Raymond E. Schaak
- Associate Professor of Chemistry
Research Interests
Synthetic inorganic chemistry, solid-state chemistry, materials chemistry, and nanoscience; new low-temperature synthetic routes to solid-state materials; reactivity, reactions, and reaction pathways in bulk and nanoscale solids; multi-element and hollow nanocrystals; multifunctional nanocomposites and active nanostructures; nanostructured catalysts; superconductivity; precursor routes to oxide materials; biogenic routes to new solids.
Synthesis, Reactivity, and Assembly of Nanoscale Inorganic Solids
Research in the Schaak group is driven by synthesis – developing new synthetic methodologies that fill critical gaps in the current “toolbox” of techniques available in the solid-state chemistry and nanoscience communities, and applying these new synthetic tools to important and often applied problems that could benefit from our unique capabilities. In all of our endeavors, we integrate ideas and techniques from solid-state chemistry, solution (molecular) chemistry, and nanoscience, and this allows us to tackle important and often longstanding scientific problems that lie at the interface between chemistry, physics, and materials science. These approaches are helping to establish a toolbox of chemical reactions for generating well-controlled nanomaterials of complex solids, often of phases that are inaccessible using traditional synthetic strategies. In addition, these synthetic strategies are opening doors for the design of important new materials with technologically-useful properties.
Synthetic efforts
aimed at reducing the dimensionality and size of inorganic solids to the
nanometer scale are rapidly maturing for simple solids, such as Au, Pt, Ag,
ZnO, CdSe, etc. However, the development
of analogous synthetic capabilities for more complex solids, which are crucial
for advancing many of the proposed applications of inorganic nanomaterials,
remains a formidable challenge. We are
developing chemical strategies for controlling the synthesis of “complex”
nanostructures. We define “complex” in
terms of both morphology (hollow or elaborate shapes) and composition
(multi-element). By utilizing
nanoparticle precursors that are much more reactive than their bulk counterparts,
chemical reactivity is enhanced, and simple “beaker chemistry” can be used to
transform one type of solid into another (e.g. metals to alloys, oxides,
phosphides, or sulfides), often with retention of shape and structure. Inspired by this “conversion chemistry”
approach to the synthesis of nanoscale inorganic solids, we actively develop
new reactions, probe reaction pathways, and target specific new compounds
including elemental allotropes, intermetallic compounds, and a variety of
complex multi-metal structures. We also
study the assembly of pre-formed nanoparticles into complex superlattices,
templated nanostructures, multi-functional nanocomposites, and patterned films.
Current research efforts are aimed at using low-temperature strategies for synthesizing new solids, developing an elaborate reaction toolbox for generating complex multi-component nanostructures, and constructing functional nanoscale architectures for applications in energy and catalysis. In our quest to access new compounds and stabilize structures that usually only form under harsh conditions (e.g. high-temperatures and/or high-pressures), we are employing a variety of novel solution chemistry and precursor techniques, as well as new biotemplating strategies. Organic chemistry is inspiring some of our new research directions involving complex multi-component nanoparticle systems. In this area, we are developing chemistry that permits orthogonal reactivity, protection/deprotection, site-specific reactivity, and coupling chemistry by relying exclusively on solid-state reactivity and phase transformations. Finally, we are designing elaborate nanostructures that will serve as advanced materials for a variety of applications, including multi-functional nanocomposites, active nanostructures, nanostructured catalysts for energy and pharmaceutical applications, and new and enhanced superconductors.
http://mrsec.psu.edu
