This project targets the discovery and characterization of new transition metal oxides that are capable of acting as the host for guest-host reactions -- intercalation compounds. Little is still understood about the relationship between the crystalline structure of materials and their chemical and physical properties. We have begun to get a better understanding of what controls the reactions of inorganic materials, and ways to predict what compounds will be formed. However, the inorganic/materials chemist is still far behind the synthetic organic chemist who can map out a synthetic sequence. One goal is to further the understanding of synthetic approaches, and the strategy is to use 'soft' chemistry conditions where it is possible to control the building blocks that eventually are used for building the solid structure. A main goal is to discover new transition metal oxides with open structures, with an emphasis on vanadium oxides, some mixed manganese oxides and iron oxides/phosphates. These oxides form intriguing structures that are able to intercalate a range of ions, including lithium and are therefore of interest for use in advance lithium batteries, and as sensors. Our work has shown that they can form in a range of morphologies from large single crystals to nanotubes and fibers. Our work also shows that their chemical reactivity and physical properties depend on the scale (nano to macro) and on the atomic level bonding. Such oxide materials are also readily tailored in principle to give the desired behavior, either by substitution in the host lattice or by varying the guest intercalating specie. It is these exciting possibilities that encourage the student to participate in the discovery process, and motivate this project to discover and characterize new solid materials.
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The broader impacts of the proposed activity include advancing discovery and understanding while at the same time promoting the scientific education of the next generation of citizens. This project will impact undergraduate students, graduate students and postdocs as well as colleagues in the US and internationally. Research and education will continue to be heavily integrated, significantly impacting students from their beginning years to graduation. A new materials-oriented general chemistry course adapted for Engineering, Physics and Geology students, as well as for chemistry majors is being developed. Two senior/graduate level courses on the Chemistry of Solids and Techniques for Studying Solids are taught every year to more than 30 students each. Innovations in the research laboratory are being incorporated into an undergraduate Inorganic/Materials Laboratory so that undergraduates are using the latest techniques and materials. This year a new graduate degree program in Material Science was started and students from a wide range of disciplines and diversities will be impacted by the opportunity of working together on teams to solve interdisciplinary challenges.
