Understanding and Controlling Nanoscale Molecular Metal Oxides for Responsive Reaction Systems

该项目建立在克罗宁、拉普金和丁之间最近建立的化学-化学工程-粒子工程合作的基础上，由EPSRC化学-化学工程学科跳跃种子资助促进。赠款促成了借调形式的合作，培养了每个合作者对新研究领域的认识。目前的学科跳跃项目用于过程强化的分子金属氧化物使研究人员能够开始确定三个学科之间在强化催化过程和设计具有新物理性质的金属簇合物方面存在的关键科学挑战，这些领域可以在紧凑型反应堆中开发和利用。学科跳跃模型使合作研究人员有机会深入了解三个研究领域的新发展的问题和潜力：新型分子金属氧化物的合成，纳米颗粒在传热学中的应用，以及强化紧凑型并行反应器系统的设计，目前已开始产生科学成果。1同时，学科跳跃模型揭示了在PI的每个研究小组内在研究方向上取得基本发展的潜力(LC/无机簇合物化学，现在侧重于功能性分子金属氧化物，AL/新型化学，现在侧重于可逆开关功能的开发，YD/热传递纳米流体，目前专注于纳米粒子、自组装和响应性纳米流体)，只有利用LC、AL和YD的独特专业知识组合才能实现。在学科跳跃补助金内产生的关于合成金属氧化物性能的初步数据，以及对所有三个领域协同发展的未来潜力的分析，导致了目前的提议。一项全面的计划将使过程强化和分子金属氧化物的基本化学及其自组织成为更大的结构和聚集体的步骤发生变化。这项研究旨在整合三个主要目标：(1)簇合物设计和合成，(2)催化剂和反应器设计，(3)纳米流体的合成和表征，这些纳米流体将在一个保护伞下结合起来，产生一种催化和过程开发的综合方法。因此，所雇用的人员也将受益于在项目期间的关键时刻借调到每个合作实验室。这将有一个额外的好处，就是让年轻的研究人员参与化学和化学工程之间的研究接口。

This project builds on the recently established Chemistry-Chemical Engineering-Particle Engineering collaboration between Cronin, Lapkin and Ding, facilitated by an EPSRC Chemistry-Chemical Engineering Discipline Hopping seed grant. The grant enabled collaboration in the form of secondment, developing awareness of new research fields for each of the collaborators. The current discipline hopping project Molecular metal oxides for process intensification enabled the investigators to start identifying the key scientific challenges that lie at the interface between the three disciplines in the areas of intensified catalytic processes and the design of metal clusters with novel physical properties, that can be exploited and utilised in compact reactors. The discipline hopping model gave an opportunity to the co-investigators to gain in-depth understanding of the problems and potentials of new developments in the three research areas: synthesis of novel molecular metal oxides, application of nanoparticles in heat transfer and the design of intensified compact parallel reactor systems, which is now beginning to produce scientific output.1 At the same time, the discipline hopping model revealed the potential for a fundamental development in the research direction within each of the PI's research groups (LC / inorganic cluster chemistry, now having focus on functional molecular metal oxides, AL / novel chemistry for catalysis and reactors, now having focus on exploitation of reversible switching functionalities, YD / heat transfer nanofluids, now focusing on nanoparticles, self assembly, and responsive nanofluids) which could only be possible using the unique combination of expertise of LC, AL and YD. Initial data generated within the discipline hopping grant on the performance of synthesised metal oxides, and the analysis of the future potential of the synergistic development in all three areas resulted in the current proposal. A comprehensive program would allow a step change in process intensification and the underlying chemistry of molecular metal oxides and their self organisation into larger structures and aggregates. This research aims to integrate three main objectives: (1) cluster design and synthesis, (2) catalyst and reactor design, (3) synthesis and characterisation of nanofluids to be combined under a single umbrella to produce an integrated approach to catalysis and process development. As such the personnel employed will also benefit from secondment to each of the collaborating laboratories at critical points during the project. This will have the additional benefit of engaging young researchers at the research interface between chemistry and chemical engineering.