Fabrication and characterization of functional metallic and mixed metal - semiconductor nanocrystal aerogels

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Matter in its nanoparticulate form has gained considerable attention in recent decades due to the fascinating properties exhibited as materials evolve from the atomic scale, through the molecular and approach the extended solid. These “size tunable” properties have the potential to impact on many interesting areas of development and applications. But the marriage of the nanoscale world with that of materials of macro dimensions which can be easily manipulated and processed, whilst maintaining the nanoscale properties, is still a challenge to be surmounted. Aerogels have recently been demonstrated to provide such an opportunity. This project therefore aims at the elucidation of the potential of the class of materials based on nanoparticle derived aerogels. These materials will be produced from a variety of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles available in colloidal solutions. The evolving aerogels are extremely light, highly porous solids and have been demonstrated to possess the important properties of the nanosized objects they consist of instead of simply those of the respective bulk solids. The resulting aerogel materials will be characterized with respect to their morphology and composition and their resulting properties examined in light of the inherent electronic nature of the nanosized constituents. Using the knowledge gained within the project the aerogel materials will be further re-processed in order to achieve improvements in their properties relevant to applications in optical sensing and catalysis.