This award supports Bruce S. Dunn of UCLA for collaborative research with Professor Manfred W. Breiter of the Institute of Technical Electrochemistry of the Technical University of Vienna. The objective of their research is to learn more about the dielectric properties of gels during their solution, gelation and aging stages. They will apply impedance spectroscopy to provide information about gel development and morphology and to gain a better understanding of transport properties. The UCLA group will be responsible for synthesizing various gels. The collaborating Austrian group offers unusual expertise and specialized facilities for the spectroscopic measurement of complex impedance and the development of analytical models. This arrangement provides a unique opportunity to apply macroscopic and microscopic analytical techniques on the same samples. Past studies of the electrical properties of sol-gel materials have been largely restricted to investigations of dried and fired materials. The proposed work will explore the transport processes of gels during the earlier stages of solution and gelation. It is during these stages that dielectric properties are subject to substantial change as mobile ions become impeded and relaxation times are altered by structural rigidity. A better understanding of the relationship between transport properties and gel micro- structure will help them to develop gels that possess high impedance prior to their gelation stage. The results will complement Dr. Dunn's current NSF-supported research which uses luminescent spectroscopy to monitor local chemical and structural changes. That research is aimed at the incorporation of organic molecules into sol-gel hosts, in order to "engineer" new properties.
