Surface Chemistry of Complex Multi-Element Metal Oxides

在这项研究中，来自波士顿大学的Kevin E.Smith教授在化学系化学结构、动力学和机理计划的支持下，将使用强大的X射线光谱仪组合来测量复杂的多元素金属氧化物的表面电子结构和化学反应活性。这些氧化物的表面化学具有基础性的科学意义，因为它们在催化、能量产生和能量存储方面发挥着重要作用。虽然许多简单的化学计量金属氧化物的化学性质是众所周知的，但对于含有多种金属元素并具有非化学计量和/或缺陷表面的氧化物来说，情况并非如此。这个项目的目标是了解在广泛的物理条件下控制小分子与此类氧化物表面发生化学反应的基本机制。通过这样做，该计划的结果将使复杂的金属氧化物表面化学的基本科学知识应用于许多应用中的重要问题，不仅是在固体氧化物燃料电池中，而且在太阳能和电解分水装置以及金属-空气电池中也是如此。这个计划有望改变人们对复杂氧化物材料表面和界面的理解。这是一个雄心勃勃的研究计划，使用强烈的X射线来研究一类具有重大技术和科学意义的材料的基本物理性质，即大量金属原子和氧原子的化合物。这些材料用于催化、燃料电池等能源产生设备以及电池等储能设备。该计划旨在对这些复杂金属氧化物的化学反应活性和电子性质进行明确的测量，从而极大地扩大我们对此类材料的理解。它解决了可再生能源发电中的重要问题，即测量控制燃料电池和其他能源装置效率的基本参数。

In this research, supported by the Chemical Structures, Dynamics and Mechanisms Program of the Division of Chemistry, Prof. Kevin E. Smith from Boston University will use a powerful combination of x-ray spectroscopies to measure the surface electronic structure and chemical reactivity of complex multi-element metal oxides. The surface chemistry of these oxides is of fundamental scientific importance due to the significant role they play in catalysis, energy generation, and energy storage. While the chemical properties of many simple stochiometric metal oxides are well understood, this is not the case for oxides that contain multiple metal elements and have non-stochiometric and/or defective surfaces. The goal of this program is to understand the fundamental mechanisms controlling the chemical reaction of small molecules with the surfaces of such oxides under a wide range of physical conditions. In doing so, the results of this program will allow basic scientific knowledge of complex metal oxide surface chemistry to be applied to problems of importance in numerous applications, not least in solid oxide fuel cells, but also in solar and electrolytic water-splitting devices, and metal-air batteries. This program holds the promise of transforming the understanding of the surfaces and interfaces of complex oxide materials.This is an ambitious research program that uses intense x-rays to the study the fundamental physical properties of a class of materials of great technological and scientific importance, namely compounds of numerous metal atoms and oxygen atoms. These materials are used in catalysis, in energy generation devices such as fuel cells, and in energy storage devices such as batteries. The program aims to produce definitive measurements of the chemical reactivity and electronic properties of these complex metal oxides, and thus greatly expand our understanding of such materials. It addresses important problems in renewable energy generation, namely measuring the fundamental parameters that control the efficiency of fuel cells and other energy devices.