Nanoscale Coronas: Surface Chemistry and Reactivity on Particle Scaffolds

在化学系高分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，西北大学的 Teri W. Odom 教授将开发方法来创建复杂的纳米结构，其表面特征类似于日冕。这些电晕特征将通过结合自下而上的化学和自上而下的制造方法来制备。对电晕的几何形状和化学功能的控制有望改善用于传感和量子技术的设计纳米结构的特性。接受该项目培训的学生将获得合成、纳米制造、建模和光谱工具方面的技能。外展活动将建立在图案化纳米结构的良性且环保的合成基础上。 该项目旨在通过控制纳米颗粒支架上纳米级表面特征（电晕）的生长来设计新型纳米材料异质结构。拟议的工作旨在确定金属纳米颗粒支架的局部表面化学和反应性如何影响电晕的形成和功能。这三个目标包括（1）在不同结晶度的金纳米粒子阵列上生长的纳米级电晕的设计和原位表征； （2）基于催化材料和二维电子材料的电晕的制备； （3）纳米级异质结构在增强传感、光催化和光电子学方面的应用。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Teri W. Odom at Northwestern University will develop approaches to create complex nanostructures whose surface features resemble that of a corona. These corona features will be prepared by combining bottom-up chemistry and top-down fabrication methods. Control over both the geometry and chemical functionality of the coronas is expected to improve the properties of the designer nanostructures for sensing and quantum technologies. Students trained on the project will gain skills in synthesis, nanofabrication, modeling, and spectroscopic tools. Outreach activities will build on the benign and environmentally friendly synthesis of the patterned nanostructures. This project aims to design new classes of nanomaterial heterostructures by controlling the growth of nanoscale surface features (a corona) on nanoparticle scaffolds. The proposed work is directed at establishing how local surface chemistry and reactivity of metal nanoparticle scaffolds affect corona formation and function. The three objectives include (1) the design and in situ characterization of nanoscale coronas grown on gold nanoparticle arrays with different crystallinity; (2) the preparation of coronas based on catalytic materials and 2D electronic materials; and (3) the application of the nanoscale heterostructures for enhanced sensing, photocatalysis, and optoelectronics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.