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

我们研究的主要目标是设计、合成、表征和应用于电极表面的新型薄膜材料。这些薄膜有许多实际应用，包括用于清洁和高效的电池和燃料电池，用于保护金属免受浪费腐蚀，作为环境或人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个原子不等，包括金属、金属氧化物、聚合物、缓蚀剂、氧化还原活性生物活性材料和负载型催化剂。我们的主要目标是明智地控制这些薄膜的厚度、孔隙率、形貌、颗粒大小、化学成分、氧化状态和导电性，以便实现新的和有用的设备和应用。具体地说，我们将用低得多的成本和更高效的材料取代燃料电池中目前用来与氧气反应的昂贵金属，也提高了我们对氧气还原反应的了解，使燃料电池技术很快就能实现。这项工作的一个关键部分涉及使用强大的技术，如X射线吸收光谱、电子显微镜和敏感质量测量技术，了解氧反应部位的分子结构。另一个重要的目标是改善多孔表面薄膜的内部结构，目前多孔表面薄膜由许多大小和分布不受控制的小颗粒和气孔组成，导致材料利用效率低下和性能受限。因此，我们将开发包含可控直径和长度的有序孔的薄膜结构，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。我们还将在独特的蜂窝表面阵列的孔洞中沉积非常小的金属颗粒，以单独研究每个颗粒，使我们能够确定这些颗粒的正确大小和分布，以实现最高性能。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.