This project, supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, focusses on the electrochemical synthesis and characterization of complex mixed metal oxide superconductor materials that exhibit novel properties. These materials will be prepared from varying ratios of barium, potassium, bismuth, and oxygen by Professor Michael Norton and his students in the Department of Chemistry at Marshall University. This group first developed these methods for electrochemically preparing these materials which have reduced defects that impart superior superconductor properties. Vibrational spectroscopy and optical and scanning tunnelling microscopies will be used to characterize these superconductor materials. Materials that function as superconductors at high temperatures exhibit novel electronic and magnetic properties that hold promise for applications in a wide range of electronic devices. Procedures for preparing defect free superconducting materials are necessary before these applications can be realized. Professor Michael Norton and his students in the Department of Chemistry at Marshall University have developed a new electrochemical method for preparing superconductor materials composed of barium, potassium, bismuth, and oxygen. This project will focus on further developing this unique approach to the reliable preparation of high temperature superconductor materials.
