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

仅化工生产和炼油就占美国工业能源使用量的一半以上（2010年美国能源管理局调查），因此对化石能源的依赖和温室气体排放产生了重要影响。我所进行的研究旨在为化学工业提供新工艺，以产生对环境影响最小的分子和所需材料。具体来说，这个研究项目旨在设计纳米粒子，将它们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。所提出的研究的统一主题是限制纳米颗粒生产及其在催化过程中的使用的能量需求。在所有情况下，催化和合成机制的基础研究与纳米颗粒可持续应用的发展是同步进行的。沿着一个轴，银和铝的金属纳米粒子将被用作催化剂。在那里，我们依靠它们在可见光区域强烈吸收的能力，一种被称为“表面等离子体共振”的特性，并将光能转化为化学能量，以实现困难的有机转化。沿着第二个轴，我们将使用机械化学和老化技术，作为提供具有最小能量需求和大大减少溶剂量的明确和功能化纳米颗粒的手段。我们小组最近的成果为这个雄心勃勃的计划奠定了基础。在分子无机与有机化学、催化、材料合成、表征与应用等领域培养出一批高素质人才。这种方法在涵盖所有这些主题所需的知识广度方面是独创的。我也为软技能的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，在我的小组中训练的学生和专业人员处于进入工业、学术界或公共部门就业市场的理想位置。

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.