Inter-American Materials Collaboration in Synthesis, Processing and Atomic-Scale Characterization of Nanostructured Materials

美洲材料合作项目汇集了三个小组，分别是亚利桑那州立大学（ASU）的David Smith、墨西哥圣路易斯波托西市波托西调查科学技术研究所（IPICyT）的Humberto Terrones和巴西里约热内卢天主教大学（pu - rio）的Guillermo Solorzano。高度互补的研究工作的总体重点是纳米结构材料的合成，加工和原子尺度表征。这些活动包括基于Al， Ga， B和Si的纳米级氮化物颗粒的合成，以及金属基陶瓷增强纳米复合材料（pu -Rio），充满磁性金属合金的碳纳米管的生长（IPICyT-Mexico）以及含有磁性小体的磁铁矿晶体链的致磁细菌的研究（Universidade Federal de里约热内卢de Janeiro）。这些不同的纳米结构材料使用先进的透射电子显微镜（TEM）设备进行表征。利用高分辨率电子显微镜和小探针显微分析技术在原子尺度上确定了磁性纳米结构的微观结构和元素组成，利用电子全息技术研究了磁性纳米结构的磁响应和微观结构。来自巴西和墨西哥的交换生和博士后工作者在亚利桑那州立大学花了很长时间参与TEM实验，并获得了先进表征方法的宝贵经验。亚利桑那州立大学的参与者前往巴西和墨西哥的合作机构，观察和参与材料合成和加工工作，并举办TEM表征研讨会。所有参与者合作组织了一个关于“纳米结构系统的原子尺度控制和表征”主题的研讨会，作为巴西材料研究学会会议的一部分，该会议将于2005年在里约热内卢举行。总的来说，这个合作项目有助于促进国际交流与合作，并提供更多的教育和培训机会。该奖项由材料研究部、国际科学与工程办公室以及数学和物理科学理事会的多学科活动办公室提供支持。

This Inter-American Materials Collaboration brings together three groups led by David Smith at Arizona State University (ASU), Humberto Terrones at the Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (IPICyT), San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Guillermo Solorzano at the Pontificia Universidade Catolica-Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Brazil. The overall focus of the highly complementary research efforts is the synthesis, processing and atomic-scale characterization of nanostructured materials. These activities include the synthesis of nanoscale nitride particles based on Al, Ga, B and Si, as well as metal-matrix ceramic-reinforced nanocomposites (PUC-Rio), the growth of carbon nanotubes filled with magnetic metallic alloys (IPICyT-Mexico) and the study of magnetotactic bacteria containing chains of magnetite crystals known as magnetosomes (Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro). These various nanostructured materials are characterized using the advanced transmission electron microscope (TEM) facilities available at ASU. High-resolution electron microscopy and small-probe microanalysis are used to determine microstructure and elemental composition at the atomic scale, and electron holography is used to study the magnetic response and microstructure of the magnetic nanostructures.Exchange students and postdoctoral workers from Brazil and Mexico spend extended periods of time at ASU participating in the TEM experiments and gaining invaluable experience in advanced characterization methods. The ASU participants travel to the partner institutions in Brazil and Mexico to observe and participate in the materials synthesis and processing efforts, and also to conduct workshops on TEM characterization. All participants cooperate in organizing a symposium on the topic of "Atomic-Scale Control and Characterization of Nanostructured Systems" as part of the Brazilian Materials Research Society meeting to be held in Rio de Janeiro during 2005. Overall, this collaborative project serves to promote international exchange and cooperation and enable enhanced education and training opportunities. This award is supported by the Division of Materials Research, the Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.