U.S. - Bulgarian Cooperative Research: Synthesis of Large Quantities of Conductive Nanoparticles. Possible Applications in Batteries

这是一个美国和保加利亚的合作研究项目，重点是合成大量可能应用于电池技术的导电纳米粒子。主要研究者是堪萨斯州立大学的Kenneth Klabunde博士和索非亚电化学电源中央实验室的Iovka Dragieva博士。研究人员将设计出合成大量导电和半导体纳米粒子的策略。这些战略将以两种方法为基础：1)改进溶胶-凝胶/气凝胶工艺，利用金属醇氧化物分子前体生成金属氧化物纳米颗粒，通过催化固气反应将金属氧化物纳米颗粒转化为金属硫化物（或硒化物或碲化物）纳米颗粒；2)混合金属盐的硼氢化物还原生成双金属金属颗粒和金属氢化物，金属蒸气-溶剂缩合形成纳米晶金属和双金属。通过这项研究，研究人员希望发现并开发出更好的多孔导电材料，用于锂离子电池、金属氢化物电池和锌空气电池的电极。该材料研究项目实现了将美国和中欧/东欧的顶尖专家聚集在一起的计划目标，在平等、互惠和互利的基础上，在共同感兴趣和能力强的领域结合互补的努力和能力。

This is a U.S.-Bulgarian cooperative research project that will focus on synthesizing large quantities of conductive nanoparticles for possible applications to battery technology. The principal investigators are Dr. Kenneth Klabunde from Kansas State University and Dr. Iovka Dragieva from the Central Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources in Sofia. The researchers will devise strategies for the synthesis of large quantities of conductive and semiconductive nanoparticies. The strategies will be based on two approaches: 1) modified sol-gel/aerogel procedures employing metal alkoxide molecular precursors leading to metal oxide nanoparticles, and conversation of metal oxide nanoparticles to metal sulfide (or selenide or telluride) nanoparticles by catalyzed solid-gas reactions and 2) borohydride reduction of mixed metal salts to yield bimetallic metal particles and metal hydrides, and metal vapor-solvent cocondensation to form nanocrystalline metals and bimetallics. Through this research the researchers expect to discover and develop better porous conducting materials for applications as electrodes in Li ion batteries, metal-hydride batteries, and zinc-air batteries.This project in materials research fulfills the program objectives of bringing together leading experts in the U.S. and Central/Eastern Europe to combine complementary efforts and capabilities in areas of strong mutual interest and competence on the basis of equality, reciprocity, and mutuality of benefit.