Building Structures at the Nanoscale

We are developing chemical tools for shaping interfaces on length scales ranging from nanometers to microns. We have discovered that carbonate surfaces (e.g., MgCO₃, MnCO₃, or CaCO₃), which catalyze the reaction of Mn²⁺ with O₂ to form insoluble Mn³⁺ oxy(hydr)oxides such as Mn₂O₃, act as heteroepitaxial substrates leading to the oriented growth of flat (2.5 nm) rhombs.

We are investigating how to further modify the shape through inorganic additives such as Mg²⁺, which leads to the rounding of two sides of the rhomb, or alternatively by organic ligands (e.g., aspartate). The results of this project will lead to new design capabilities of interface topography below 100 nm, with possible device applications.

We are grateful for NSF Materials Research Sciences & Engineering Center (MRSEC) support.