CAREER: Multimodal Single Entity Electrochemistry at Nanoscale Liquid/Liquid Interfaces

在化学部化学测量和成像计划的支持下，以及刺激竞争性研究的既定计划的共同资助下，罗得岛大学的Jiyeon Kim博士和她的团队正在开发新的实验策略，以促进我们对纳米乳液（内斯）和纳米移液管中非常小的空间尺度（纳米）上发生的电化学的理解。这项工作解决了发生在液/液界面的重要过程，并试图阐明这些纳米物体的界面结构，功能和活性之间的关系。 其长期目标是推动合理和超灵敏分析在不同领域的实际应用，包括环境监测，临床诊断和电化学能量存储/转换。金博士的团队致力于通过教育和推广活动向公众传达基础纳米科学及其重要性，这些活动旨在向本科生和高中生解释液/液界面处的纳米电化学原理，重点关注女性和其他在科学技术工程数学（STEM）领域代表性不足的群体。罗得岛大学的Kim博士的小组正在开发新的实验方法，以研究两种不同纳米级领域-纳米乳液（内斯）和纳米移液管-中不混溶的液体/液体界面的离子或电子转移（IT或ET）反应。 这项工作旨在通过更好的基本理解来实现更好的实际应用。具体而言，一种新的实验方法的多模式单实体电化学（SEE）被用来获得明确的动力学和热力学的见解在纳米级的液体/液体界面的个别内斯或纳米移液管，从而提高相关的非均相IT或ET反应的结构，热力学选择性和污染的界面表面的影响的基本理解。这些新兴的纳米级平台被设想为在环境监测、临床诊断和电化学能量存储/转换的各种实际应用中提供具有高选择性的超灵敏分析。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。

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, and co-funding from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, Dr. Jiyeon Kim and her group at the University of Rhode Island are developing new experimental strategies to advance our understanding of electrochemistry occurring on very small spatial scales (nanometer) in nanoemulsions (NEs) and nanopipettes. The work addresses important processes that occur at liquid/liquid interfaces, and seeks to elucidate the relationship between interfacial structure, function, and activity of these nano-objects. The long-range aim is to advance practical applications for rational and ultrasensitive analysis in diverse fields, including environmental monitoring, clinical diagnosis, and electrochemical energy storage/conversion. Dr. Kim's group works to communicate the underlying nanoscience and its importance to the general public through educational and outreach activities that seek to explain the principles of nanoelectrochemistry at the liquid/liquid interface to undergraduate and high school students with a focus on women and other groups underrepresented in science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) fields.With this award, Dr. Kim's group at the University of Rhode Island is developing new experimental approaches to investigating ion- or electron-transfer (IT or ET) reactions across immiscible liquid/liquid interfaces in two distinct nanoscale domains - nanoemulsions (NEs) and nanopipettes. The work seeks to enable better practical applications through greater fundamental understanding. Specifically, a new experimental approach of multimodal single-entity electrochemistry (SEE) is being used to obtain unequivocal kinetic and thermodynamic insights at nanoscale liquid/liquid interfaces of individual NEs or nanopipettes, thereby enhancing fundamental understanding of how the associated heterogeneous IT or ET reactions are affected by the structure, thermodynamic selectivity, and contamination of the interfacial surfaces. These emerging nanoscale platforms are envisioned to provide ultrasensitive analysis with high selectivity in diverse practical applications in environmental monitoring, clinical diagnosis, and electrochemical energy storage/conversion. Advances may lead to implementation of nanoelectrochemistry in industrial settings, including mass production of commercially marketed NEs in food/drug/cosmetic industries.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.