Nanostructures of Functional Borides Made By Innovative Methods
Department
Chemistry
Major
Ceramic Engineering
Research Advisor
Nath, Manashi
Advisor's Department
Chemistry
Funding Source
MRC Student Support
Abstract
Borides are important compounds in the materials chemistry world due to their interesting properties. Many boride compounds like LaB6 are well-known for their high electron emissivity, while other compounds like MgB2 exhibit superconductivity. Recently it has been suggested that binary borides like osmium boride or rhenium boride might be among the hardest materials known. As the dimensions of any solid are reduced to the nano scale, the surface to volume ratio is highly enhanced. The increased surface area in the nano-structured geometry makes them especially useful in devices where the functional surface area of the solid plays a critical role. The boride nano-structures are expected to show greatly enhanced properties and hence, the generation of boride nano-structures using simple and innovative routes is the current interest of this research. Some preliminary results obtained from synthesis routes involving solution-mediated hot-injection technique for the systems, LaB6, MgB2 and nickel boride would be presented.
Biography
Eric Hallstrom is currently in his second year of the Ceramic Engineering program. Involved in undergraduate research with Dr. Manashi Nath in the Chemistry Department, Eric is interested in nanomaterials chemistry and producing nanostructured morphologies of boride compounds.
Research Category
Sciences
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Location
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Presentation Date
08 Apr 2009, 9:00 am - 11:45 am
Nanostructures of Functional Borides Made By Innovative Methods
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Borides are important compounds in the materials chemistry world due to their interesting properties. Many boride compounds like LaB6 are well-known for their high electron emissivity, while other compounds like MgB2 exhibit superconductivity. Recently it has been suggested that binary borides like osmium boride or rhenium boride might be among the hardest materials known. As the dimensions of any solid are reduced to the nano scale, the surface to volume ratio is highly enhanced. The increased surface area in the nano-structured geometry makes them especially useful in devices where the functional surface area of the solid plays a critical role. The boride nano-structures are expected to show greatly enhanced properties and hence, the generation of boride nano-structures using simple and innovative routes is the current interest of this research. Some preliminary results obtained from synthesis routes involving solution-mediated hot-injection technique for the systems, LaB6, MgB2 and nickel boride would be presented.
