Nanoscale Coronas: Surface Chemistry and Reactivity on Particle Scaffolds

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Teri W. Odom at Northwestern University will develop approaches to create complex nanostructures whose surface features resemble that of a corona. These corona features will be prepared by combining bottom-up chemistry and top-down fabrication methods. Control over both the geometry and chemical functionality of the coronas is expected to improve the properties of the designer nanostructures for sensing and quantum technologies. Students trained on the project will gain skills in synthesis, nanofabrication, modeling, and spectroscopic tools. Outreach activities will build on the benign and environmentally friendly synthesis of the patterned nanostructures. This project aims to design new classes of nanomaterial heterostructures by controlling the growth of nanoscale surface features (a corona) on nanoparticle scaffolds. The proposed work is directed at establishing how local surface chemistry and reactivity of metal nanoparticle scaffolds affect corona formation and function. The three objectives include (1) the design and in situ characterization of nanoscale coronas grown on gold nanoparticle arrays with different crystallinity; (2) the preparation of coronas based on catalytic materials and 2D electronic materials; and (3) the application of the nanoscale heterostructures for enhanced sensing, photocatalysis, and optoelectronics. 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.