Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Nanostructured Materials: an Experimental and Computational Study

Caddeo, Francesco (2016) Nanostructured Materials: an Experimental and Computational Study. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent,. (doi:10.22024/UniKent/01.02.59164) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:59164)

PDF
Language: English

Restricted to Repository staff only
[thumbnail of 47Francesco Caddeo - Ph.D. thesis.pdf]
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.22024/UniKent/01.02.59164

Abstract

ABSTRACT

In this thesis, experiment and atomistic simulations have been used in order to study the structure and properties of materials at the nanoscale focussing the attention, in particular, on metal oxide nanoparticles. Chapter 3 presents results on CuFe2O4-SiO2 nanocomposites where copper ferrite nanoparticles are embedded within a silica aerogel and xerogel matrix. In this case, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy has been extremely valuable in order to elucidate the cation distribution of the spinel. CeO2-SiO2 nanocomposites in form of aerogel and xerogel have been also synthesised and characterised. The CeO2 nanoparticles are either grown within the porous silica matrix (Chapter 4) or synthesised in advance by a hydrothermal method (Chapter 5). In order to enhance the reactivity, the attention has been focused on obtaining ceria cuboidal nanoparticles and on their dispersion in a silica aerogel matrix. An atomistic model of a CeO2 cuboidal nanoparticle has been then obtained using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations (Chapter 6), by performing the crystallisation of the nanoparticle with a new technique, involving the use of a crystalline seed, which drives the crystallisation to the cubic shape. The atomistic model has been found to be in quantitative agreement with experiment. The mechanical properties of CeO2 nanoparticles have been then calculated as a function of size, shape and microstructure, and are presented in Chapter 7. It has been found that the mechanical properties of CeO2 nanoparticles are dominated by the presence of grain boundaries. Furthermore, the simulations predict that Ostwald ripening can be induced along a ?11 grain boundary by applying uniaxial force.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD))
DOI/Identification number: 10.22024/UniKent/01.02.59164
Additional information: The author of this thesis has requested that it be held under closed access. We are sorry but we will not be able to give you access or pass on any requests for access. 04/05/22
Uncontrolled keywords: chemistry nanomaterials nanoporosity aerogel nanoparticles ferrite nanoceria nanocubes reactivity mechanical properties computation molecular dynamics simulation
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Users 1 not found.
Date Deposited: 28 Nov 2016 10:00 UTC
Last Modified: 04 May 2022 08:10 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/59164 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Caddeo, Francesco.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.