或新的物理性质。该团队正在展示几个显着的功能增强，以及有趣的自发有序结构(纳米棋盘)和厚膜前所未有的应变水平。特别是，主要的初步发现是：(1)重要的铁电材料可以在高于其正常工作温度数百度的情况下良好地工作；(2)功能上的可调性(例如，低场磁电性能、铁电性能等)。在设计良好的VAN系统中可以实现；(3)独特的VAN结构具有前所未有的电化学性质，已在薄膜固体氧化物燃料电池(SOFC)中用作阴极和/或电解液。研究活动包括了解增长和订购的限制以及由此产生的功能；使用VAN方法开发新系统和演示新功能；以及使用VAN结构演示设备应用。在这项研究中使用了各种表征技术，如高分辨率X射线衍射仪(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)(包括扫描电子显微镜(STEM)和电子能量损失谱(EELS))以及物理性能测试。具体的外展计划包括：校园计划--女性工程师论坛和女性导师计划(http://outreach.science.tamu.edu/wise.php)，)和新墨西哥大学的暑期学校计划(http://losalamos.unm.edu/admissions/summer-bridge.html)(一家为拉美裔服务的机构)。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This project is seeking to further the basic understanding and development of new 2-phase nanocomposites to obtain enhanced or novel multi-functionality. Junior researchers (undergraduate and graduate students) and high school teachers are also engaged in the research. A partnership with Dr. Judith Driscoll at the University of Cambridge and cooperation with Dr. Quanxi Jia of Los Alamos National Laboratory enhances this project and the experiences of the students. The outcomes could positively impact areas such as thin film solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), thin film solar cells, nanoionics, and memristers. Findings are being integrated into Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) courses. The research team is involved with several outreach programs focused on inclusion in science and engineering. TECHNICAL DETAILS: This project focuses on a unique 2-phase vertically-aligned nanocomposite (VAN) approach which provides a novel platform for materials discovery and design. Combining the properties of the two phases, VAN films can provide improved and/or new physical properties in comparison to single layer or multilayer films. The team is demonstrating several remarkable functional enhancements as well as interesting spontaneously ordered structures (nanocheckerboards) and unprecedented levels of strain in thick films. In particular, the major preliminary findings are that (1) an important ferroelectric material can be made to work well at several hundred degrees above its normal operational temperature; (2) tunability in functionality (e.g., low field magnetoelectric property, ferroelectric property, etc.) can be achieved in well-designed VAN systems; (3) unique VAN structures with unprecedented electrochemical properties have been implemented in thin film solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) as cathodes, electrolytes or both. The research activities include understanding the limitations to the growth and ordering, as well as the resulted functionalities; growing new systems and demonstrating new functionalities using the VAN method; and demonstrating device applications using VAN structures. Various characterization techniques, such as high resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS)), as well as physical property measurements are being utilized in this study. The specific outreach programs included are: on-campus programs -- Woman Engineer Forum and Woman Mentor Program (http://outreach.science.tamu.edu/wise.php), and the Summer School Program (http://losalamos.unm.edu/admissions/summer-bridge.html) at the University of New Mexico (a Hispanic-Serving Institution).