Sustainable Nanoparticles: Plasmonic Photocatalysis and Solid-State Synthesis of Nanomaterials

仅化学制造和炼油工作就贡献了美国一半以上的工业能源使用(2010年美国能源署调查)，因此对化石能源和温室气体排放的依赖具有重要的影响。我进行的这项研究旨在为化学工业提供新的工艺来生产所需的分子和材料，并将对环境的影响降至最低。具体地说，这项研究计划旨在设计纳米颗粒，将其用作电子元件和催化剂--使化学反应更有效、污染更少的分子和材料。拟议研究的统一主题是限制纳米粒子生产及其在催化过程中使用的能源需求。在所有情况下，催化和合成机理的基础研究都是与纳米颗粒可持续应用的开发并行进行的。沿着一条轴线，银和铝的金属纳米颗粒将被用作催化剂。在那里，我们依赖于它们在可见光区域强烈吸收的能力，这种特性被称为“表面等离子体共振”，并将光能转化为化学能量，从而实现困难的有机转换。沿着第二个轴，我们将使用机械力化学和老化技术，作为一种手段，以最低的能量需求和极大地减少溶剂的数量来提供定义良好和功能化的纳米颗粒。我们小组的最新成果是这一雄心勃勃的计划的垫脚石。我的团队中的高素质人员成为分子无机和有机化学、催化以及材料合成、表征和应用方面的专家。这种方法在涵盖所有这些主题所需的知识广度上是独一无二的。我还为软技能发展提供了理想的环境。随着纳米科学和绿色化学成为新的科学前沿，在我的团队中接受培训的学生和专业人员处于进入行业、学术界或公共部门就业市场的理想地位。

Chemical manufacturing and refining efforts alone contribute over half of all the industrial energy use in the US (2010 US Energy Administration survey), and thus have an important footprint on the reliance on fossil energy and green house gas emissions. The research I conduct aims at providing the chemical industry with novel processes to generate the molecules and the materials needed with minimal environmental impact. Specifically, this research program aims at designing nanoparticles to use them as electronics components and catalysts - molecules and materials that makes chemical reactions more efficient and less polluting. The unifying theme of the proposed research is to limit the energy requirement for both the nanoparticles production and their use in catalytic processes. In all cases, fundamental studies on catalytic and synthetic mechanisms are conducted in parallel to the development of sustainable applications for the nanoparticles. Along one axis, metal nanoparticles of silver and aluminum will be used as catalysts. There, we rely on their ability to strongly absorb in the visible region, a property called the "surface plasmon resonance" and turn light energy into chemical one to enable difficult organic transformations. Along the second axis, we will use mechanochemistry and aging techniques, as a means to afford well defined and functionalized nanoparticles with minimal energy requirements and greatly reduced amounts of solvents. Recent results in our group serve as stepping stones for this ambitious program. Highly qualified personnel in my group become experts in molecular inorganic and organic chemistry, catalysis, and materials synthesis, characterization and applications. This approach is original in the breadth of knowledge required to cover all these topics. I also offer an ideal environment for soft skills development. As nanoscience and green chemistry emerge as new scientific frontiers, students and professionals trained in my group are ideally positioned to enter the job market in the industry, academia or the public sector.