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Gyroidal mesoporous multifunctional nanocomposites via atomic layer deposition
Jörg G Werner1, Maik R J Scherer, Ullrich Steiner
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. ubw1@cornell.edu.
Nanoscale
|June 22, 2014
Summary
Researchers created novel core-shell nanocomposites with tunable structures. These multifunctional materials combine conductive carbon, titania shells, and mesoporous networks for energy applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Developing advanced nanocomposites with tailored properties is crucial for next-generation energy technologies.
- Mesoporous materials offer high surface areas and controlled pore structures beneficial for catalysis and storage.
- Core-shell architectures enable synergistic integration of diverse functionalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate multifunctional, monolithic, and periodically ordered mesoporous core-shell nanocomposites.
- To investigate the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for creating uniform titania shells on complex templates.
- To demonstrate structural tunability and explore potential applications in energy conversion and storage.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of 3D gyroidal mesoporous polymer monoliths via triblock terpolymer-resol co-assembly.
- Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titania shells onto polymer templates.
- Thermal treatments to induce titania crystallization and template removal.
- Characterization of structural properties, including pore size and shell thickness.
Main Results:
- Successful homogeneous coating of mesoporous templates with titania shells using ALD.
- Demonstrated control over titania shell thickness and mesopore size (below 50 nm).
- Fabricated core-shell composites with a conductive carbon core, titania shell, and mesoporous network.
Conclusions:
- ALD is effective for creating uniform, thick titania shells on complex 3D mesoporous templates.
- The developed nanocomposites exhibit triple functionality suitable for energy applications.
- Tunable gyroidal mesoporous titania monoliths can be achieved through controlled processing.
