Controlling Reactivity in Metal/Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

控制金属/金属氧化物纳米粒子的反应性

• 批准号: 2106516
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of York
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2106516
• 关键词: Controlling; Reactivity; Metal; Oxide; Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles (NPs)-clusters of atoms no larger than 100 nm in any dimension-are critical materials for a variety of high-stake applications that will address global challenges in healthcare (regenerative medicine and cancer therapy), nformation technologies (data storage), catalysis, and environmental remediation (contaminant/bacteria removal). Whilst significant progress in these areas has been made, key challenges remain. In medical applications such as hyperthermia and drug delivery, high-magnetic-moment NP cores are prone to oxidative degradation, which reduces their effectiveness. Similarly, catalytic NPs used in motor vehicle exhaust systems undergo rapid on-stream deactivation which is estimated to consume more than 50 times more platinum than necessary. Reactivity is clearly at the heart of these issues and a better atomic-scale understanding of how NPs react in different gaseous and aqueous environments, particularly with regard to nanoscale oxidation, is required (see, for example, Pratt, Kröger et al., Nature Materials, 2014). This project aims to provide this understanding by combining a new, unique nanoparticle growth facility with state-of-the-art characterisation techniques. Specifically, the balance between grain-boundary and interstitial diffusion during oxidation and how this can be tailored by engineering NP size, shape, coating material and strain will be investigated. More insight on these mechanisms will benefit the above NP applications with potential for significant scientific and commercial impact. Initially, NPs will be synthesised using a new gas-aggregation cluster source which affords very careful control of NP properties such as size, size distribution, core and shell composition, and geometry. The project will then involve the use of a variety of cutting-edge characterisation techniques to monitor reactivity: aberration-corrected and in situ fluid cell electron microscopy will provide high resolution images of isolated and in-solution particles so that we can monitor changes in NP structure; a unique ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) surface analysis facility will be used to probe the electronic and magnetic properties of native, core-shell and functionalized NPs; theoretical input on magnetic properties and the role of grain boundaries/defects will also be considered.

纳米粒子（NPs）-任何尺寸不大于100 nm的原子簇-是各种高风险应用的关键材料，这些应用将解决医疗保健（再生医学和癌症治疗），信息技术（数据存储），催化和环境修复（污染物/细菌去除）的全球挑战。虽然在这些领域取得了重大进展，但仍然存在重大挑战。在诸如热疗和药物递送的医疗应用中，高磁矩NP核易于氧化降解，这降低了它们的有效性。类似地，用于机动车排气系统的催化NP经历快速的在线失活，估计消耗比所需多50倍的铂。反应性显然是这些问题的核心，并且需要更好地理解NP在不同气体和水性环境中如何反应，特别是关于纳米级氧化（参见例如Pratt，Kröger等人，Nature Materials，2014）。该项目旨在通过将新的，独特的纳米颗粒生长设施与最先进的表征技术相结合来提供这种理解。具体而言，晶界和间隙扩散之间的平衡，在氧化过程中，以及如何可以定制的工程NP的大小，形状，涂层材料和应变将进行研究。对这些机制的更多了解将有利于上述NP应用，具有重大科学和商业影响的潜力。最初，将使用新的气体聚集团簇源合成NP，该气体聚集团簇源提供NP性质的非常仔细的控制，例如尺寸、尺寸分布、核和壳的组成以及几何形状。然后，该项目将涉及使用各种尖端表征技术来监测反应性：像差校正和原位流体细胞电子显微镜将提供分离和溶液中颗粒的高分辨率图像，以便我们可以监测NP结构的变化;一种独特的超真空（UHV）表面分析设备将用于探测天然的，核壳和功能化纳米粒子;理论输入的磁性和晶界/缺陷的作用也将被考虑。