Research Experiences for Undergraduate REU Site at Kent State University: Liquid Crystals and Advanced Materials

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This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Division of Materials Research (DMR) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by Arne Gericke at Kent State University for three summers, commencing in 2010. The site will support ten students per summer in a ten week program. The research projects focus on research in the chemical and materials science, with an emphasis on "soft materials" including liquid crystals. Sample projects include: (1) the biophysical characterization of phosphoinositide and phosphatidic lipids; (2) the study of the piezoelectricity of lipid bilayers; (3) the study of ordered nanoporous materials; (4) the study of gold-organic nanocomposites; (5) the synthesis and study of environment-responsive catalysts; (6) the fabrication and study of plasmonic nanostructures; (7) the synthesis and characterization of molecular materials to test the structural boundaries of liquid crystallinity; (8) the study of vanadium-vitamin B12 conjugates for the potential treatment of diabetes ; (9) the synthesis and study of new metal-organic complexes; and (10) the synthesis, characterization and fabrication of electronically tunable filters. In addition to conducting research during the summer, the students participating in this program will participate in a variety of professional development activities, including clean-room training, oral and written communication skills. Students will also receive some training in ethics, in a research context. Students will be recruited both regionally and nationally, with a special emphasis on recruiting students from community colleges. Young scientists need exposure to modern research methods and tools as part of their training. This REU site aims to provide practical, hands-on research training to a significant number of students who might not otherwise have this opportunity. The possible projects span a wide range of topics in current chemical and materials research -- from investigations of new kinds of materials with technologically-useful properties to fundamental studies in traditional areas of chemistry. The REU students participating in Kent State University's REU site will receive excellent training on state-of-the-art equipment. Students participating in research at this site will be well-prepared for graduate school, and eventual employment as part of the country's technical workforce. Many of the student participants will come from groups traditionally underrepresented in the chemical sciences.