Molecular and surface interactions in the 'directed' assembly of nano-structured inorganic-organic materials

化学系的高分子、超分子和纳米化学(MSN)计划将支持加州大学圣巴巴拉分校的雅各布·伊斯拉切维利教授和布拉德利·施梅尔卡教授的合作研究计划。研究人员和他们的学生将专注于半导体纳米颗粒的合成和表征，以及它们的2D和3D组装。这些材料将由具有可定制结构和性能的(II-VI和III-V族)半导体制成。原子的位置顺序、粒子内电子顺序和量子限制效应将通过固体核磁共振光谱、表面力测量、光学、透射电子显微镜和X射线技术以及第一性原理计算来检验。这些基本的见解将被用来通过不同的外部刺激，如外加的法向力和剪切力，以及电场，通过定向组装来理解纳米颗粒和纳米颗粒集合内的分层有序性。拟议项目的更广泛的影响包括展示新的和一般的方法，用于测量、理解、设计和改进导致纳米材料不寻常性质的局部成分和结构特征。将获得的基本见解将适用于各种其他系统，包括大分子、胶体和生物材料。加州大学圣巴巴拉分校和以色列本古里安大学的合作努力将为两个互补和装备齐全的团体的学生提供跨文化教育和研究机会。学生将在新纳米粒子的合成和表征方面接受的跨学科培训将广泛可转移。预计从拟议项目中获得的见解将使学生和更广泛的科学界能够开发下一代材料，旨在改善电子和光电子工艺和装置的性能。

The Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) program of the Division of Chemistry will support the collaborative research program of Prof. Jacob Israelachvili and Prof. Bradley Shmelka of the University of California at Santa Barbara. The investigators and their students will focus on the synthesis and characterization of semiconductor nanoparticles, as well as their 2D and 3D assemblies. The materials will be fabricated from (II-VI and III-V groups) semiconductors with tailorable structures and properties. The atomic positioning order, intraparticle electronic order and quantum confinement effects will be examined by solid-state NMR spectroscopy, surface forces measurements, and optical, TEM and X-ray techniques, in conjunction with first-principles calculations. These fundamental insights will then be exploited for the understanding of the hierarchical ordering within the nanoparticles and nanoparticle ensembles by directed assembly through varied external stimuli such as externally applied normal and shear forces, and electric fields.The broader impacts of the proposed project include the demonstration of new and general approaches for the measurement, understanding, design, and improvement of the local compositional and structural features that account for the unusual properties of nanomaterials. Fundamental insights that will be obtained will apply to diverse other systems, including macromolecular, colloidal and biological materials. The collaborative efforts between the University of California at Santa Barbara and Ben Gurion University in Israel will provide cross-cultural educational and research opportunities for students between two complementary and well-equipped groups. The interdisciplinary training that students will receive in the synthesis and characterization of new nanoparticles will be broadly transferrable. It is expected that the insights gained from the proposed project will enable students and the broader scientific community to develop next-generation materials aimed at improving the performances of electronic and opto-electronic processes and devices.