Reactions between molecule-scale species are often the most suitable for the cost effective fabrication of materials with controlled crystal structure, nano-, meso- and micro-structures. Although such chemical pathways are intensively studied since three decades for nanostructured metals, chalcogenides and simple metal oxides, many other compounds families were only scarcely, if ever, reported at the nanoscale. These systems show at the bulk scale mechanical, catalytic, optical and electronic properties without equivalent among common compounds. The design of corresponding nanostructures could therefore lead to important changes or enhancement of existing properties, emergence of new behaviours and novel processing possibilities.
This presentation will highlight some of the outcomes of research efforts conducted since 5 years, aiming at the design of functional nanomaterials with innovative elemental compositions, some of them being considered as “exotic” to chemist. I will discuss several cases showing different properties than bulk phases, including reduced titanium oxides, so-called Magnéli phases for information storage and energy conversion, metal-boron alloys for thermoelectricity, multicationic oxides for fuel cells and boron-carbon-nitrogen covalent frameworks for environmental remediation.
References
1. D. Portehault, G. Gouget, C. Gervais-Stary, C. Sanchez, Matériau nanostructuré de bore amorphe. Brevet 15/55878, France, UPMC-SATT-Lutech (15/06/2015).
2. V. Maneeratana, D. Portehault, J. Chaste, D. Mailly, M. Antonietti, C. Sanchez, Original electrospun core-shell nanostructured Magnéli titanium oxide fibers and their electrical properties. Adv. Mater., 26, 2654 (2014).
3. S. Carenco, D. Portehault, C. Boissière, N. Mézailles, C. Sanchez, Nanoscaled metal borides and phosphides : recent developments and perspectives. Chem. Rev., 113, 7981–8065 (2013).
4. W. Lei, D. Portehault, D. Liu, S. Qin, Y. Chen, Porous boron nitride nanosheets for effective water cleaning. Nat. Commun., 4, 1777–1783 (2013).
5. W. Lei, D. Portehault, R. Dimova, M. Antonietti, Boron carbon nitride nanostructures from salt melts : tunable water-soluble phosphors. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 133, 7121–7127 (2011).
6. D. Portehault, S. Devi, P. Beaunier, C. Gervais, C. Giordano, C. Sanchez, M. Antonietti, A general solution route toward metal boride nanocrystals. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 50, 3262–3265 (2011).
7. D. Portehault, V. Maneeratana, C. Candolfi, N. Oeschler, I. Veremchuk, Y. Grin, C. Sanchez, M. Antonietti, Facile general route toward tunable Magnéli nanostructures and their use as thermoelectric metal oxide / carbon nanocomposites. ACS Nano, 5, 9052–9061 (2011).
Contact local IEM : Dr. Stefano Deabate