Formation and Engineering of Spatiotemporal Structure: Studies in Electrochemistry

研究：PI正在研究化学反应体系中时空模式的形成和控制，从而为化学复杂性工程研究的新兴分支做出贡献。这项工作在很大程度上是实验性的，是现有理想化理论的试验台，尽管也将进行一些与实验相关的建模研究。这项研究将增加对化学反应体系中耦合和反应相互作用的基本理解。短程和长程耦合的相对重要性的描述与一般化学反应器设计有关。他正在研究外部信号对发展的模式的影响，以及强加的时间尺度和由此产生的空间尺度之间的关系。最近在化学反应体系中发现的一种现象，即反应体系的不同区域同步但仍与反应区域的其余部分不同的团簇的发展正在详细研究中；静止的和时间变化的团簇都需要研究。他正在开发可寻址的阵列，并研究空间不均匀的强迫和反馈信号对反应的影响，包括金属电溶解反应和电催化反应。时间和空间变化信号的输入改进了对反应条件的控制。时间和空间尺度之间的关系被举例说明，并正在利用超短电压脉冲在金属表面的高分辨率图案化中被利用。更广泛的影响：这项研究解决了由具有商业重要性的实际应用驱动的基本问题。金属腐蚀对国民经济具有重大的经常性影响。有机小分子和氢气的氧化在燃料电池和电有机合成等几个应用中具有潜在的重要意义。利用超短电压脉冲操纵时间和空间结构的能力在金属的电化学加工中有着直接的应用。工程模式形成的工作可以导致化学反应体系中反应性和选择性的提高。这些研究的一个重要重点是对学生的培训。国际和平协会努力扩大代表不足的群体的参与。目前，他的六名研究生中有两名是女性，在过去十年中，已有三名非裔美国研究生完成了博士学业。PI目前与NIH为少数族裔学生以及弗吉尼亚州、西北大学和莫尔豪斯的其他教师提供的培训拨款有关。他与德国、中国、墨西哥和立陶宛的国际合作伙伴开展了广泛的合作研究；作为这些研究的一部分，他积极交换研究生。他计划继续参与在美国和海外展示他的工作，其中包括为第三世界国家的学生和研究人员组织的研讨会。

Research: The PI is investigating the formation and control of spatiotemporal patterns in chemically reacting systems and is thus contributing to the emerging branch of research on the engineering of chemical complexity. The work is largely experimental and is a test-bed for existing idealized theories although a few modeling studies relating to the experiments will also be carried out. The study will add to the fundamental understanding of the interaction of coupling and reaction in chemically reacting systems. The delineation of the relative importance of short-range and long-range coupling has relevance to general chemical reactor design. He is investigating the effects of external signals on developed patterns and the relationship between the imposed temporal scales and resulting spatial scales. A recently discovered phenomenon in chemically reacting systems, the development of clusters in which various regions of a reacting system synchronize but remain different from the remainder of the reaction area, is being investigated in detail; both stationary and temporally varying clusters are to be studied. He is developing addressable arrays and investigating the effects of spatially inhomogeneous forcing and feedback signals on reactions, both metal electrodissolution reactions and electrocatalytic reactions. The input of temporally and spatially varying signals gives improved control over reaction conditions. The relationship between temporal and spatial scales is exemplified and is being exploited in high resolution patterning of metal surfaces with the use of ultra-short voltage pulses. Broader Impacts: The research addresses fundamental issues that are driven by practical applications of commercial importance. Corrosion of metals has a major recurring impact on the national economy. The oxidation of small organic molecules and of hydrogen is of potential importance in several applications including fuel cells and electro-organic synthesis. The ability to manipulate temporal and spatial structures with ultra-short voltage pulses has direct applications in the electrochemical machining of metals. The work on engineered pattern formation can lead to improved reactivity and selectivity in chemically reacting systems.A strong emphasis of these studies is on the training of students. The PI endeavors to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups. At the present time two of his six graduate students are women and in the past ten years three African-American graduate students have completed their PhD studies. The PI is presently associated with a training grant from NIH for minority students along with other faculty at Virginia, Northwestern, and Morehouse. He carries out extensive collaborative studies with international partners in Germany, China, Mexico, and Lithuania; as part of these studies he has an active exchange of graduate students. He plans to continue his participation in presentation of his work in the USA and overseas; this includes workshops organized for students and investigators from third world countries.