Chemical Synthesis of Transformative Extended Materials

我们10-15年的研究愿景是：先进功能材料的化学合成，其特性将挑战当代对扩展系统的物理和化学行为的理解，并以现在小分子化学中常见的精度实现。实现这一愿景非常重要，因为新功能材料的合成对英国在能源和医疗保健等优先领域具有强大的社会和经济重要性，并且因为获得具有前所未有特性的材料开辟了新的科学视野。实现这一愿景需要与材料科学、凝聚态物理学、化学工程和生命科学合作者建立密切联系，这些合作者构成了计划资助（PG）伙伴关系。该提案有一个为期5年的单一主题目标：开发具有功能领域的模块化材料的合成方法。这一目标在三个主题中得以实现，因为科学挑战和成功应对这些挑战所需的技能密切相关，这一点反映在25%的PG资源预测部署在跨主题的活动中。主题1针对具有不相容或禁忌化学官能团的多孔材料，这些材料可以灵活部署以产生独特的分子分离和催化反应性，为有效利用有限的自然资源创造新的范例。在主题2中，氧化物材料中的最佳控制界面将产生用于燃料电池的增强的离子传输，并产生禁忌的科学挑战性物理性质（例如，单一材料中的铁磁性和铁电性）。在主题1和2中获得的分子尺度上的性质和功能将通过产生纳米结构组装的统计组装过程的化学控制在主题3中转化为纳米至中尺度。这为禁忌的化学反应性和物理性质挑战提供了一种联系和综合的方法，并使其能够与生命系统中更复杂的环境相互作用。通过跨学科，跨部门，跨机构的国际合作，融合合成，测量和建模，实现主题目标。该伙伴关系的建立是为了开发新的方法，用于快速评估材料的感兴趣特性，并由专家合作者对由此产生的有希望的领先实例进行详细研究。密切的主题联系和在竞争领域取得突破的机会需要一个灵活的资源部署战略，由一个小型领导团队管理，由一名经验丰富的项目导师负责，并向一个国际领先的指导小组报告。资源的分配，以允许进一步的伙伴关系的建立在PG. PG团队已经通过形成获奖的分拆，Iota纳米解决方案和材料发现中心的建立（与欧洲最大的资本设备套件加速扩展材料发现）展示了研究开发和推广领导。通过与此同时由NWDA资助的材料化学知识中心，与工业界的联系将达到一个新的水平。PG活动集中在一个全球竞争的领域，其特点是资源的地理集中。这一点得到了利物浦大学的认可，他们一直在材料化学领域进行再投资。除了正常的20% FEC贡献之外，还承诺提供122万现金和27.6万实物支持，这再次证明了这一点，这为EPSRC投资增加了价值，作为与供资机构真正长期合作伙伴关系的一部分。10个专门的DTA学生奖学金致力于跨学科和跨机构活动的赠款。

Our 10-15 year research vision is: chemical synthesis of advanced functional materials with properties that will challenge contemporary understanding of the physical and chemical behavior of extended systems, achieved with the precision that is now customary in small molecule chemistry. It is important to realize this vision because the synthesis of new functional materials is of strong societal and economic importance to the UK in priority areas such as energy and healthcare, and because access to materials with unprecedented properties opens up new scientific horizons. Realization of the vision requires strong links to the materials science, condensed matter physics, chemical engineering and life science collaborators who form the Programme Grant (PG) partnership.The proposal has a single 5-year thematic target: the development of synthetic methodologies for modular materials with domains of function. The target is addressed in three coupled Themes because the scientific challenges and the skills necessary to tackle them successfully are strongly linked, as reflected in the forecast deployment of 25% of the PG resource in activity that cuts across the themes.Theme 1 targets porous materials with incompatible or contraindicated chemical functional groups that can deploy flexibly to produce unique molecular separations and catalytic reactivity, producing new paradigms for the efficient use of limited natural resources. In Theme 2, optimally controlled interfaces in oxide materials will produce enhanced ionic transport for application in fuel cells and generate contraindicated scientifically challenging physical properties (e.g., ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity in a single material). The properties and functions accessed in Themes 1 and 2 on the molecular scale will be translated into the nano- to mesoscale in Theme 3 by chemical control of the statistical assembly processes which produce nanostructured assemblies. This provides a linked and integrated approach to the contraindicated chemical reactivity and physical property challenges and enables interaction with the more complex environments in living systems.The theme goals will be achieved by the fusion of synthesis, measurement and modeling in a cross-disciplinary, cross-sector, cross-institution international partnership. The partnership is constructed to allow the development of new methodology for the rapid evaluation of materials for properties of interest and subsequent detailed studies of the resulting promising lead examples by expert collaborators. The close thematic links and the opportunity for breakthroughs in competitive areas require a flexible resource deployment strategy, managed by a small leadership team with an experienced project mentor and reporting to an internationally-leading Steering Group. Resource is allocated to allow the building of further partnerships during the PG. The PG team have demonstrated research exploitation and outreach leadership via the formation of the award-winning spin-out, Iota NanoSolutions and the establishment of the Centre for Materials Discovery (with Europe's largest suite of capital equipment for accelerated extended materials discovery). Outreach to industry will be taken to a new level here via the concurrent NWDA-funded Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry.The PG activity is focused in an area where global competition is characterised by a strong geographical focus of resources. This is recognised by the University of Liverpool who have consistently reinvested in materials chemistry. This is demonstrated here again by the commitment of 1.22M cash and 276K in-kind support in addition to the normal 20% FEC contribution, which adds value to the EPSRC investment as part of a true long-term partnership with the funding body. 10 dedicated DTA studentships are committed to the grant for cross-disciplinary and cross-institution activity.