Events Calendar

Gas-Phase Nanomaterials Synthesis and In-Situ Laser-Based Diagnostics

Stephen D. Tse Associate Professor Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Rutgers—the State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ sdytse@rci.rutgers.edu Gas-phase synthesis of materials has demonstrated a history of scalability and offers the potential for high-volume commercial production, at reduced costs. Flame synthesis of ceramic oxide nanoparticles and semiconducting metal-oxide nanostructures will be discussed. Plasma synthesis affords the synthesis of non-oxide materials, such as Group III-Nitride nanopowders, which will be discussed. Al2O3 and TiO2 nanoparticles are produced from corresponding organometallic vapor precursors using an axisymmetric stagnation-point premixed flat flame impinging on a cooled substrate under uniform electric field application. Other nanostructures, such as WO2.9 nanowires, ZnO nanoribbons, and MO2 nanoplates are also synthesized, whereby growth occurs by the vapor-solid mechanism, with local gas-phase temperature and chemical species strategically specified at the substrate for self-synthesis. Finally, cubic-BN and cubic-GaN nanopowders (which are especially attractive for photonic and structural applications) are synthesized using a plasma process, for subsequent consolidation into bulk nanomaterials. Laser-based spectroscopy is utilized to characterize the gas-phase flow field (e.g. temperature, species concentrations). Additionally, a novel technique of using Raman spectroscopy to diagnose nanoparticle presence and characteristics (in aerosol form) during synthesis has been applied. This technique serves as a sensitive and reliable way to characterize particle composition and crystallinity (e.g. anatase versus rutile) and delineate the phase conversion of nanoparticles as they evolve in the flow field.

Location: Stauffer Science Lecture Hall, Rm 100

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: April Mundy