Structure and properties relationship of several new transition metal oxides synthesized at high temperature and very high pressure will be presented.  These materials are potentially topological insulators and multiferroic as predicted by DFT calculations.  Another topic, cheaper efficient catalysts made from earth abundant (not noble metals) and environmentally green materials, indispensable for extracting hydrogen from water  the essential precursor to all sustainable fuels. Achieving this and reducing CO2 to liquid fuels are necessary to replace fossil fuels. We have synthesized different polymorphs of transition metal oxide spinels and compared their catalytic activity in water oxidation. The catalytically active spinel phases contain cubical metal-oxo (M4O4) subunits that appear to be the key to catalytic activity. The biological basis of the mechanism for the high activity of the M4O4-cubical topology of spinels in water oxidation will be discussed.

Multifunctional materials: Synthesis, structure, and property relationships

245th National Meeting (2013)

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