REU Site: Chemistry and Applications of Smart Molecules and Materials at Duke University

化学部（CHE）和国防部（ASSURE计划）的这一奖项支持了由斯蒂芬·L。杜克大学的克雷格。 该网站支持的研究项目是在所谓的智能分子和材料领域。 所有本科生将从杜克大学以外的地方招募到这个网站，重点是从科学领域代表性不足的群体中招募学生。 该网站将支持10名学生每年夏天在一个为期十周的计划。 本科生将从事的项目包括：（1）合成并将自修复聚合物纳入生物医学聚合物纳米复合材料中，以用作假体植入物;（2）研究生物分子在施加机械张力下的作用;（3）研究从软颗粒的致密溶液中组装成的簇状晶体;（4）研究聚合物纳米复合材料的性质。（4）基于DNA的自组装纳米结构的发展;（5）可以通过施加外力打开和关闭的新型刺激响应催化剂的发展;以及（6）开发基于在有机基质中的钢纳米颗粒的新材料，其可以在低温下模制和烧结。 除了在夏季进行研究外，参加该计划的学生还将参加一些专业发展活动，包括科学伦理的讨论，正式科学交流的机会，以及对当地工业设施和其他研究设施的实地考察。 青年科学家需要接触现代研究方法和工具，作为其培训的一部分。 这个REU网站旨在提供化学科学的前沿研究培训，重点是开发具有“智能”特性的新型分子和材料。 这些研究项目涉及化学的各个领域，其中许多将对国家需求领域产生影响。 参与该网站研究的多样化学生群体将为研究生院做好充分准备，并最终成为该国技术劳动力的一部分。

This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Department of Defense (ASSURE Program) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by Stephen L. Craig at Duke University. The research projects supported in this site are in the areas of so-called smart molecules and materials. All undergraduates will be recruited to this site from outside of Duke University, with emphasis on recruitment of students from groups that are underrepresented in the sciences. The site will support ten students per summer in a ten week program. A sample of the projects that undergraduates would work on include: (1) the synthesis and incorporation of self-healing polymers into biomedical polymer nanocomposites for use as prosthetic implants; (2) the study of biomolecules under applied mechanical tension; (3) the study of cluster-forming crystals that assemble from dense solutions of soft particles; (4) the development of self-assembling nanostructures based upon DNA; (5) the development of new kinds of stimulus-responsive catalysts that can be turned on and off by an applied, external force; and (6) the development of new materials based upon steel nanoparticles in an organic matrix that can be molded and sintered at low temperatures. In addition to conducting research during the summer, the students participating in this program will participate in a number of professional development activities, including a discussion of ethics in science, opportunities for formal scientific communication, and field trips to local industrial facilities and other research facilities. Young scientists need exposure to modern research methods and tools as part of their training. This REU site aims to provide cutting-edge research training in the chemical sciences, with a strong emphasis on the development of new kinds of molecules and materials with "smart" properties. The research projects are in diverse areas of chemistry, many of which will have an impact in areas of national need. The diverse student cohort participating in research at this site will be well-prepared for graduate school, and eventual employment as part of the country's technical workforce.