Curved, Twisted and Doped Nanocarbons: Stepwise Build-Up of Charge and Metal Intercalation

奥尔巴尼纽约州立大学的Marina Petrukhina教授得到化学系高分子、超分子和纳米化学（MSN）项目的支持，研究具有固有曲率和扭曲的多种纳米碳材料。纳米碳材料越来越多地用于一系列应用中，特别是作为替代能源产生和存储系统中的电极，如锂离子电池和超级电容器。现在人们普遍认为，这些材料的电荷存储和传输特性高度依赖于其分子和组装体的结构特征。该项目准备推进这些非平面分子纳米碳的化学和电子性质的基础知识。更好地理解这些系统及其多电子获取和电荷传输过程为它们在实际能源设备中的利用铺平了道路。除了其根本的重要性，该项目的一个主要目标是加强在纽约州立大学奥尔巴尼的研究生和本科生的教育和研究经验，为他们在竞争激烈的劳动力环境中未来的成功做好准备。 PI积极参与加强纽约（SUNY）校区的州立大学的基础设施，以加强研究组合，并促进纳米科学，可持续性和能源相关领域的创新。该项目正在对一系列新型纳米碳材料的逐步化学还原过程和多电子存储能力进行广泛的基础研究。该项目的三个主要目标是：1）评估具有不同核心拓扑结构和π共轭的弯曲，扭曲和掺杂分子纳米石墨烯在添加多个电子时的结构转变;（2）研究还原诱导的反应性和利用分子内和分子间C-C偶联反应合成新的扩展聚芳族体系; 3）高电荷碳支架的自组装和碱金属插层研究，为新型储能材料的开发奠定基础。该项目为具有扭曲和应变框架的新型分子纳米碳的电子获取能力和反应性提供了新的见解，并揭示了不寻常的结构转变和负电荷逐步积累后的新耦合途径。通过提高对氧化还原性质、自组装和碱金属插层过程的基本理解，该项目促进了纳米结构碳材料的实际应用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Professor Marina Petrukhina of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany is supported by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program of the Division of Chemistry to study a diverse set of nanocarbon materials with inherent curvature and twist. Nanocarbon materials are increasingly being used in a range of applications, particularly as electrodes in alternative energy generation and storage systems such as Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors. It is now generally agreed that the charge storage and transport properties of these materials are highly dependent on the structural features of their molecules and assemblies. The project is poised to advance fundamental knowledge on the chemical and electronic properties of these non-planar molecular nanocarbons. A better understanding of these systems and their multi-electron acquisition and charge transport processes paves the way for their utilization in practical energy devices. Beyond its fundamental importance, a major objective of the project is the enhancement of the educational and research experiences of graduate and undergraduate students at the SUNY Albany to prepare them for future success in a highly competitive workforce environment. The PI is actively involved in enhancing the infrastructure across the State University of New York (SUNY) campuses to strengthen the research portfolio and to facilitate innovation in nanoscience, sustainability and energy related fields. The project is carrying out a broad fundamental investigation of stepwise chemical reduction processes and multi-electron storage capacities of a diverse set of novel nanocarbon materials. The project's three main objectives are: 1) the evaluation of the structural transformations of curved, twisted, and doped molecular nanographenes with different core topologies and pi-conjugation upon addition of multiple electrons; (2) the investigation of the reduction-induced reactivity and utilization of intra- and intermolecular C−C coupling reactions for the synthesis of new extended polyaromatic systems; and 3) the study of self-assembly and alkali metal intercalation of the highly charged carbon scaffolds with embedded cavities and pockets for the development of new energy-storage materials. The project provides new insights into electron acquisition abilities and reactivity of novel molecular nanocarbons with contorted and strained frameworks, as well as uncovers unusual structural transformations and new coupling pathways upon stepwise build-up of negative charge. By improving the fundamental understanding of the redox properties, self-assembly and alkali metal intercalation processes, the project facilitates practical applications of the nanostructured carbon materials.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.