COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: FLAME-GRADIENT SYNTHESIS OF TRANSITION-METAL OXIDE NANORODS

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

0854006 Saveliev This collaborative research between teams at the University of Oklahoma (OU) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) intends to achieve controlled synthesis of transition-metal-oxide (TMO) nanoforms and to develop a scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Flames have been successfully applied for the synthesis of high-demand nanomaterials such as metal and ceramic nanopowders, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes. As a nearly unexplored research area, the flame-gradient synthesis of TMO nanostructures is of fundamental and practical interest due to the potential variety and multifunctionality of the formed nanoforms, their unique properties, morphology and prospective applications. The team will use a flame-gradient method based on the interaction of a bulk metal support with a flame environment of varying temperature and chemical composition, a method they had pioneered. The successful preliminary experiments proved the applicability of this method for the synthesis of unique TMO nanostructures that have never been generated using flames or other traditional synthesis methods. The new research will extend the method to various important transition metals, such as molybdenum, tungsten, iron, cobalt, tantalum, chromium, vanadium, and zinc, to produce an experimental database on generated nanoforms and corresponding synthesis conditions. The focus of the proposed studies will be the confirmation of the key hypothesis that various 1-D TMO nanostructures can be generated in flames by a synergetic action of a highly reactive flame environment possessing strong thermal and chemical gradients. Within this collaborated research, the OU team will study the structure and morphology of generated nanoforms that will be analyzed using advanced material diagnostic techniques, and the NCSU group will conduct flame diagnostics and modeling to uncover the mechanisms. Flame chemistry, the nature of flame interaction with the metal surfaces, and the mechanism of the synthesis process will be closely studied. Broader impacts are both technological and educational. This research will serve as a fundamental basis for the development of novel technologies for flame synthesis of advanced TMO nanostructures with potential applications in electronics, medicine, chemistry, optics, sensors, recording and imaging media. The advantages of flame synthesis over other synthesis methods involve reduced cost, shorter processing times, improved scalability and quality. The method to be studied suggests essential economic and technological advances over current synthesis methods. Graduate and undergraduate students at OU and NCSU working on this interdisciplinary project will gain expertise in the fields of combustion, nanotechnology, and material synthesis. Underrepresented minority students will be encouraged and aided to start graduate school studies by providing them with a supportive and stimulating research experience during their junior and senior years. Additionally, the educational program involves high school teachers and students of North Carolina and Oklahoma communities by exposing them to the field of modern science via lectures, laboratory demonstrations, and hands-on experience.