Nano-scale energetic films by superfluid helium droplet assembly

Abstract

The helium droplet technique has been utilized to study a wide range of topics in chemical physics such as atomic scale manifestations of superfluidity, chemistry at ultra-low temperatures, and the assembly of exotic Van der Waals complexes. Our efforts have transitioned the helium droplet methodology from a cryogenic nano-scale matrix to a film deposition technique capable of creating nano-structured films of composite metal-based energetic materials (EM). Such materials are ideal candidates to study propagation of reactions at small scale, and could be alternatives to organic based EM due to their higher energy densities. The helium droplet methodology may also provide a solution overcoming issues of reaction-limiting effects such as the formation of oxide layers by exploiting 'magic-number' cluster sizes and core-shell cluster mechanisms. This proceeding describes our previously reported efforts to model and characterize the deposition of magnesium clusters by superfluid helium droplet assembly, our efforts to produce magnesium-Fomblin core-shell EM cluster-based films, and our early attempts at making intermetallic cluster-based films.