Metal Atoms on Surfaces & Interfaces (MASI) for Sustainable Future

什么是马西？我们认为，迫在眉睫的环境危机与我们使用化学元素的方式之间有着密切的联系。在马西，来自四所英国大学（诺丁汉，卡迪夫，剑桥，伯明翰）的多学科科学家团队与12个工业和学术合作伙伴，将彻底改变我们在广泛技术中使用金属的方式，并打破我们对极度濒危元素的依赖。同时，马西将在以下方面取得进展：减少二氧化碳（CO2）排放并将其转化为有用的化学品;生产“绿色”氨（NH3）作为替代零排放燃料和储氢的新载体;以及提供更可持续的燃料电池和电解槽技术。马西的核心是金属纳米团簇（MNC）的基础科学，它超越了传统的纳米颗粒领域，走向纳米和亚纳米领域，包括单个金属原子（SMA）。马西项目的总体目标有两个方面：（i）为具有技术重要性的稀有金属的可持续利用提供解决方案（例如Pt、Au、Pd），通过最大化利用每个原子;以及（ii）解锁金属中仅在原子尺度上出现的新特性，允许用丰富的金属替代关键金属（例如Pt和Ni），并为下一代能源、催化和电子应用材料提供平台。它是如何工作的？我们最近开发了将大块金属直接分解为金属原子或纳米团簇所需的理论框架和仪器，其尺寸、形状和组成得到精确控制。纳米团簇制造的原子尺度控制将为编程它们的化学打开大门。例如，丰富的金属，如Ni和Co的电子，催化或电化学性质，可以在纳米和亚纳米尺度上模仿濒危金属（Pt或Ru），或者通过仔细控制濒危元素与丰富元素在合金纳米簇中的分散。我们的方法允许金属原子或纳米簇直接沉积到固体（例如玻璃，聚合物膜，纸等）上，粉末（例如二氧化硅、氧化铝、碳等）和非挥发性液体（例如油、离子液体），不含化学品、溶剂或表面活性剂，金属负载量可精确控制。马西方法的直接性避免了产生化学废物，并实现了高“原子经济性”，超过了任何湿化学方法。此外，我们的金属纳米团簇表面清洁且活性高;此外，通过与载体材料的相互作用而稳定，它们可以很容易地应用于需要金属的电子、光学或催化性能的任何地方。这些材料和我们的技术有什么独特之处？马西将提供更环保，更可持续的金属纳米团簇制造方法，无需溶剂或化学品，最大化的活性表面积确保每个金属原子的有效利用。“裸露”的高活性金属表面随时可以与热、光或电势激活的分子发生反应，而与支撑材料的可调相互作用则为反应中的金属提供了耐用性和可重复使用性。特别是，马西材料将适用于在构成化学工业支柱的反应（例如Haber-Bosch工艺）中活化难以裂解的分子（例如N2、H2和CO2）。类似地，高度分散的金属及其与支撑材料的紧密接触将导致能量材料和燃料电池技术中所需的高能量储存/转换能力。重要的是，马西纳米团簇制造技术完全可扩展到公斤和吨的材料，使其成为工业计划的理想选择，可能导致绿色工业革命。

What is MASI?We believe that there is a strong link between the looming environmental crisis and the way we use chemical elements. In MASI, a multidisciplinary team of scientists from four UK universities (Nottingham, Cardiff, Cambridge, Birmingham), with 12 industrial and academic partners, is set to revolutionise the ways we use metals in a broad range of technologies, and to break our dependence on critically endangered elements. Simultaneously, MASI will make advances in: the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and its valorisation into useful chemicals; the production of 'green' ammonia (NH3) as an alternative zero-emission fuel and a new vector for hydrogen storage; and the provision of more sustainable fuel cells and electrolyser technologies. At the core of MASI is the fundamental science of metal nanoclusters (MNC), which goes beyond the traditional realm of nanoparticles towards the nanometre and sub-nanometre domain including single metal atoms (SMA). The overall goal of the MASI project is two-fold: (i) to provide a solution for a sustainable use of scarce metals of technological importance (e.g. Pt, Au, Pd), by maximising utilisation of every atom; and (ii) to unlock new properties that emerge in metals only at the atomic scale, allowing for the substitution of critical metals with abundant ones (e.g. Pt with Ni), and provide a platform for the next generation of materials for energy, catalysis and electronics applications.How does it work?We have recently developed the theoretical framework and instrumentation necessary to break bulk metals directly to metal atoms or nanoclusters, with their size, shape and composition precisely controlled. The atomic-scale control of nanocluster fabrication will open the door for programming their chemistry. For example, the electronic, catalytic or electrochemical properties of abundant metals, such as Ni and Co, may imitate endangered metals (Pt or Ru) at the nm and sub-nm scale, or by carefully controlled dispersion of the endangered elements with abundant ones in an alloy nanocluster.Our method allows direct deposition of metal atoms or nanoclusters onto solids (e.g. glass, polymer film, paper etc.), powders (e.g. silica, alumina, carbon etc.) and non-volatile liquids (e.g. oils, ionic liquids) in vacuum with no chemicals, solvents or surfactants and an accurately controlled metal loading. The directness of the MASI approach avoids generating chemical waste and enables a high 'atom economy', surpassing any wet chemistry methods. Moreover, surfaces of our metal nanoclusters are clean and highly active; additionally, being stabilised by interactions with the support material, they can be readily applied wherever electronic, optical or catalytic properties of metals are required.What is unique about these materials and our technology?MASI will offer greener, more sustainable methods of fabrication of metal nanoclusters, without solvents or chemicals, with the maximised active surface area ensuring efficient use of each metal atom.'Naked', highly active metal surfaces are ready for reactions with molecules, activated by heat, light or electric potential, while tuneable interactions with support materials provide durability and reusability of metals in reactions. In particular, MASI materials will be suitable for the activation of hard-to-crack molecules (e.g. N2, H2 and CO2) in reactions that constitute the backbone of the chemical industry, such as the Haber-Bosch process. Similarly, highly dispersed metals and their intimate contact with the support material, will lead to high capacity for energy storage/conversion required in energy materials and fuel cells technologies. Importantly, MASI nanocluster fabrication technology is fully scalable to kilograms and tons of material, making it ideal for uptake in industrial schemes, potentially leading to a green industrial revolution.