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

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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.***