Discrete and Extended Arrays of Main Group Elements and Transition Metals

这个奖项在无机，生物无机和有机化学计划支持研究教授的研究。莱斯大学的惠特迈尔，探索分子路线，以各种纳米材料与有趣的磁性组成的主族元素（E）和过渡金属（M）。 通过适当的热、化学或光化学处理，将具有明确形状和尺寸的簇分子转化为E-M材料，以确定允许控制所得材料的化学计量和性质的因素。 在某些情况下，纳米粒子直接出现在混合分子前体，并试图分离和表征离散的分子物种，这些分子物种是颗粒生长途径上的中间体，以了解纳米粒子如何发展。这些中间体的结构将与最终材料进行比较，以深入了解生长机制。一个特定的系列，将是目标是铁/锰磷属元素化物系统。 许多离散的簇化合物具有正确的E-M化学计量，用于转化为已知的MxEy（M = Fe，Mn; E =磷属元素）相。实现这些转化所需的条件以及辅助配体和结合的有机功能的影响将被检查，以定制的分解，以优化条件和产品性能。该系统特别灵活，因为可以制备具有不同E或M组分的同构簇化合物并用于将掺杂剂引入最终材料中。结合这些基础研究，将优化簇产物的生产条件，以使这些化合物的使用可行。磁性材料作为具有明确组成和性质的纳米颗粒的合成将有助于对可用于电子和相关工业的重要材料的生产中所涉及的化学的基本知识和理解。该项目还将为支持电子行业所需的劳动力培养学生。

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Professor Kenton H. Whitmire of Rice University to explore molecular routes to a variety of nanoscale materials with interesting magnetic properties composed of main group elements (E) and transition metals (M). Cluster molecules with well-defined shape and size will be converted into E-M materials by suitable thermal, chemical or photochemical treatment in order to define the factors that will permit control of the stoichiometry and properties of the resulting materials. In some cases nanoparticles arise directly upon mixing molecular precursors, and attempts will be made to isolate and characterize discrete molecular species that are intermediates on the pathway to particle growth in order to understand how the nanoparticles develop. Structures of these intermediates will be compared to the final materials for insight into the growth mechanism. One particular series that will be targeted is the iron/manganese pnictide system. A number of discrete cluster compounds having the correct E-M stoichiometry for conversion to known MxEy (M = Fe, Mn; E = pnictogen) phases are available. The conditions that are required to achieve these conversions as well as the effect of ancillary ligands and bound-organic functions will be examined in order to tailor the decompositions to optimize conditions and product properties. This system is particularly flexible because isostructural cluster compounds with different E or M constituents can be prepared and used to introduce dopants into the final materials. In conjunction with these fundamental studies, conditions for production of the cluster products will be optimized in order to make use of these compounds viable. The synthesis of magnetic materials as nanoparticles of well-defined composition and properties will contribute to the fundamental knowledge and understanding of the chemistry involved in the production of important materials that may be employed in the electronics and related industries. This project will also train students for the workforce that is necessary to support the electronics industry.