High surface area metal (hydr)oxide nanopowders have inherently high defect site populations. The reactivity of metal (hydr)oxide nanopowders, such as zirconium hydroxide, strongly depends on these poorly-understood defect sites. Controlling or modulating defect sites to direct chemical reactions have implications ranging from highly selective catalysis and low-cost reactive composite materials to improved energy storage. This work shows that polymerization of various monomers with metal (hydr)oxide nanopowders can modify the defect sites and alter the material’s surface reaction chemistry. We explore the tuning of defects by functionalizing the polymer with electron donating and withdrawing moieties to disrupt the local electronic structure and drive new chemistry. A suite of analytical tools including <i>operando</i> diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and probe molecules such as carbon monoxide were used to investigate changes to the local defect structure in real-time. From this work, a porous polymer composite material with tailored properties for chemical decontamination was conceptualized and demonstrated.

Tuning metal (hydr)oxide composites via functionalized polymers

2019 Fall National Meeting

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