Thermal Field-Flow Fractionation of Nanoscale Materials

在化学测量和成像计划的支持下，科罗拉多矿业学院的Kim Williams教授和她的团队寻求在热场流动分馏(ThFFF)的背景下更好地理解热扩散和分析物-溶剂参数之间的关系，目的是开发解决纳米材料带来的新的测量挑战的方法。包括对不同的聚合物化学和结构(直链、梳子、树枝状大分子、星形和瓶刷)以及由这些聚合物功能化的纳米颗粒进行的广泛的系统研究，以及可以显著减少分析时间和能源消耗的新的ThFFF通道设计，同时提供了一条潜在的半制备规模分离路线。收集大量定义明确的窄分散聚合物和纳米颗粒的能力将有助于解开性质-功能关系。拟议的活动将促进分析化学和不同领域的知识和理解。通过开发新的纳米材料分析方法，该项目可以影响多个领域，如分离、新材料合成和可再生能源。监控反应的能力将提供对合成途径的洞察，并促进目标产品的反应优化。了解特定纳米材料特性在控制末端特性中的相对作用(例如，纳米颗粒尺寸和表面化学对光转换效率的影响)将有助于设计用于太阳能电池的新型纳米结构。该计划包括一个面向丹佛两个学区K-12科学教育的外展部分，丹佛的两个学区有大量的少数族裔和弱势学生。

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program, Prof. Kim Williams and her group at the Colorado School of Mines seek increased understanding of the relationship between thermal diffusion and analyte-solvent parameters in the context of thermal field-flow fractionation (ThFFF), with aims of developing methods that address new measurement challenges posed by nanoscale materials. Extensive systematic studies with different polymer chemistries and architectures (linear chains, combs, dendrimers, stars, and bottle brushes) and nanoparticles functionalized with these polymers are included, as are new ThFFF channel designs that can significantly reduce analysis times and energy consumption while providing a potential route to semipreparative scale separations. The ability to collect larger amounts of well defined narrow dispersity polymers and nanoparticles will be a boon to unraveling property-function relationships.The proposed activities will advance knowledge and understanding within analytical chemistry and across different fields. Through the development of novel analytical methods for nanoscale materials, this project can impact diverse areas such as separations, synthesis of new materials, and renewable energy. The ability to monitor reactions will provide insight into synthesis pathways and facilitate reaction optimization for targeted products. Understanding the relative role of specific nanomaterials properties in controlling end properties (e.g., the influence of nanoparticle size and surface chemistry on photoconversion efficiencies) will facilitate the design of novel nanostructures for solar cells. The program includes an outreach component geared towards K-12 science education in two Denver school districts with high numbers of minority and disadvantaged students.