CAREER: Chemistry with Simple Tetrahedral Building Blocks: Synthesis and Study of Bulk and Nanocrystalline Diamond-Like Semiconductors with Novel Optical & Magnetic Propertie

技术说明本项目的目标是合成和表征新的类钻石半导体(DLS)，并稀释具有类钻石结构的磁性半导体。DLS是一类特别有吸引力的材料，因为它们在各种领域都有潜在的应用。这些材料的制备将采用四种合成策略：微波辐射、溶剂热反应、熔融金属生长和高温固相合成。根据这些化合物应该具有有趣的性质的理论预测，已经仔细地选择了目标材料。这些新半导体的光学、电学和磁学性质将作为组成和结构的函数被系统地研究。这些系统中的组成灵活性将允许调整物理特性。这项研究有可能使我们更接近于实现用于特殊非线性光学应用的新材料，以及在室温附近工作的自旋基器件。拟议的项目在几个方面将研究和教育结合在一起，例如开发新的材料化学课程、研究生和本科研究、少数群体高中生的暑期研究以及面向妇女和少数民族的外联活动。该项目的重点是通过传统和非传统途径制备这些材料，并测量它们的性能。拟议的研究具有更广泛的影响，因为它可能会通过识别具有所需特性的新化合物来影响严重依赖具有独特光学和磁特性的材料的技术。通过该项目制备的新型非线性光学材料在光谱、医学和遥感等领域具有潜在的应用前景。通过该项目制备的磁性半导体可能会使许多技术受益，包括IC(集成电路)卡、导弹控制和量子计算。参与该项目的研究生、本科生和高中生将接受政府、学术、制药、化学和犯罪实验室的职业培训。将开发新的课程，以加强系的材料化学课程。该项目将通过针对经济困难的高中生(其中许多是少数民族)的SEED计划和Duqune大学针对研究生和本科生的女性参与科学计划，扩大未被充分代表的群体在科学领域的参与。

TECHNICAL EXPLANATIONThe goal of this project is to synthesize and characterize new diamond-like semiconductors (DLS) and dilute magnetic semiconductors with diamond-like structures. DLS are a particularly attractive category of materials to pursue because they have potential applications in a variety of fields. The preparation of these materials will be carried out using four synthetic strategies: microwave irradiation, solvothermal reaction, molten metal growth and high-temperature solid-state synthesis. Targeted materials have been carefully chosen based upon theoretical predictions that these compounds should possess interesting properties. The optical, electrical and magnetic properties of these new semiconductors will be systematically studied as a function of composition and structure. The compositional flexibility in these systems will allow for the tuning of physical properties. This research has the potential to bring us closer to the realization of new materials for specialized non-linear optical applications and spin-based devices that function near room temperature. The proposed project integrates research and education in several ways, such as development of new courses in materials chemistry, graduate and undergraduate research, minority high school student summer research and outreach activities geared towards women and minorities.NON-TECHNICAL EXPLANATIONDiamond-like semiconductors are important materials because they exhibit a variety of useful applications. This project focuses on preparing these materials via both traditional and nontraditional avenues and measuring their properties. The proposed research has broader impacts in its potential to affect technologies that rely heavily upon materials with unique optical and magnetic characteristics, by identifying new compounds with the desired properties. New nonlinear optical materials prepared through this project have potential uses in the areas of spectroscopy, medicine and remote sensing. Magnetic semiconductors prepared through this project could potentially benefit numerous technologies, including IC (integrated circuit) cards, missile control and quantum computing. Graduate, undergraduate and high school students involved in this project will be trained for careers in government, academic, pharmaceutical, chemical and crime laboratories. New courses will be developed to strengthen the department's materials chemistry curriculum. This project will broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in science through the Project SEED program for economically disadvantaged high school students, many of whom are minorities, and the Women in Science program at Duquesne University for graduate and undergraduate female students.