Selective Synthesis, Structures, and Properties of Oxynitride Materials

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Modern society is enabled by technology, and new materials enable modern technologies. In this project, supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry and Ceramics programs in the Division of Materials Research, Prof. James Neilson and his research team will advance the science of materials synthesis to expand an underrepresented family of materials that have been historically challenging to synthesize. The targeted chemistries of this project present novel materials systems for applications in energy harvest, conversion, and storage that move toward all-solid-state lithium ion and next-generation, beyond Li-ion batteries needed for the immediate national interests of vehicle electrification and grid-based energy storage. This research has the potential to impact fields beyond its immediate scope by discovering new materials for efficient lighting, electronics, and catalysis. This project integrates a broadly impacting educational outreach program to develop and distribute Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education activity kits that provide 90-minute authentic research experiences in the field of the chemistry of functional materials to secondary schools throughout Colorado. TECHNICAL SUMMARY This project, supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry and Ceramics programs in the Division of Materials Research, seeks to selectively synthesize new oxynitride-based materials and to understand the resulting structure/property relationships. For the heteroanionic materials that have been discovered, the result of having two anions enables enhanced and unique properties relative to their single-anion congeners. However, oxynitrides are hard to synthesize with stoichiometric control, particularly for later transition metals. This project seeks to expand this underrepresented class of oxynitride-based materials by employing recent advances in solid-state materials chemistry synthesis science. Specifically, this project 1) synthesizes new oxynitride materials in targeted, exploratory chemical reactions, 2) understands the structure and compositional relationships of oxynitrides, particularly as it pertains to anionic disorder, and 3) understands the unique electrochemical and ionic properties of these materials for potential applications in electrochemical energy storage. This project also 4) provides educational outreach throughout Colorado by developing and distributing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education activity kits that facilitate 90-minute research experiences on the chemistry of functional materials in secondary school classrooms. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.