Synthesis and Characterization of New Rare Earth Metal Main Group Metal Materials

这个项目解决了基于一组可用的构建块的固体家族中的化学结构关系的预测。基本工具将能够广泛应用于任何一组构建块和连接单元，无论它们是稀土金属和主族阴离子还是其他中性或离子构建块。材料合成的三个相互关联的领域将得到解决，重点是针对特定的稀土金属主族金属材料，包括四元相空间的稀土金属chalcopnicates，四元稀土金属chalcotetrelates，和四元稀土金属chalcotrielates的发展组成相图。一系列的化学公式，建议产品的目标组成是可能的，将进行测试。在某些情况下，这些公式可以预测相关产物的空间群对称性。该项目为合成新型固体化合物提供指导，并为理解结构家族如何相互关联以及这些家族如何表现出独特的光学和电子特性提供指导。该项目的更广泛影响包括在材料设计和化学合成科学方面培训博士后学者、研究生和本科生。 一个新的跨学科材料化学研究生课程正在科罗拉多州立大学开发，这在落基山脉地区是独一无二的。

This project addresses the prediction of chemical-structural relationships in a family of solids based on a set of available building blocks. The fundamental tools will be able to be broadly applied to any set of building blocks and connecting units, whether they are rare-earth metals and main group anions or other neutral or ionic building blocks. Three interrelated areas of materials synthesis will be addressed with an emphasis on developing composition phase diagrams for targeting specific rare-earth metal main group metal materials to include quaternary phase space of rare-earth metal chalcopnictates, quaternary rare-earth metal chalcotetrelates, and quaternary rare-earth metal chalcotrielates. A series of chemical formulae that suggest products with targeted compositions are possible will be tested. These formulae, in some cases, can predict the space group symmetry of the related products. %%%This project is providing guidelines for the synthesis of new classes of solid compounds, and guidelines for understanding how families of structures are interrelated and how those families exhibit unique optical and electronic properties. The broader impacts of the project include the training of post doctoral scholars, graduate students and undergraduate students, in the science of materials design and chemical synthesis. A new interdisciplinary Materials Chemistry graduate program is being developed at Colorado State University that is unique in the Rocky Mountain region.***