Group 14 nanomaterials in all dimensions: Synthesis, Fundamental Understanding and Practical Application.

纳米材料（NMs）在现有和新兴技术中具有改变游戏规则的潜力——最近QLED电视和显示器的商业化很好地说明了这一点。纳米纳米研究甚至看到了灵感来自“科幻小说”的想法和概念成为现实，因为基础研究能够精确调整和控制纳米纳米的尺寸和表面特性。因此，纳米粒子及其组件有望彻底改变现代社会的许多方面，包括消费电子、替代能源发电以及存储、医疗保健、传感、光学计算，甚至通过光散射“隐身”技术的发展来伪装。不幸的是，许多令人兴奋的原型进展依赖于基于有毒（例如Cd）或相对稀有（例如In）元素的NMs。如果社会要获得纳米材料的全部好处，就必须建立可预测地制备、定制和操作基于无毒、地球丰富元素的纳米材料的方法。此外，要实现这些崇高的目标，只有通过对真实材料的准备、剪裁和测试才有可能实现——这些都是NSERC发现项目支持的当前项目的主题。它将包括三个相互关联的主题，开发和发展我们的专业知识，同时针对纳米粒子（或量子点）和纳米片组成的地球丰富，无毒元素硅（Si）和锗（Ge）。我们将开发新的可扩展的方法来制备和剪裁这些多功能材料的组成、晶体结构和表面化学。我们还将建立结构-性质关系，这将为Si和Ge纳米行为提供基本的实际理解；这些进展将有助于纳米材料及其组件的光学和电子特性的设计和开发。本着探索的精神，我们还将解决与硅纳米粒子/量子点在显示器、传感器和其他光学元件中的应用相关的紧迫挑战；探索革命性的超材料机会，其中单个（大的和小的）和组装的硅纳米粒子预计会表现出自然界中不发生的独特光学反应；建立用于太阳能电池、场效应晶体管、电池、光子学等的锗纳米颗粒制备程序；以及探索制备、定制和操作二维硅和锗纳米片的方法，这些纳米片在下一代电子产品中具有前景，并可能扩展“摩尔定律”，帮助实现下一代高级计算。

Nanomaterials (NMs) have game changing potential in existing and emerging technologies - this is well-illustrated by the recent commercialization of QLED televisions and displays. NM research has even seen ideas and concepts inspired by "science fiction" become reality because of fundamental research that enables exquisite tuning and control of size and surface dependent NM properties. As such, NMs and their assemblies are expected to revolutionize many aspects of modern society including consumer electronics, alternative energy generation as well as storage, healthcare, sensing, optical computing, and even camouflage through the development of light scattering "cloaking" technologies. Unfortunately, many of the exciting prototype advances rely on NMs based upon toxic (e.g., Cd), or comparatively rare (e.g., In) elements. If society is to gain the full benefit of NMs, it is essential that methods be established to predictably prepare, tailor, and manipulate NMs based upon non-toxic, earth abundant elements. Furthermore, achieving these lofty goals is only possible through the preparation, tailoring and testing of real materials - these are the subjects of the present program supported by the NSERC Discovery Program. It will encompass three interconnected themes that exploit and grow our expertise while targeting nanoparticles (or quantum dots) and nanosheets comprised of the earth abundant, non-toxic elements silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge). We will develop new scalable methods for preparing and tailoring the composition, crystal structure, and surface chemistry of these versatile materials. We will also establish structure-property relationships that will provide fundamental practical understanding of Si and Ge NM behavior; these advances will facilitate the design and exploitation of the optical and electronic properties of NMs and their assemblies. In the spirit of discovery, we will also address pressing challenges related to Si nanoparticle/quantum dot applications in displays, sensors, and other optical components; explore revolutionary metamaterial opportunities in which individual (large and small) and assembled Si nanoparticles are predicted to exhibit unique optical responses that do not occur in nature; establish procedures for preparing Ge nanoparticles for solar-cells, field-effect transistors, batteries, photonics, etc.; as well as explore methods to prepare, tailor the properties and manipulate 2D nanosheets of Si and Ge that hold promise in the next generation of electronics and may extend "Moore's Law" and help realize the next generation of advanced computing.