MRSEC: Center for Multifunctional Materials

非技术描述：西北大学材料研究科学与工程中心（NU-MRSEC）通过中心内部的积极跨学科合作，以及与国内外学术界、工业界、国家实验室和博物馆的外部合作伙伴的合作，推进世界一流的材料研究、教育和推广。NU-MRSEC的智力价值主要存在于其跨学科研究小组（irg）和种子资助项目中，这些项目促进了中心研究重点的动态演变。IRG-1，题为“混合维度异质结中的可重构响应”，探索同时处理和存储信息的纳米电子材料系统，以提供与复杂生物系统（如神经网络）所展示的功能相当的功能。IRG-2，题为“通过合成科学的功能异阴离子材料”，汇集了材料合成，材料计算设计和高级表征方面的专家，以扩展具有非常规电学和热学性能组合的相对未开发的材料类别。NU-MRSEC通过几个项目实现了广泛的影响，包括研究生和博士后的专业发展，本科生和教师的研究经验，以及对K-12学生和公众的推广。这些活动通过与阿贡国家实验室、芝加哥艺术学院、芝加哥儿童博物馆、芝加哥科学与工业博物馆、芝加哥奥黑尔国际机场、芝加哥公立学校和芝加哥城市学院的合作而得到加强。技术描述：西北大学材料研究科学与工程中心（NU-MRSEC）通过两个跨学科研究小组（irg）以及国内外学术界、工业界、国家实验室和博物馆的外部合作伙伴，将材料研究、教育和推广整合在一起。IRG-1题为“混合维度异质结中的可重构响应”，探讨了由不同维度的纳米电子材料组成的异质结如何受到介电屏蔽、电子带/电平偏移和界面区域的影响。通过利用低维材料合成、表面化学功能化、空间和光谱分辨表征以及先进的计算，IRG-1开发了混合维异质结非线性响应的定量描述。阐明控制结构变化的机制，以及相应的光电特性变化，允许在响应大量物理和化学刺激时进行可控的重构，这对神经形态计算具有重要意义。IRG-2，题为“通过合成科学的功能异阴离子材料”，开发具有可调电子，离子，热学和光学性质的新型异阴离子材料，否则从更简单的同阴离子结构和化学中无法获得这些材料。异阴离子材料的发现是由合成和表征方法促进的，这些方法提供了结晶和扩散过程的全景视图，其中揭示了感兴趣的新相并描绘了生长机制。通过强调合成是核心科学，IRG-2中制定的工具、协议和数据库使计算发现所建议的复杂材料的按需合成成为可能。NU-MRSEC的研究为包括博士后、研究生、本科生、K-12学生和教师以及公众在内的各个层次的教育和推广活动提供了信息。例子包括跨学科工程和戏剧工作坊，创作原创的科学主题戏剧，以及Jugando con la Ciencia（玩科学），将扩展课程和文本翻译成西班牙语。

Nontechnical Description:The Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NU-MRSEC) advances world-class materials research, education, and outreach via active interdisciplinary collaborations within the Center and with external partners in academia, industry, national laboratories, and museums, both domestically and abroad. The intellectual merit of the NU-MRSEC resides primarily within its interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs) and seed-funded projects that promote dynamic evolution of Center research foci. IRG-1, entitled "Reconfigurable Responses in Mixed-Dimensional Heterojunctions", explores nanoelectronic materials systems that simultaneously process and store information to provide functionality comparable to that exhibited by complex biological systems such as neural networks. IRG-2, entitled "Functional Heteroanionic Materials via the Science of Synthesis", brings together experts in materials synthesis, computational design of materials, and advanced characterization, to expand a relatively unexplored class of materials with unconventional combinations of electrical and thermal properties. The NU-MRSEC achieves broad impact through several programs including professional development of graduate students and postdocs, research experiences for undergraduates and teachers, as well as outreach to K-12 students and the general public. These activities are enhanced by partnerships with Argonne National Laboratory, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago City Colleges.Technical Description:The Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NU-MRSEC) integrates materials research, education, and outreach through two interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs) and with external partners in academia, industry, national laboratories, and museums, both domestically and abroad. IRG-1, entitled "Reconfigurable Responses in Mixed-Dimensional Heterojunctions", explores how heterojunctions consisting of nanoelectronic materials of differing dimensionality are influenced by dielectric screening, electronic band/level offsets, and interfacial regions. By utilizing low-dimensional materials synthesis, surface chemical functionalization, spatially and spectrally resolved characterization, and advanced computation, IRG-1 develops quantitative descriptions of the nonlinear responses in mixed-dimensional heterojunctions. Elucidation of the mechanisms governing structural changes, and the corresponding changes in optoelectronic properties, allows controllable reconfiguration in response to a multitude of physical and chemical stimuli, with implications for neuromorphic computing. IRG-2, entitled "Functional Heteroanionic Materials via the Science of Synthesis", develops new heteroanionic materials with tunable electronic, ionic, thermal, and optical properties, which are otherwise inaccessible from simpler homoanionic structures and chemistries. Discovery of heteroanionic materials is facilitated by synthetic and characterization methods that provide a panoramic view of crystallization and diffusion processes, in which emerging phases of interest are revealed and growth mechanisms are delineated. By emphasizing synthesis as the central science, the tools, protocols, and databases formulated in IRG-2 enable synthesis-on-demand of complex materials suggested by computational discovery. The research of the NU-MRSEC informs a diverse range of education and outreach activities that target all levels including postdocs, graduate students, undergraduates, K-12 students and teachers, as well as the general public. Examples include Transdisciplinary Engineering and Theater Workshops that create original science-themed plays, and Jugando con la Ciencia (Playing with Science) that translates outreach curricula and texts into Spanish.