EAGER: Exploring Routes to Nanocomposites Linking Silicate and Carbon-Based Structures

非技术描述：现代技术需要强度高、重量轻的材料，具有为特定应用量身定做的性能。含有硅、碳、氧和氮的纳米结构材料在从锂离子电池电极到火花塞到航空航天工业的高温材料等领域都有很大的应用价值。到目前为止，它们的合成一直是费力且昂贵的途径，涉及有毒的有机硅聚合物前体，并使这类材料被命名为聚合物衍生陶瓷(PDC)。该项目探索了这些材料和相关材料的替代合成路线。具有新结构的材料可能被发现，并将获得对其性能、稳定性和可能的新应用的了解。这项研究可能会为更经济、更环保的制造方法铺平道路。此外，在高压下行星内部可能存在相关物质，因此该项目可能会影响地质学和行星科学以及材料科学。技术细节：在航空航天、汽车、核能等行业的应用中，需要强度高、重量轻、高温下使用的无反应陶瓷材料。尽管二氧化硅与碳、碳化硅和/或氮化硅直接反应生成多组分非晶态、玻璃态或晶态材料鲜有成功，但聚合物前驱体路线导致了一类非常有趣的新材料，称为聚合物衍生陶瓷(PDC)。它们最近发现的热力学稳定性表明，它们和/或相关材料应该可以通过其他可能更简单的途径获得。该项目使用各种活性和纳米相起始材料，探索这种替代合成方法。其目标是产生避免昂贵、困难、有毒和危险的有机硅聚合物前体的新材料。将探索包括介孔二氧化硅和金属有机骨架中的有机分子的起始材料，常压热解、激光烧蚀和高压反应是可能的合成途径。此外，在高压下行星内部可能存在相关物质，因此该项目可能会影响地质学和行星科学以及材料科学。该项目将培训年轻科学家在合成和表征技术以及合成、结构、物理性质和热力学稳定性方面的相关概念方面的培训。

NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Modern technology demands strong lightweight materials with properties tailored to specific applications. Nanostructured materials containing silicon, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen are of interest in applications ranging from lithium ion battery electrodes to spark plugs to high temperature materials in the aerospace industry. Heretofore their synthesis has been by laborious and expensive pathways involving toxic organosiliicon polymer precursors and giving this class of materials the name polymer-derived ceramics (PDC). This project explores alternate synthesis routes to these and related materials. Materials with new structures may be discovered, and understanding will be gained about their properties, stability and possible new applications. This research may pave the way to more economical and environmentally benign manufacturing methods. Furthermore it is possible that related materials may exist in planetary interiors at high pressure, and this project thus may impact geology and planetary science as well as materials science. TECHNICAL DETAILS: Strong, lightweight and unreactive ceramic materials for use at high temperature are needed for applications in aerospace, automotive, nuclear, and other industries. Though direct reaction of silica with carbon, silicon carbide and/or silicon nitride to form multicomponent amorphous, glassy, or crystalline materials has met with little success, a polymer precursor route, has led to a new class of very interesting materials called polymer-derived ceramics (PDC). Their recently discovered thermodynamic stability suggests that they and/or related materials should be accessible by other, perhaps simpler, pathways. This project explores such alternative syntheses, using various reactive and nanophase starting materials. The goal is to generate new materials avoiding expensive, difficult, toxic, and dangerous organosilicon polymer precursors. Starting materials involving organic molecules confined in mesoporous silica and metal organic frameworks will be explored, with pyrolysis under atmospheric pressure, laser ablation, and high pressure reactions as possible synthetic pathways. Furthermore it is possible that related materials may exist in planetary interiors at high pressure, and this project thus may impact geology and planetary science as well as materials science. This project will train young scientists in synthetic and characterization techniques and in relating concepts in synthesis, structure, physical properties, and thermodynamic stability.