This research project investigates the preparation and properties of ligand capped transition metal oxide nanoparticles. With the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor Daniel Buttry and Professor Jeffery Yarger in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wyoming use a variety of approaches, including chemical vapor deposition and reverse-micelle techniques to synthesize nanometer scale particles of manganese oxide, titanium oxide, nickel oxide, vanadium oxide and tungsten oxide. The particles are capped with carboxyalkylphosphonates with binding via the phosphonate groups and assembled into three dimensional structures using divalent metal ions as linking agents at the carboxylate groups. The three dimensional arrays are studied using electrochemistry and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance methods.
This project is developing materials that have application in the field of batteries and energy storage. It is expanding available nanometer scale materials to include more oxides and is further developing solid state nuclear magnetic resonance techniques as a means to characterize nanoscale materials. Results have broad impact in areas related to energy storage and inorganic materials synthesis.
