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

该奖项由肯特州立大学化学系（CHE）和材料研究部（DMR）颁发，支持由阿恩·格里克（Arne Gericke）领导的本科生研究经验（REU）项目，从2010年开始为期三个夏天。该网站每年夏天将为10名学生提供为期10周的培训。研究项目侧重于化学和材料科学的研究，重点是包括液晶在内的“软材料”。样本项目包括：(1)磷酸肌肽和磷脂质的生物物理表征；(2)脂质双分子层的压电性研究；(3)有序纳米多孔材料研究；(4)金-有机纳米复合材料的研究；(5)环境响应型催化剂的合成与研究；(6)等离子体纳米结构的制备与研究；(7)分子材料的合成与表征，测试结构边界的液晶性；(8)钒-维生素B12缀合物治疗糖尿病的潜力研究；(9)新型金属有机配合物的合成与研究；（10）电子可调谐滤波器的合成、表征和制作。除了在夏季进行研究外，参加该计划的学生还将参加各种专业发展活动，包括洁净室培训，口头和书面沟通技巧。学生还将在研究背景下接受一些伦理方面的培训。学生将在地区和全国范围内招募，特别强调从社区大学招募学生。作为培训的一部分，年轻科学家需要接触现代研究方法和工具。这个REU网站旨在为大量学生提供实用的、动手的研究培训，否则他们可能没有这样的机会。可能的项目涵盖了当前化学和材料研究的广泛主题——从具有技术有用特性的新型材料的研究到传统化学领域的基础研究。参加肯特州立大学REU网站的REU学生将接受最先进设备的优秀培训。在这里参与研究的学生将为读研做好充分准备，并最终成为国家技术劳动力的一部分。许多学生参与者将来自传统上在化学科学领域代表性不足的群体。

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.