This project is to support collaborative research by Dr. Elizabeth Holt, Chemistry Department, Oklahoma State University, and Dr.A. Boukhari, Laboratoire de Chemie du Solide Appliquee, Faculte des Sciences de Rabat, Universite Mohammed V, in Rabat, Morocco. The research will focus on alteration of the structures of AIBIIP2O7 complexes with the aim of producing new materials with commercial properties. The physical properties of many known complexes of this family arise from the behavior of the B atom. Thus various methods of altering the environment of the B atom will be explored. Included are: the preparation of ferromagnetic diphosphate complexes of form MIMIIP2O7, substitution of two AI atoms for a single AII atom in AIIBIIP2O7 and exploration of mixed valence materials, (BIIBIII)P2O7. These types of changes are expected to lead to systems with increased metal to metal interaction, and thus interesting physical properties. Scope: This project is to fund visits by two Moroccan M.S. and Ph.D. students from the Universite Mohammed V to the crystallographic laboratories at Oklahoma State U. ,each year, to carry out materials structural research. It also supports visits by the two senior scientists to each other laboratories. The project allows the collaboration of the Moroccan group, with experience in sample preparation and analytical studies, with the US scientist who has considerable experience in experimental chemistry, especially in crystallography. The bulk of the synthetic work will be done in Morocco, a country with the largest phosphate mines in the world, while the structural characterization will be done at Dr. Holt's laboratory under her supervision. Dr. Holt has had a very successful collaboration recently with Dr. Boukhari which resulted in several publications. This project will build on this relationship, and will expand the collaboration by including additional students from Morocco. The project fits well with the objectives of the Division of International Programs.
