Low temperature (less than 500 degree Centigrade) topotactic synthetic strategies will be developed to direct the preparation of new solid-state materials to include metal-anion arrays within layered oxide hosts. Combinations of reductive and oxidative intercalation, ion exchange and in some cases, deintercalation reactions will be used to build metal-anion arrays within layered oxide hosts. Emphasis will be placed on multistep reaction processing where the sequential application of topochemical methods will lead to new intricately layered products. Specific strategies will be explored that allow the construction of layers with different compositions, different thicknesses, mixed valency as well as different layer types alternating through a single host. These methods will be used to produce new materials with significant structural, magnetic, and electronic properties. Additional efforts will involve the fabrication of new layered oxyhalide hosts that are receptive to topochemical manipulation.
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This project aims to have both a broad scientific and educational impact. In terms of the scientific impact, this will be seen in the long term with the development of an extended series of low temperature reaction strategies. A comprehensive library of reactions is envisioned that will allow for the directed, rational synthesis of new nonmolecular target compounds with specific structural, electronic and magnetic features. Such extensive capabilities would mirror those currently available to synthetic organic chemists. With respect to the educational impact, efforts here will focus on the training of students and presentations to the local community. Undergraduate and graduate students will be involved in all aspects of the research component of this program. This experience will provide them with valuable training in the synthesis and characterization of new materials as well as the presentation and publication of scientific data. A further aspect of this component is the involvement of international students where undergraduate and/or graduate students from France will work in the PI's laboratory; this effort will serve to promote solid-state chemistry at the international level. Finally, to communicate topics on solid state and materials chemistry to nonscientists in the local community, public schools (K-12) in the greater New Orleans area will be visited to give lectures and demonstrations on concepts pertinent to solid state and materials chemistry.
