Research and Education - Increasing Student Participation in Research at Internationally Recognized User Facilities

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NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The objective of this research program is to increase the participation of American students in research performed at internationally recognized user facilities. In January 2004, the National Science Board issued a report stating that the number of native-born science and engineering graduates entering the workforce is likely to decline without intervention. Louisiana Tech University (LTU) and Grambling State University (GSU), the two lead institutions on this proposal, plan to increase student participation at the internationally recognized user facility, J. Bennett Johnston Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), located in Baton Rouge, LA. Industrially-relevant technical projects involving hydrogen storage materials and layer-by-layer nanoassembly films will be used for student research. The basis of the research program is to study hydrogen storage materials and layer-by-layer nanofilms using x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) at CAMD. The XAFS technique provides information concerning the local bonding environment around atoms-even those atoms present in small quantities within the solid. Hydrogen storage materials (and the hydrogen economy) and are at the forefront of the nation's energy concerns. Resolving the structure of hydrogen storage materials at the atomic scale will aid in understanding-and controlling- the chemical reactions which release hydrogen gas from these solids. The proposed work will extend the experiences of undergraduate and graduate students performing research to area high school students-thus establishing a link between 9-12 grade students and educators (located in northern Louisiana) and the state-of-the-art user facility CAMD (located in southern Louisiana). Undergraduate student researchers working on the project will spend 50-75% of their time preparing presentations designed to translate their research experiences to high school students. The workshop contents will be aimed at introducing high school students to research careers using nanoscale measurements as model research problems. Additionally, we will discuss the participation of professional researchers at National Laboratories. TECHNICAL DETAILS: The technical objective of this research is to understand and engineer interactions between dopant atoms and the host lattice using x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) in order to tailor hydrogen desorption behavior. This work will expand the fundamental knowledge on the role that transition metals play in altering hydrogen desorption kinetics. This information is much needed by the hydrogen storage research community. Material systems to be studied are transition metal (i.e. Ti2+, Ti3+, Ti4+ Zr4+, V2+, V3+, V4+, Nb4+) doped NaAlH4. Dopant salts will be introduced to NaAlH4 by two methods: (1) mechanical milling and (2) layering onto the surface. Particle morphology will be monitored using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). For the latter approach, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) will be used to examine structural changes at the interface between NaAlH4 and dopant salts after hydrogen absorption/desorption cycles. Undergraduate and graduate students will be trained at state-of-the-art synchrotron x-ray facilities located at internationally recognized user facilities-the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD) and the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Students will be trained in the layer-by-layer nanoassembly by one of the pioneering publishers of that technique, Dr. Yuri Lvov. This project is jointed supported by EPSCoR and two programs within the Division of Materials Research.