NER: Bio-inspired Synthesis of Novel Porous Carbon Nanotubes

罗彻斯特大学的碳纳米管在纳米复合材料、低温燃料电池电极催化剂的载体材料、过滤和分离等方面具有重要的活性成分。碳纳米管的结构修饰和表面功能是其中许多应用的关键。本项目致力于从与自然界中形成的生物脂管结构相似的表面活性剂组装开始，以生物启发的方式合成新型多孔碳纳米管(PCNTs)。该项目的目标是从不同脂肪酸的多孔朗缪尔-布洛克德特(Langmuir-Blogdist，LB)膜中开发pCNTs，了解其形成机理和结构-性质关系的初步数据。在这个项目中，PI将探索一种基于自组装和模板原理的生物启发方法，以合成不同表面官能团和化学组成、结晶度的多孔碳纳米管。他假设，当有机表面活性剂分解(~450)时，在高温下转化为碳纳米管时，具有均匀厚度的自组装多孔表面活性剂层可以用作形成纳米管的前体结构。他进一步假设，薄膜到纳米管的形成是由有机薄膜顶部和底部之间产生的染色梯度以及分子水平和碳化过程中的范德华力驱动的。具体目标是：1)在氧化铝(AAO)纳米孔膜模板上制备不同羧酸表面活性剂的负载型多孔Langmuir-Blodgett(LB膜)薄膜；2)在不同的合成条件下将这些LB膜转化为多孔碳纳米管，如温度、LB膜厚度和表面活性剂的类型(含烯烃和芳环的链)；以及3)初步表征多孔碳纳米管的孔隙率、气体吸收率和电导率。这些材料在先进的碳纳米管纤维和复合材料、先进的分离和过滤技术、燃料电池催化剂的新组件(将对汽车、航空航天、微电子、精细化工和制药行业产生影响)以及氢经济的发展方面至关重要。受生物启发的纳米材料的课程模块将被开发并纳入罗切斯特大学多个系的研究生和本科生开设的材料化学课程“先进材料的化学”。本科生和高中生将有机会通过暑期实习项目进行相关项目的研究。为了帮助不具代表性的高中生，国际学生联合会将与大学行政当局和当地组织合作，招收经济困难的学生，并为他们未来成为纳米技术跨学科领域的劳动力做好准备。他的团队将加强与匹兹福德高中职业实习生计划和美国化学协会(ACS)罗切斯特分部项目种子计划的合作伙伴关系，该计划吸引了来自纽约西部地区的大量高中生。研究成果的传播将通过在参考期刊上发表、在会议和研讨会上介绍、特邀讲座和组织专题研讨会来进行。

University of Rochester Carbon nanotubes are important active components in various novel applications such as nanocomposites, supporting materials for electrode catalysts in low-temperature fuel cells, filtration and separation. Structural modification and surface functionality of carbon nanotubes are pivotal to many of these applications. This project focuses on a bio-inspired synthesis of novel porous carbon nanotubes (pCNTs) starting from the surfactant assembly that resembles those structures of biolipid tubes formed in Nature. The project aims at the development of pCNTs from porous Langmuir-Blogdett (LB) films of various fatty acids, the understanding of the formation mechanism and preliminary data on the structure-property relationship.Intellectual MeritIn this project, the PI will explore a bio-inspired approach, based on the self-assembly and template principles, to synthesis of porous carbon nanotubes with different surface functional groups and chemical compositions, degree of crystallinity. He hypothesizes that self-assembled porous surfactant layers with homogenous thickness can be used as precursor structure in the creation of nanotubes upon conversions to carbon nanotubes at the elevated temperatures when organic surfactants being to decompose (~450). He further hypothesizes that the film to nanotube formation is driven by the stain gradients created between the top and bottom of the organic films and the van der Waals forces at the molecular level and during the carbonization process. The specific aims are: 1) Generation of supported porous Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of various carboxylic acid surfactants on templates of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) nanoporous membranes; 2) Conversion of these porous LB thin films into porous carbon nanotubes under various synthetic conditions, such as temperature, thickness of LB films and the type of surfactants (alkene and aromatic ring- containing chains); and 3) Prelimiary porosity, gas absorbance and conductivity characterizations of porous carbon nanotubes are to be made.Broader ImpactThe program will contribute to the development of functional carbon nanotubes. Such materials are critically important in the areas of advanced carbon nanotube fibers and composites, advanced separation and filtration techniques, novel components for fuel cell catalysts which will impact in automobile, aerospace, microelectronic, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and in the advancement of hydrogen economy.Course modules on the bio-inspired nanomaterials will be developed and incorporated into the materials chemistry course, "the Chemistry of Advance Materials" offered to graduate and undergraduate students from several Departments at the University of Rochester. Undergraduate and high school students will be given opportunities to conduct research on related projects through summer internship programs. To reach out for under-representative high school students, the PI will work with the University administrations and local organizations to recruit economically disadvantaged students and prepare them to be the future workforce in the interdisciplinary fields of nanotechnology. His group will strengthen the partnership with Pittsford High School Career Intern Program, and American Chemical Society (ACS) Rochester Section Project SEED program which attracts a large number of high school students from Western New York region. The dissemination of research results will be carried out through the publication in refereed journals, presentation at conferences and workshops, invited lectures, and organization of topical symposia.