Materials Science and Engineering

Laurence Marks

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Education

Ph.D. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

Research student, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, England

B.A. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

Research Interests

Materials at the Nanoscale

We need to develop the paradigms for materials when the carbon cost becomes a critical issue. Much of the research we do focuses on some of the fundamental scientific questions central to many energy related problems, for instance:

• How do we engineer a concrete/cement that requires less energy to produce?
• How do we reduce frictional losses which are estimated to cost about 5% of the GDP of most countries?
• How do we improve on catalysts, for instance increasing the selectivity of partial oxidation reactions?
• Can we improve on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells so we can produce electricity directly from hydrocarbons with high efficiency
• How do we understand oxide surfaces, and as we do how do we engineer desirable surface structures?

Visit The Marks Research Group website for more details.

Current projects include

• Catalysis: The work we do combines a wide range of different techniques from growth of single crystals through solving the surface structures, examining how the materials behave as catalysis in practice to theoretical modelling of the surfaces. Our aim is to bridge what is called the "Materials Gap", connecting what is taking place on large, single crystal surfaces under controlled conditions with controlled nanoparticles of oxides used as catalysts.
• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: The basic premise of this project is that the significantly enhanced electronic and ionic transport properties of nano-scale oxides, combined with the high surface area of nano-porous materials, offer an opportunity to address electrode polarization and conductivity issues limiting low-temperature SOFC performance.
• Density Functional Modelling: A critical component for understanding the properties of materials, and enabling the development of new materials is the ability to characterize them in detail as well as understand why they form. While this may appear to be a combination of two disparate concepts, in many respects they are not and should be considered as synergistic. Approached from the characterization side, better tools allow one to answer more fundamental scientific questions about why a particular structure is formed. Approached from the other side, the underlying scientific questions can drive what types of characterization is needed. Frequently the underlying science can be best revealed by theoretical calculations, particularly density functional calculations which despite some limitations can probe many important questions.
• Nanotribology: The importance of controlling friction and wear through structure, materials selection and lubrication was realized since the time of the construction of the pyramids. It was first formulated and documented scientifically by Leonardo Da Vinci 200 years before Newton defined the laws of force and mechanics, making tribology one of the oldest fields of scientific study. Despite this, only a fragmented understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of friction exists.
• Nanoplasmonics: Nanoplasmonics is the study of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), i.e. collective electron oscillations, in nanoparticles. By using correlated single particle spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, it is possible to study the effect of shape and size on plasmonic properties without having to use ensemble averaged data.

Significant Recognition

• Sloan Foundation Fellowship, 1987
• Burton Medal from the Electron Microscopy Society of America for achievements in electron microscopy by a young researcher, 1989
• Fellow, American Physical Society, 2002

Selected Publications

1. Ringe, E.; Langille, M. R.; Sohn, K.; Zhang, J.; Huang, J. X.; Mirkin, C. A.; Van Duyne, R. P.; Marks, L. D., Plasmon Length: A Universal Parameter to Describe Size Effects in Gold Nanoparticles. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2012, 3 (11), 1479-1483.

2. Liao, Y. F.; Marks, L. D., On the alignment for precession electron diffraction. Ultramicroscopy 2012, 117, 1-6.

3. Kienzle, D. M.; Marks, L. D., Surface transmission electron diffraction for SrTiO3 surfaces. CrystEngComm 2012, 14, 7833-7839.

4. Enterkin, J. A.; Becerra-Toledo, A. E.; Poeppelmeier, K. R.; Marks, L. D., A chemical approach to understanding oxide surfaces. Surf. Sci. 2012, 606 (3-4), 344-355.

5. Ringe, E.; Van Duyne, R. P.; Marks, L. D., Wulff Construction for Alloy Nanoparticles. Nano Letters 2011, 11 (8), 3399-3403.

6. Marshall, M. S. J.; Becerra-Toledo, A. E.; Marks, L. D.; Castell, M. R., Surface and Defect Structure of Oxide Nanowires on SrTiO(3). Phys. Rev. Lett. 2011, 107 (8), 086102.

7. Liao, Y.; Pourzal, R.; Wimmer, M. A.; Jacobs, J. J.; Fischer, A.; Marks, L. D., Graphitic Tribological Layers in Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements. Science 2011, 334 (6063), 1687-1690.

8. Liao, Y.; Bierschenk, D. M.; Barnett, S. A.; Marks, L. D., Operational Inhomogeneities in La_0.9Sr_0.1Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O₃ Electrolytes and La_0.8S_r0.2Cr_0.82Ru_0.18O₃Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O₂ Composite Anodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. Fuel Cells 2011, 11 (5), 635-641.

9. Kienzle, D. M.; Becerra-Toledo, A. E.; Marks, L. D., Vacant-Site Octahedral Tilings on SrTiO3 (001), the (root 13 x root 13)R33.7 degrees Surface, and Related Structures. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2011, 106 (17), 176102.

10. Enterkin, J. A.; Poeppelmeier, K. R.; Marks, L. D., Oriented Catalytic Platinum Nanoparticles on High Surface Area Strontium Titanate Nanocuboids. Nano Letters 2011, 11 (3), 993-997.