Screw Dislocation-Driven Growth of Complex Nanomaterials

纳米材料在电子学、太阳能转换、催化和电池等领域有着重要的应用。首席研究员发现了一种新的合成纳米材料的方法，这种方法由螺旋位错缺陷驱动。在该项目中，由材料研究部的固态和材料化学项目支持，主要研究者开发了新型和复杂纳米材料的合理设计和控制合成，其各向异性生长由螺旋位错驱动。这项研究可能会对合理和可控合成新型纳米材料产生变革性影响，这些纳米材料可能有利于各种应用，例如可再生能源。此外，研究团队通过招募代表性不足的本科生参与研究，通过开发新的实验室模块解决方案合成纳米材料的本科实验室课程，以及通过开发和开展新的纳米科学动手活动，积极研究教育和推广在每年的威斯康星州科学节向公众。 位错驱动的纳米材料生长是一个基本的进步，它可以在各向异性一维（1D），二维（2D）和复杂的三维（3D）分层纳米结构的合理合成中创造新的维度。作为适用于任何低过饱和度晶体材料的一般机制，它对于生长复杂材料的各向异性纳米结构特别强大，否则使用催化剂驱动的生长合成具有挑战性。基于重大进展和经典晶体生长理论，主要研究者利用位错驱动生长的优势，开发更复杂的纳米结构的合理设计和可控合成，包括更复杂的材料，如三元金属氧化物/氢氧化物，以及更复杂的3D纳米形态和异质结构。为了解决与三元金属氧化物/氢氧化物和其他复杂化合物的受控溶液生长相关的挑战，将追求以下具体目标：i）使用高压高温水热连续流动反应器开发纳米材料的一般位错驱动生长; ii）研究用于纳米材料的位错驱动生长的非水溶剂的使用; iii）通过由位错生长纳米材料的转化反应开发策略; iv）通过位错驱动的异质结构生长制造具有复杂几何形状的纳米结构。

Non-technical AbstractNanoscale materials have significant applications in electronics, solar energy conversion, catalysis, and batteries. The principal investigator had discovered a new way of synthesizing nanomaterials that are driven by screw dislocation defects. In this project supported by Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research, the principal investigator develops the rational design and controlled synthesis of novel and complex nanomaterials whose anisotropic growth is driven by screw dislocations. This research can potentially have transformative impacts on the rational and controllable synthesis of novel nanomaterials that can be advantageous for a variety of applications, such as in renewable energy. Furthermore, the research team integrates education and outreach with active research by recruiting underrepresented undergraduate students to participate in research, by developing new lab modules on solution synthesis of nanomaterials for undergraduate lab courses, and by developing and conducting new nanoscience hands-on activities at the annual Wisconsin Science Festival to the general public. Technical AbstractDislocation-driven nanomaterial growth is a fundamental advance that can create new dimensions in the rational synthesis of anisotropic one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and complex three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical nanostructures. As a general mechanism that is applicable to any crystalline materials at low supersaturation, it is particularly powerful for growing anisotropic nanostructures of complex materials that have been otherwise challenging to synthesize using catalyst-driven growth. Building on the significant advances and classical crystal growth theory, the principle investigator exploits the advantages of dislocation-driven growth to develop the rational design and controllable synthesis of more complex nanostructures, in terms of both more complex materials, such as ternary metal oxides/hydroxides, and more complex 3D nanomorphologies and heterostructures. To address the challenges associated with controlled solution growth of ternary metal oxide/hydroxide and other complex compounds, the following specific objectives will be pursued: i) develop general dislocation-driven growth of nanomaterials using high-pressure high-temperature hydrothermal continuous flow reactors; ii) investigate the use of non-aqueous solvents for dislocation-driven growth of nanomaterials; iii) develop strategies via conversion reactions from nanomaterials grown by dislocations; iv) make nanostructures with complex geometries through dislocation-driven heterostructure growth.