CAS: Template Directed Synthesis of Earth Abundant Metal Oxide and Chalcogenide Nanoshells

With support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program in the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Professor Jingyi Chen of the University of Arkansas will study synthetic approaches to new nanostructures made of non-precious metals, and their oxides or chalcogenides. These studies aim to offer accessibility to multifunctional nanocomposite materials of earth abundant metals as alternatives to costly noble metals in various applications. The targeted nanostructures composed of earth abundant elements have the potential to be deployed in key technologies related to energy conversion, energy storage, chemical sensing, and water treatment. As part of this project, Professor Chen and her research team will provide opportunities to research students from underrepresented groups, to contribute to the training of a diverse, globally-competitive future workforce. The results from this project will be converted to educational videos for educational outreach through the “Chemistry_Rules” YouTube channel, the “Nanochemistry 101 Boot Camp,” and the annual “Science Day” event at the local Scott Family Amazeum. Hollow nanostructures have become an emerging topic of study because they outperform their solid counterparts in various applications. Their superior physicochemical properties stem from their low mass density, high porosity and large reaction surface-to-volume ratio. The proposed research aims to bridge the gap in the template-directed synthesis of earth abundant metal oxide and chalcogenide nanoshells by developing approaches to precisely control their morphology and composition at the nanoscale. The template-directed synthesis being conducted here involves a deposition-etching process using Cu nanostructures with well-defined morphology as templates. The conformational deposition of non-precious metal oxide/chalcogenide shells of 3d transition metals will be achieved through reduction-oxidation/chalcogenidation steps under temperature modulation. The control of shell composition will be accomplished by using molecular bimetallic single-source precursors. The use of Cu as templates allows it to be removed by selective etching, leaving the well-defined metal oxide/chalcogenide nanoshells. Such templated directed synthesis offers a facile means to control the thickness, shape, and composition of the nanoshells of earth abundant metal oxides and chalcogenides. In the longer term, the resulting hollow structures obtained have the potential for use in energy conversion/storage, sensing, and environmental remediation applications. 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.