Collaborative Research: Interactions of Interlayered Nanoporous Graphene with Surrounding Water Molecules

涂层或表面工程在各种工业应用中无处不在。涂层可以应用于各种电子设备的表面，例如微处理器和有机发光二极管（OLED）显示器，以防止它们与大气中存在的水分子接触时电子或有机部件的降解或氧化。涂层的进步，特别是纳米材料层的结合，可以在坚固性和新功能方面取得突破。虽然基于纳米材料的涂层的理想设计将采用无缺陷、无孔和纳米薄层的形式，但由于制造方面的挑战，实际实施可能受到限制。因此，了解纳米层厚度、缺陷统计和涂层渗透率之间的关系是至关重要的。本研究旨在采用具有可控形态和化学的原子薄石墨烯层及其层间结构，以促进我们对堆叠结构，缺陷和渗透率之间关系的理解。关于石墨烯-水相互作用的新发现将指导新型高级涂层的设计，以保护电子或有机设备免受水蒸气环境的影响。本研究还旨在通过夏季研究机会、实地考察和专题讨论会，吸引STEM中代表性不足的学生和高中生，从而扩大纳米工程教育。此外，还将开展若干外联活动，包括互动式讲座和实践活动。由于表面涂层的性能受到纳米级缺陷和/或孔隙的严重限制，因此非常需要精确控制通过表面涂层的扩散。虽然之前的一些研究已经提出了一个很有前途的多层堆叠框架，但在纳米级缺陷、三维扭曲度和表面润湿性的控制方面存在根本性的局限性。为了应对这些挑战，本研究项目旨在通过一种新的三维层间纳米多孔石墨烯堆叠设计来研究扩散输运。这是基于以下前提。首先，纳米约束水分子的行为与体积水分子不同，对扩散过程产生负面影响。其次，精确制造的纳米多孔石墨烯堆叠将通过控制表面润湿性的有效扭曲度和孔隙形态来提高整体扩散速率。为了达到这个目的，pi将采用多级模拟和实验方法相结合的方法来验证多层扩散理论。该研究项目的成功完成将为基于石墨烯与周围水分子之间界面科学的扩散物理学建立新的认识。主要研究人员计划通过展示虚拟动手活动，为高中学生创建虚拟实验室参观和会议。pi将通过各种校园层面的活动，包括加州少数民族参与联盟（CAMP）计划，让代表性不足的学生参与研究项目。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

Coating or surface engineering is ubiquitous in various industrial applications. Coatings can be applied to the surfaces of various electronic devices, such as microprocessors and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, to prevent their degradation or oxidation of electronic or organic components when in contact with water molecules present in the atmosphere. Advances in coating, in particular the incorporation of layers of nanomaterials, could enable breakthroughs in robustness and novel functionalities. While an ideal design of nanomaterials-based coating would take the form of defect-free, pore-free, and nanometer-thin layers, practical implementations may be limited due to manufacturing challenges. Therefore, it is critical to understand the correlations between nanolayer thickness, defect statistics, and the permeability of the coating. This research aims to employ atomically thin graphene layers with controlled morphology and chemistry and their interlayer configurations to advance our understanding of the correlation between stacking configuration, defects, and permeability. New discoveries about the graphene-water interactions will guide the design for novel advanced coatings that protect electronic or organic devices from water vapor environments. This research also aims to broaden nano-engineering education by engaging students under-represented in STEM and high school students via summer research opportunities, field trips, and symposia. In addition, several outreach activities, including interactive lectures and hands-on activities will be undertaken.Since the performance of surface coatings is severely limited by attendant nanoscale defects and/or pores, there is a significant need for the precise control of diffusion through surface coatings. Although several previous studies have proposed a promising framework of multi-layered stacks, there are fundamental limitations in the control of nanoscale defects, three-dimensional tortuosity, and surface wettability. To address these challenges, this research project aims to study diffusion transport through a new design of three-dimensionally, interlayered nanoporous graphene stacks. This is based on the following premises. First, nano-confined water molecules will behave differently than bulk water molecules, negatively impacting the diffusion process. Second, precisely manufactured nanoporous graphene stacks will enable the improvement of overall diffusion rates by controlling the effective tortuosity and pore morphology with surface wettability. To attain this the PIs will employ a combination of multi-level simulation and experimental approaches to validate the multi-layer diffusion theory. The successful completion of this research project will build a new understanding about the diffusion physics based on interfacial science between graphene and surrounding water molecules. The principal investigators plan to create virtual lab tours and sessions for high school students by presenting virtual hands-on activities. The PIs will engage underrepresented students in the research project through various campus level activities, including the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) program.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.