Thermal Analysis: Material Science Facilities for Undergraduate Teaching/Research in Chemistry and Physics

化学（12）本项目利用热分析仪器在化学和物理实验室开展材料科学实验，并开展本领域的本科研究。对于热分析，使用三个互补仪器（差示扫描量热计（DSC）和热重分析/差示热分析（TGA/DTA）仪器，具有演化气体分析功能，再加上专用FTIR光谱仪）来表征固态材料，包括陶瓷和聚合物。实验改编自教育和研究文献。在物理化学课程中，用仪器测量聚氨酯的热性能，测定蛋白质折叠的比热容和焓。在无机化学中，学生学习开环复分解聚合（ROMP），使用定义明确的钌碳络合物，并测量所得聚合物的热性能。在高等物理实验课程中，学生利用DSC和TGA研究了超导体YBa2CU307-x的正交-全正方相变。转变温度是铜超导体中氧含量的敏感函数。第二个实验涉及到C60相变的研究。这些仪器用于化学系和物理系材料科学专业的本科生研究。在化学中，热分析被用来评价通过热分解形成磁性半导体纳米粒子的前体。利用热分析研究水在多肽和蛋白质吸附到矿物表面中的作用。在物理学方面，富勒烯和水泥基材料的性质正在被研究。

Chemistry (12) This project uses thermal analysis instruments to develop materials science experiments in chemistry and physics laboratories as well as to conduct undergraduate research in this area. For thermal analysis, three complementary instruments (a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and a Thermogravimetric Analysis/Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA/DTA) instrument, with Evolved Gas Analysis capabilities, coupled to a dedicated FTIR spectrometer) are used to characterize solid state materials including ceramics and polymers. Experiments are adapted from both the educational and the research literature. In the physical chemistry course the instruments are used to measure the thermal properties of polyurethane and to determine the specific heat capacity and enthalpy of protein folding. In inorganic chemistry, students study Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) using a well-defined ruthenium carbene complex, and measure the thermal properties of the resulting polymer. In an upper level physics laboratory course, students study the orthorhombic-totetragonal phase transition in the superconductor YBa2CU307-x by DSC and oxygen stoichiometry by TGA. The transition temperature is a sensitive function of oxygen content in this cuprate superconductor. A second experiment involves the study of the phase transition of C60. The instruments are used in undergraduate research in materials science in both the chemistry and the physics departments. In chemistry, thermal analysis is used to evaluate precursors used to form nanoparticles of magnetic semiconductors by thermolysis. The role of water in the adsorption of peptides and proteins to mineral surfaces using thermal analysis is also being studied. In physics, the properties of fullerenes and cement based materials are being investigated.