Open AccessToward Informed Design of Nanomaterials: A Mechanistic Analysis of Structure–Property–Function Relationships for Faceted Nanoscale Metal Oxides
Author(s) -
Holly E. Rudel,
Mary Kate M. Lane,
Christopher L. Muhich,
Julie Zimmerman
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
acs nano
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.554
H-Index - 382
eISSN - 1936-086X
pISSN - 1936-0851
DOI - 10.1021/acsnano.0c08356
Subject(s) - facet (psychology) , nanotechnology , materials science , nmos logic , nanoscopic scale , reactivity (psychology) , nanoelectronics , function (biology) , nanomaterials , transistor , engineering , psychology , medicine , social psychology , alternative medicine , personality , pathology , voltage , evolutionary biology , biology , electrical engineering , big five personality traits
Nanoscale metal oxides (NMOs) have found wide-scale applicability in a variety of environmental fields, particularly catalysis, gas sensing, and sorption. Facet engineering, or controlled exposure of a particular crystal plane, has been established as an advantageous approach to enabling enhanced functionality of NMOs. However, the underlying mechanisms that give rise to this improved performance are often not systematically examined, leading to an insufficient understanding of NMO facet reactivity. This critical review details the unique electronic and structural characteristics of commonly studied NMO facets and further correlates these characteristics to the principal mechanisms that govern performance in various catalytic, gas sensing, and contaminant removal applications. General trends of facet-dependent behavior are established for each of the NMO compositions, and selected case studies for extensions of facet-dependent behavior, such as mixed metals, mixed-metal oxides, and mixed facets, are discussed. Key conclusions about facet reactivity, confounding variables that tend to obfuscate them, and opportunities to deepen structure-property-function understanding are detailed to encourage rational, informed design of NMOs for the intended application.