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UoR Home > NanoScience Home > Research > Catalysis, Sensors and Data Storage

Catalysis, Sensors and Data Storage

Nanoscale Magnetic Clusters
Magnetic nanostructures are interesting systems in which to study finite size effects in magnetism. They are also important potential components in data storage media and read/write heads, and are likely to be key to the technology enabling the transition from the Gbits/in2 to Tbits/in2 regime. The design of high magnetic moment and high anisotropy materials is vital to the achievement of this goal. The programme at Reading covers the calculation and modelling of moments and anisotropy in single element and binary clusters of sizes up to about 1000 atoms. Reading is a partner in a collaborative programme to develop advanced nanocluster materials for data storage applications.

Transition Metal Oxide Ultra-Thin Films
Transition metal oxides encompass a wide range of technologically important materials ranging from gas sensors, catalytic supports and catalysts through to gate dielectrics in the semiconductor industry. In all of these roles the surface or interfaces of the oxide dominates the activity. The programme at Reading aims to develop an understanding of the properties of the oxide surface, the interface between oxides and metallic nanoparticles and the role of surface defects and structures in growth mechanisms. A particular focus is the determination of the mechanism by which the electronic and structural properties of the reducible transition metal oxides can be tuned by variation of oxide composition.

Modelling Island Nucleation and Growth
Atoms deposited on a surface diffuse and cluster together to form islands. These islands are the building blocks of larger structures and so control of island growth will yield control of crystalline nanostructures in general. Using molecular dynamics and monte carlo simulations, we investigate the processes (such as critical size for island stability, substrate pinning sites, temperature, deposition rate) that control the size and spatial properties of nucleated island arrays. To complement the experimental work on transition metal oxide surfaces, we have initiated a modelling study of the surfaces and their interface with metallic nanoparticles.

Encapsulated Nanomaterials
Reading has recently developed an important novel synthesis of a new form of enclosed carbon stuffed with different materials, the stuffed carbon onions. Such materials have widespread application and we highlight here a few of the areas being pursued.

Magnetically separable carbon coated nano-sized catalysts
In applied heterogeneous catalysis the development of any novel catalysts or processes are not only dependent upon the performance (activity & selectivity) but also on the ease of catalyst separation from product. The main focus at Reading has been on the appliance of new chemically-functionalized coatings (fullerene carbon, silica & fluorinated compound coats) onto nano-catalysts, rendering the nano-composite catalysts separable from a product mixture. The key development was the thin but inert carbon coating to isolate the ferromagnetic particles from the catalyst or reaction medium. This new class of catalysts hold great promise for catalytic hydrogenation reactions in the liquid phase.

New Sensors
The synthesis, detailed testing and characterisation of such novel nano-sized solid-state materials has revealed potentially important applications as new gas and bio-sensors. Reading continues to receive support from EPSRC, Royal Society, British Council, EU, industry, MOD/DERA, overseas funding bodies, etc in this area. Close links have also been developed with sensor industries such as AH Marks, Azur Environmental, Smith Detection, DERA.
 

Catalysis, Sensors and Data Storage
Polymer Nanostructures
Bioscience and Pharmaceuticals
Biomimetic Nanostructures
Page last updated March 23, 2010
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