3D Nanocarbon Assemblies as Templates for the Controlled Formation of Functional Gold and Copper Aerogels

本项目主要研究金、铜气凝胶的合成和表征。气凝胶是纳米结构、低密度的3D网络，通常具有定义的整体形状，具有非常大的可达孔隙率和内表面积。基于这些特性，气凝胶在能源、环境修复和催化等领域的广泛应用得到了广泛的研究。该项目将与英国国防公司AWE密切合作进行，该公司长期致力于开发低密度金属泡沫材料，用于等离子体物理和惯性聚变的研究活动。这些应用要求材料具有一定的关键材料要求，包括控制形态，均匀的表面光洁度，孔隙不大于设定的限制，材料内无密度变化或夹杂物，以及材料的加工能力。该项目将探索合成和表征这种金属气凝胶的新途径。主要目标是开发新的方法来生产铜和金气凝胶，这些气凝胶具有高度均匀的密度，高度均匀的大孔形态和明确的表面化学性质，目前无法通过现有技术获得。所生产的金属气凝胶的基本特性将利用利兹大学最先进的设备进行研究。研究计划本项目将探索多种方法（如乳液模板、高浓度溶液的临界点干燥等）来生产密度和孔隙度可控的碳纳米管和石墨烯气凝胶。这些纳米碳气凝胶将被用作硬模板，通过用金属有机前体或预先形成的金属纳米颗粒对碳框架进行化学改性，然后进行热转化，生产金和铜气凝胶。所生产的金属气凝胶的基本特性（微观结构、孔隙度、机械、电、热）将利用利兹大学最先进的设备进行研究。分析了气凝胶材料与应用相关的结构-性能关系。在AWE等离子体物理研究活动的背景下，该公司对开发和生产高规格的金属气凝胶有着持续的需求，这是目前现有制造方法无法实现的。AWE将是项目的积极成员，并将提供所需气凝胶目标特性的技术指导。具有所需规格的气凝胶的可用性不仅将解决AWE所追求的惯性聚变研究中的关键问题，而且还将允许对其他潜在气凝胶应用中重要的基本气凝胶结构-性质关系进行高级研究，例如在能量存储，异相催化，吸附和痕量传感方面。

Context of researchThe project is focused on the synthesis and characterisation of gold and copper aerogels. Aerogels are nanostructured, low-density 3D networks, often of defined monolithic shape, with very large accessible porosities and internal surface areas. Based on these properties, aerogels are currently investigated for a wide range of applications in energy, environmental remediation, and catalysis.This project will be conducted in close collaboration with the UK defence company AWE, who have a long-standing interest in the development of low-density metallic foam materials for their research activities in plasma physics and inertial fusion. These applications require materials with certain key material requirements including, controlled morphologies, uniform surface finish, no pores greater than a set limit, no density variations or inclusions within the material and the ability to machine the material. This project will explore new routes to synthesis and characterise such metallic aerogels.Aims and objectivesThe main objective is to develop new approaches to produce copper and gold aerogels with highly uniform density, highly uniform macropore morphology and well-defined surface chemistry, not currently available through existing technologies. Fundamental properties of the produced metal aerogels will be investigated utilising state-of-the-art equipment at the University of Leeds.Research planThe proposed project will explore various approaches (e.g. emulsion-templating, critical point drying of high concentration solutions etc) to produce carbon-nanotube and graphene aerogels with well-controlled density and porosity. These nanocarbon aerogels will be utilised as hard templates to produce gold and copper aerogels through the chemical modification of the carbon frameworks with metal-organic precursors or pre-formed metal nanoparticles, followed by thermal conversion. Fundamental properties of the produced metal aerogels (microstructure, porosity, mechanical, electrical, thermal) will be investigated utilising state-of-of the-art equipment at the University of Leeds. Application-relevant structure-property relationships of the aerogel materials will be analysed. Potential applications and benefitsIn the context of AWE's research activities in plasma physics, the company has an on going demand to develop and produce metallic aerogels with high specifications, not accessible through current, existing fabrication methods. AWE will be active members of the project and will provide technical guidelines on desired aerogel target properties. The availability of aerogels with the desired specifications will not only address a key issue in context of inertial fusion studies, as pursued by AWE, but will also allow for advanced investigations of fundamental aerogel structure-property relationships important in context of other potential aerogel applications, e.g. in energy storage, heterogeneous catalysis, adsorption and trace sensing.