Enabling the Preparation of Advanced Materials through Analysis and Control of the Interfacial Chemistries of Nanoscale Materials

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Nanoscale materials are being pursued widely for a variety of applications. A critical component of harnessing the potential of these materials is the ability to controllably and reliably tune their surface and interfacial chemistries. A series of analytical studies are proposed that will advance our understanding and control of chemical modifications to the surfaces of nanoscale materials. New methods will be developed that increase the diversity of chemistries available for these surface modifications. In addition to advancing the knowledge of the field and our ability to uniformly and reproducibly modify surfaces of nanomaterials, this research will guide the development of a number of economically important technologies.****A diverse array of chemistries will be enabled for modifying the surfaces of silicon oxides. Nanomaterials are commonly coated with silicon oxides to improve their stability, but these oxides also require further chemical modification. We will create simple methods to tune the surface chemistries of silicon oxides to withstand or facilitate a variety of specific molecular interactions (e.g., binding molecular targets, chelating metal ions, and preventing other chemical interactions). These surface chemistries could be extended to materials other than silicon oxides, as well as to modifying thin films used in chromatography and biomedical devices. This research will develop scalable and potentially commercially viable methods. ****Fundamental to utilizing nanostructured materials as better electrocatalysts or more sensitive electrochemical sensors is our ability to confirm and improve our theoretical understanding of these systems. Our studies will build an experimental model through which we can refine composition, spatial distribution, and surface chemistry of such nanomaterials. We will perform a thorough analysis to better understand how to improve the chemical selectivity, activity, and stability of these materials. This understanding will facilitate development of cost effective low temperature fuel cell catalysts and sensors with increased sensitivity and selectivity for use in portable medical diagnostics for detecting dissolved chemical species. ****The unique properties of nanomaterials will also be harnessed to create a new means of chemical transformations, whether for modifying the surface chemistry of these materials or triggering larger-scale reactions. We will investigate photothermal generated heat and/or radicals to facilitate new reactions, as well as to expand our knowledge of photothermal triggered chemical processes. This knowledge will also be used to promote chemical reactions that are largely unreactive under ambient conditions. ****In summary, these advances will enrich our knowledge of the surface and interface chemistry of nanoscale materials that is needed to utilize these materials to their fullest economic potential.**