Inorganic nanomaterials: Structure, properties and function

该研究计划的总体目标是深入了解结构和组成如何影响简单固态无机-主要是金属氧化物-材料的功能特性。该计划的目标是具有广泛定义的低维度的系统（例如，物理尺寸小于100 nm的纳米材料;或局部原子顺序大大降低超过几纳米的材料，即无定形材料）。功能性始终是我们关注的焦点;有用的催化，磁性和/或光学功能特性是该计划的核心。 我们的团队已经证明，简单，低成本的非晶金属氧化物涂层提供了水分解的最先进性能，这是一种使用可再生能源将水分解为O2和H2燃料的储能方法。使用无定形材料的一个挑战是缺乏结构描述，特别是在活性催化下。利用x射线光谱方法，我们将探测材料的结构和氧化态在原位和在operando。结合电化学研究，这将为这些复杂而简单的催化剂如何发挥作用提供前所未有的见解。该研究计划的第二部分比较了非晶氧化锌半导体的合成方法如何影响其物理特性，目的是确定制造与低温加工兼容的半导体的冠军方法。最后，第三股关注我们最近开发用于磁共振成像（MRI）的高性能氧化铁纳米颗粒（IONP）的努力。我们最近发现，麦芽酚，一个简单的螯合分子，可以结合到IONP的表面。我们将调整我们迄今为止所采取的策略，以形成具有不同组成的IONP，以改善磁性和/或毒性，并创建更复杂的（例如核-壳）纳米结构。这些改良的最终交付物是一种具有最大溶解度和有效期、最小细胞毒性和不良生物学效应的MRI造影剂，同时保持或改善MRI功能。 该研究计划开发了概念工具，以进一步设计下一代功能纳米材料，解决重大挑战问题，包括清洁能源转换和存储（水分解催化）以及更好，更方便的非侵入性诊断（MRI）健康解决方案。我们采用多学科方法，以最先进的方法制备和表征材料。这项研究计划的影响是深远的：例如，对析氧反应的深入了解可以找到应用程序，并使需要能源密集型小分子转化的无数行业受益。

This research program’s overarching goal is to develop insight into how structure and composition affect functional properties in simple solid-state inorganic - primarily metal-oxide - materials. This program targets systems with broadly-defined low dimensionality (e.g. nanomaterials with a physical size less than 100 nm; or materials in which local atomic order is greatly reduced beyond a few nanometers, i.e. amorphous materials). Functionality is always at the centre of our focus; useful catalytic, magnetic and/or optical functional properties are core to this program. Our group has shown that simple, low-cost amorphous metal-oxide coatings offer state-of the art performance for water splitting, an energy-storage method wherein water is split into O2 and H2 fuel, using renewable energy. A challenge in working with amorphous materials is the lack of a structural description, especially under active catalysis. Taking advantage of x-ray spectroscopic methods we will probe structure and oxidation states of materials in situ and in operando. Combined with electrochemical investigations, this will provide an unprecedented insight into how these complex yet simple catalysts function. A second stream of this research program compares how synthetic approaches to amorphous zinc oxide semiconductors influence their physical properties, with the aim of identifying champion methods to making semiconductors that are compatible with low-temperature processing. Finally, a third stream focuses on our recent efforts to develop high-performance iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We have recently shown that maltol, a simple chelating molecule, can bind to the surface of IONPs. We will adapt the strategy we have taken thus far to form IONPs with different compositions to improve magnetic properties and / or toxicity, and create more intricate (e.g. core-shell) nanostructures. The end deliverable of these modifications is a capable MRI contrast agent with maximized solubility and shelf-life, minimized cytotoxicity and adverse biological effects, while at the same time maintaining or improving MRI capabilities. This research program develops the conceptual tools to further design next-generation functional nanoscaled materials that tackle grand-challenge problems, including clean-energy transformation and storage (water-splitting catalysis) and better, accessible health solutions for non-invasive diagnostics (MRI). We take a multidisciplinary approach to preparing and characterizing materials with state-of-the-art methods. The implications of this research program are far-reaching: e.g. the deeper understanding of the oxygen-evolution reaction can find application and benefit myriad industries where energy-intensive small-molecule transformations are required.