Materials Discovery through Novel Nanocomposite Design

通过新型纳米复合材料设计发现材料

• 批准号: 1401266
• 负责人: Haiyan Wang
• 金额: $ 39.98万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-06-01 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1401266&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Materials; Discovery; through; Novel; Nanocomposite

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).

非技术描述：该项目正在寻求进一步的基本理解和开发新的2相纳米复合材料，以获得增强或新颖的多功能。 初级研究人员（本科生和研究生）和高中老师也从事研究。 与剑桥大学的朱迪思·德里斯科尔（Judith Driscoll）博士合作，与洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室的Quanxi Jia博士合作增强了该项目和学生的经验。结果可能会积极影响诸如薄膜固体氧化物燃料电池（SOFC），薄膜太阳能电池，纳米离子学和MEMRISTERS等领域。 调查结果正在融合到材料科学与工程（MSE）课程中。研究团队参与了一些专注于科学和工程的外展计划。技术详细信息：该项目着重于独特的2相垂直一致的纳米复合材料（VAN）方法，该方法为材料发现和设计提供了新颖的平台。与单层或多层膜相比，将两个阶段的特性结合在一起，可以提供改进和/或新的物理特性。该团队正在展示几种显着的功能增强功能以​​及有趣的自发有序结构（纳米板板）和厚膜中前所未有的应变水平。特别是，主要的初步发现是（1）可以使重要的铁电材料在高于其正常操作温度的几百度下工作； （2）可以在精心设计的货车系统中实现功能的可调性（例如，低场磁电特性，铁电特性等）； （3）具有前所未有的电化学性质的独特货车结构已在薄膜固体氧化物燃料电池（SOFC）中作为阴极，电解质或两者兼而有之。研究活动包括了解增长和有序的局限性以及所产生的功能；增长新系统并使用VAN方法展示新功能；并使用面包车结构演示设备应用。各种表征技术，例如高分辨率X射线衍射（XRD）和透射电子显微镜（TEM）（扫描传输电子显微镜（STEM）和电子能量损耗光谱（EELS）），以及在这项研究中使用了物理性能测量值。 具体的宣传计划包括：机上课程 - 女工程师论坛和女性导师计划（http://outreach.science.tamu.edu.edu/wise.php），以及新米尔大学的暑期学校课程（http:/losalamos.unm.edu/admissions/summer-bridge-summer-bridge-bridge-summer-summsions/summer-bridge-.html）（new new Mebasity）