Selective Growth of Transition Metal Oxide Nanowires for Nanoscale Smart Devices

非技术描述：过渡金属氧化物（transition metal oxides，TMOs）是一类能够在电场（电致变色）和光（光致变色）等外界刺激下可逆变色的智能材料，基于TMOs的智能器件在节能、转换、存储等方面有着广泛的应用，为解决当前地球仪能源危机提供了巨大的潜力。本项目的目标是实现TMO纳米线在无催化剂辅助下的选择性生长，并研究其电致变色性能在纳米智能器件中的应用，以增强其性能。本项目的研究活动将使参与者发展基础科学的坚实知识，积累综合研究工具的经验，并提高与不同研究领域专家的沟通技巧。该项目还促进了纳米科学和工程计划以及夏洛特夏洛特新兴材料研究的当前活动，为研究生和本科生（包括少数民族学生）的综合研究和教育创造高度跨学科的环境。研究成果将通过会议论文集和期刊出版物广泛传播，并将被整合到现有的和新的教育课程中。技术难题：一维（1D）纳米结构的选择性生长对于大规模器件集成至关重要，但迄今为止，一维纳米结构的选择性生长主要由催化剂辅助的工艺主导，不适合电致变色应用。本研究计划的目标是通过表面成核控制来实现TMO纳米线的无催化剂选择性生长。这项工作将揭示的生长机制，这将使良好的控制生长地点，取向，对齐，和掺杂的纳米线器件制造。TMO纳米线有望在响应速度和显色效率方面具有增强的电致变色性能，同时具有减小的尺寸和增大的表面积。研究活动将产生纳米结构中的电致变色的基本理解，并建立TMO纳米线的结构-性质-性能关系，以通过精细结构控制来改善其电致变色性能。该研究项目将培养研究生和本科生的多学科研究课题，如材料合成和表征，微器件制造，电气/光学性能测量和电致变色性能测试。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are a group of smart materials capable of changing their color reversibly in response to external stimuli, such as electric field (electrochromism) and light (photochromism), etc. Smart devices based on TMOs have extensive applications in energy saving, conversion, and storage, providing great potentials to help solve the current globe energy crisis. The goal of this project is to realize the selective growth of TMO nanowires without the assistance of catalysts, and study their electrochromic properties in applications of nanoscale smart devices with enhanced performance. The research activities in this project will allow participants to develop solid knowledge on fundamental science, accumulate experience with comprehensive research tools, and enhance their communication skills with experts in different research fields. This project also promotes current activities in the nanoscale science and engineering program and the emerging materials research at UNC Charlotte to create highly interdisciplinary environment for integrated research and education for both graduate and undergraduate students, including minority students. Research results will be broadly disseminated through conference proceedings and journal publications, and will be integrated into existing and new educational courses.TECHNICAL DETAILS: Selective growth of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures is essential for large scale device integration, but so far the selective growth of 1D nanostructures is dominated by catalyst-assisted processes that are not suitable for electrochromic applications. This research project targets creating non-catalyst selective growth of TMO nanowires by surface nucleation control. The work will reveal the growth mechanism which will enable excellent controls on growth sites, orientation, alignment, and doping of nanowires for device fabrication. TMO nanowires are expected to have enhanced electrochromic properties in response speed and coloration efficiency with their reduced dimensions and enhanced surface area. The research activities will produce a fundamental understanding of electrochromism in nanostructures and establish the structure-property-performance relation for TMO nanowires to improve their electrochromic performance by fine structure controls. This research project will train both graduate and undergraduate students in multidisciplinary research topics such as materials synthesis and characterization, microdevice fabrication, electrical/optical property measurement, and electrochromic property testing.