Mixed ALD Nanobowl Synthesis

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a synthetic method that consists of a series of self-limiting reactions used to create highly uniform monolayers. Previous work has been done to engineer surface features with the help of ALD, particularly of interest is the ability to create nanobowls approximately 1nm in diameter. By using mixed metal ALD monolayers in the synthesis of these nanobowls we hope to create a surface covered with uniform sites that can bind molecules selectively, like an inorganic enzyme. This synthetic technique could be applied to many fields including use in detectors and selective catalysis.

Figure 1:
Synthetic scheme for mixed monolayer nanopourous material. By building active sites into the nanobowl architecture we are attempting to create an inorganic enzyme capable of targeted biomass catalysis.

Cassie George

Grant: IACT