Formation, characterization and application of novel materials and processes at electrode surfaces

我们研究的主要目标是在电极表面设计、合成、表征和应用新型薄膜材料。这些薄膜有许多实际应用，包括用于清洁高效的电池和燃料电池，保护金属免受浪费的腐蚀，作为环境或我们体内物种的传感器等等。近年来，我们研究的薄膜厚度从一个原子到数百万原子不等，包括金属、金属氧化物、聚合物、腐蚀抑制剂、氧化还原活性生物活性材料和负载催化剂。我们的主要目标是控制这些薄膜的厚度、孔隙度、形貌、粒度、化学成分、氧化态和电导率，从而实现新的和有用的设备和应用。具体来说，我们将用成本更低、效率更高的材料取代目前燃料电池中用于与氧反应的昂贵金属，也增强了我们对氧还原反应的理解，从而使燃料电池技术很快实现。这项工作的关键部分包括了解氧反应部位的分子结构，使用强大的技术，如x射线吸收光谱，电子显微镜和敏感的质量测量技术。另一个重要目标是改善多孔表面膜的内部结构，目前多孔表面膜由许多小颗粒和孔隙组成，其大小和分布不受控制，导致材料使用效率低下，性能有限。因此，我们将开发包含直径和长度可控的有组织孔隙的薄膜结构，例如，使用表面活性剂作为模板材料，以更好地利用我们的活性材料。我们还将非常小的金属颗粒沉积到独特的蜂窝表面阵列的孔中，以单独研究每个颗粒，使我们能够确定这些颗粒的正确尺寸和分布，以获得最大的性能。我们还将进一步开发一种专门的薄膜材料，作为糖尿病患者使用的血糖传感器。

The key goal of our research is the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of novel thin film materials on electrode surfaces. These films have many practical applications, including use in clean and efficient batteries and fuel cells, for the protection of metals from wasteful corrosion, as sensors of species in the environment or in our bodies, and more. The thin films which we have investigated in recent years have ranged from one atom to many millions of atoms in thickness, and have included metals, metal oxides, polymers, corrosion inhibitors, redox-active biologically active materials, and supported catalysts. Our primary objective is to knowledgeably control the thickness, porosity, morphology, particle size, chemical composition, oxidation state, and conductivity of these films, so that new and useful devices and applications can be realized. Specifically, we will replace the expensive metals that are currently used to react with oxygen in fuel cells with much lower cost and more efficient materials, also enhancing our understanding of the oxygen reduction reaction, so that fuel cell technology can soon be realized. A key part of this work involves understanding the molecular structure of the site at which oxygen reacts, using powerful techniques such as X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, Electron Microscopy, and sensitive mass measurement techniques. Another important goal is to improve the internal structure of porous surface films, which currently consist of many small particles and pores of uncontrolled size and distribution, resulting in inefficient material use and limited performance. We will therefore develop thin film structures containing organized pores of controlled diameter and length, e.g., using surfactants as templating materials, to better utilize our active materials. We will also deposit very small metal particles into the holes of a unique honeycomb surface array to study each particles individually, allowing us to determine the right size and distribution of these particles for maximum performance. We will also further develop a specialized thin film material as a blood glucose sensor for use by individuals with diabetes.