Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry

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The Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry (CSMC) develops new methods and techniques to advance the manufacturing of electronics and energy technologies. CSMC research synthesizes and characterizes thin films important in many technology areas including electronics, reflective coatings, and solar cells. CSMC designs these new chemical products in ways that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances. Center researchers and partner companies commercialize products coming from this basic research. Students and trainees receive advanced research training as well as professional development to aid career success. Thin-layer metal oxides are important in many technology areas, including electronics, reflective coatings, and solar cells. The center has a broad set of goals: discover new methods to synthesize new and known metal oxo-hydroxide metal clusters and polyoxometalates as precursors to thin-layer metal oxides; determine the structures of these compounds in solution and in the solid state by combining diffraction, spectroscopic, and computational methods; understand the detailed chemical changes that occur as metal oxo-hydroxide clusters or polyoxometalates hydrolyze and condense to form intermediates and then dense metal oxides; and elucidate the elementary steps of photolytic and radiolytic-driven cluster condensation in films for nanopatterning. CSMC and its partners explore many possible applications of metal oxide thin films, including lithographic resists, photovoltaics, and electrical and optical devices. For graduate students and postdocs, CSMC integrates research training with professional development in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, team performance, leadership, project planning, and science communication.