Conventional solid-state synthetic methods rely on high temperatures to facilitate chemical reaction between relatively stable and inert starting materials.  These are very successful and form the core of many commercial materials growth processes, but they are often limited to the production of thermodynamic phases with long-range structural order and crystallinity in the tens of microns range.  New softer materials synthesis strategies are required in order to exploit recently discovered advantages of compositional and size control of solid-state materials at atomic and nanoscale levels.  The Gillan group is pursuing several materials chemistry research directions.  A few broad research goals are listed below.

 

· Develop synthetic methodologies for reactive molecular precursors that will lead to organic and inorganic oxide and non-oxide materials (e.g., TiO₂, InN, C₃N₄) with unique and kinetically stable local bonding, crystal phases, and structural morphologies.

 

· Design energetic decomposition reactions that will produce materials with unique chemical, structural, physical, and morphological properties as compared to those from conventional syntheses.  The flexibility of wide-ranging modifiable chemical synthetic methods will allow access to materials with:

a)    kinetically stabilized structures with new and functional physical properties.

b)    crystalline metastable chemical compositions and doped arrangements with tunable variability in structure and properties, e.g., magnetic dopant effects and band shifting by incorporation of visibly absorbing metal centers.

c)    controlled morphology - nanoscale geometries (particles, rods), high surface areas.

 

· Explore applications for the unique properties resulting from precursor-synthesized inorganic and organic materials to technologically relevant areas including:

a) structural materials (hard ceramics and composites)

b) magnetic systems (dilute semiconductor dopants)

c) catalytic and support systems (visible light photocatalysis, fuel cells, H₂ storage)

 

Gillan Group Research Program