CHEM 720 - SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NANO-STRUCTURED MATERIALS

3credit hour(s)

Description A survey and analysis of synthetic methods and characterization techniques for nano-structured materials will be presented. The classes of materials that will be studied include: inorganic nanocrystals (metals, semiconductors, metal oxides), nano-wires, porous materials, carbon nanostructures, and higher order materials such as supported catalysts. Solution-phase synthetic routes will be emphasized, including sol-gel synthesis, non-hydrolytic molecular decomposition, and micelle-templated synthesis, with lesser emphasis on solid state and gas-phase reactions. Methods of characterization will be discussed, including: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible absorption/fluorescence, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, gas sorption analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and photoelectron spectroscopy.

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