Emergent Nanomaterials (Critical Mass Proposal)

在最近的工作中，我们发现了一个非常强大和广泛的现象，即纳米颗粒的受限生产，这为化学、材料科学和物理学开辟了一个新的领域。纳米颗粒的分散性、稳定性、通用性和与衬底的相干性赋予了纳米颗粒相当重要的特性，开辟了一个重要的新课题。该过程是由金属氧化物在各种还原手段下的晶格分解驱动的。传统思维认为这是一种简单的相分离；然而，通过仔细控制缺陷化学和还原条件，可以实现一个非常不同的过程。这些纳米颗粒以一种受限的方式从基质中出现，让人想起真菌从地球中出现。涌现的纳米颗粒通常分布均匀，分布非常紧密，通常间距小于一个颗粒直径。在这里，我们将探索优化功能、结构和适用性所需的组成和反应空间条件。我们还将寻求更好地理解与相关扩散、驱动能量学和涌现机制相关的现象学。进一步的工作是必要的，以了解组成在一个非常广泛的组成空间领域的关键依赖于a位阳离子的电荷和大小，氧化学计量学和过渡金属氧化还原化学。特别重要的是要了解纳米颗粒和衬底之间相互作用的本质，解决纳米颗粒从表面的演变以及颗粒如何锚定在衬底上。演化出的金属可以反应形成化合物，同时保持纳米结构阵列的完整性，这为进一步阐述这一概念提供了很大的潜力。我们将研究由尺寸限制驱动的受限紧急粒子所产生的重要的催化、电催化和磁物理性质。新兴的纳米材料提供了非常重要的表面-粒子相互作用，并承诺在催化新的维度。在电池和燃料电池等器件中，电化学反应被限制在非常接近电解质电极界面的区域内。紧急材料可以应用在这个区域。

In recent work we have identified a very powerful and extensive phenomenon, the constrained production of nanoparticles that opens up a new field impinging on chemistry, materials science and physics. The dispersion, stability, versatility and coherence with the substrate impart quite significant properties to the emergent nanoparticles opening up a major new topic. The process is driven by the lattice decomposition of a metal oxide under reduction by various means. Conventional thinking considers this as a simple phase separation; however, by careful control of the defect chemistry and reduction conditions, a very different process can be achieved. These nanoparticles emerge from the substrate in a constrained manner reminiscent of fungi emerging from the earth. The emergent nanoparticles are generally dispersed evenly with a very tight distribution often separated by less than one particle diameter. Here we will explore the composition and reaction space conditions necessary to optimise functionality, structure and applocability. We will also seek to better understand this phenomenology relating to correlated diffusion, driving energetics and mechanism of emergence. Further work is necessary to understand the critical dependence of composition in a very extensive domain of composition space depending upon charge and size of the A-site cations, oxygen stoichiometry and transition metal redox chemistry. Of particular importance is to understand the nature of the interaction between the nanoparticle and the substrate addressing the evolution of the nanoparticles from the surface and how the particles become anchored to the substrate. Exolved metals can react to form compounds whilst maintaining the integrity of the nanostructural array and this offers much potential for further elaboration of the concept. We will investigate the important catalytic, electrocatalytic and magnetic physics properties arising at constrained emergent particles, driven by dimensional restriction. Emergent nanomaterials provide very significant surface-particle interactions and promise new dimensions in catalysis. The electrochemical reactions in devices such as batteries and fuel cells are restricted to the domain very close to the electrolyte electrode interface. Emergent materials can be applied in exactly this zone.