RUI: CAS: Collaborative Research: Synthesis, Conductivity and Morphology of Cellulose-Based Ionic Materials

非技术摘要：这个RUI(本科生研究所)CAS(可持续发展的关键方面)合作项目的总体目标是通过将纤维素与离子基团功能化来创造和评估新的导电材料。纤维素是一种廉价、可持续的原料，具有许多理想的特性，包括良好的机械强度和高渗透性。然而，在开发用于能源储存和二氧化碳捕获等应用的先进材料方面，纤维素一直没有得到充分利用，这两种应用在当今世界都非常重要。在这项工作中，将合成和表征含离子的纤维素基材料，以了解材料结构和性能之间的基本关系。纤维素将被广泛用作形成导电聚合物的基础材料，其结果将有助于增进对能量储存和运输的了解。这里提出的工作将由一个主要由来自默里州立大学(MSU)和罗格斯大学卡姆登(RUC)的本科生组成的团队合作完成，希望不仅能为参与其中的学生提供丰富和有益的教育体验，而且还能继续这两个群体之间的可持续合作。通过这一建议，将创建城乡一体化教育经验(IRUE)，为每所大学的学生提供机会，在另一所大学度过一个夏天的部分时间，学习聚合物合成、形态和材料表征，从而促进他们的科学教育的广度。由于密歇根州立大学位于肯塔基州农村，而RUC位于新泽西州市区，这些学生也将体验到截然不同的社会学环境，进一步增强他们对合作科学研究的欣赏。学生参与者将获得有益的、尖端的研究体验，为他们进入STEM相关专业、职业和/或预科学校做好准备。技术概述：这项提议的中心假设是，通过将纤维素与离子液体(IL)或聚(离子液体)(PIL)基团功能化，将开发出一类新的导电材料，并通过仔细选择IL/PIL结构来控制其最终用途的性质(机械、导电、形态)。虽然纤维素本身的链段动力学相对较慢，导致硬度高，导电性差，但由于形态的变化，IL或PIL基团的官能化将导致柔韧性和离子导电性的增强。作为这项建议的一部分，PIs提出了三个目标：(1)IL功能化纤维材料的合成和表征，(2)PIL接枝纤维材料的合成和表征，以及(3)对选定材料的二氧化碳捕获/吸收能力的评估。离子导电性、主链到主链间距、多糖结晶度、离子聚集和微相分离将使用包括电化学阻抗谱、X射线散射、化学图谱、电子显微镜和量热实验在内的综合技术进行评估。密歇根州立大学将担任该提案的牵头机构，并将监督所有合成推力以及财务/技术报告的全面管理。RUC将负责材料的表征(导电性、形态)，包括湿度对这些性能的影响，然后在两年和三年内与MSU整合在合成工作中，因为有希望的线索被开发出来。将在两个机构进行二氧化碳分离/捕获测量，并在第三年时间允许的情况下完成测量。如上所述，该奖项将资助相当数量的STEM本科生，他们将获得包括单体/聚合物合成和表征(FTIR、TGA、DSC、X射线散射、DRS、SEM等)的技能。建议的IRUE项目的学生将获得独特的社会学视角以及拓宽他们的科学技能。精心选择了综合方法、材料分析和应用，以便为学生参与者提供有益的研究体验，同时产生高质量的数据，这些数据将在国家和国际公认的同行评议的期刊上传播，并在专业会议上介绍。PIS坚信，他们的成果将极大地提高在能源运输/储存和二氧化碳捕获方面具有长期影响的可持续导电材料领域。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The overall goal of this RUI (Research in Undergraduate Institutes) CAS (Critical Aspects of Sustainability) Collaborative program is to create and evaluate new conductive materials by functionalizing cellulose with ionic groups. Cellulose represents an inexpensive, sustainable feedstock with a number of desirable properties, including good mechanical strength and high permeability. However, cellulose has been underutilized in the development of advanced materials for applications such as energy storage and carbon dioxide capture, both of which are extremely important in today’s world. In this work, ion-containing, cellulose-based materials will be synthesized and characterized in order to understand fundamental relationships between material structure and properties. Cellulose will be used extensively as a foundational material for the formation of conductive polymers and the results will help advance knowledge in energy storage and transport. The work proposed here will be completed collaboratively by a team of primarily undergraduate students from Murray State University (MSU) and Rutgers University-Camden (RUC) in the hopes of not only providing a rich and rewarding educational experience for the students involved, but also to continue a sustainable collaboration between the two groups. Through this RUI proposal, the Integration of Rural and Urban educational Experience (IRUE) will be created, offering students from each university the opportunity to spend part of a summer at the other respective institution to learn polymer synthesis, morphology, and materials characterization, thus advancing the breadth of their scientific education. As MSU is located in rural Kentucky and RUC is located in urban New Jersey, these students will also experience vastly different sociological environments, further enhancing their appreciation for collaborative scientific research. Student participants will receive a rewarding, cutting-edge research experience that will prepare them for STEM-related majors, careers and/or pre-professional school. TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The central hypothesis of this proposal is that, through functionalization of cellulose with an ionic liquid (IL) or poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) group, a new class of conductive materials will be developed and that their end-use properties (mechanical, conductive, morphological) can be manipulated through careful choice of IL/PIL structure. Although the segmental dynamics of cellulose itself are relatively slow, leading to high stiffness and poor conductivity, functionalization with an IL or PIL group will lead to enhanced flexibility and ionic conduction due to changes in morphology. The PIs propose three objectives as part of this proposal: (1) synthesis and characterization of IL-functionalized cellulosic materials, (2) synthesis and characterization of PIL-grafted cellulosic materials, and (3) evaluation of select materials in CO2 capture/absorption. Ionic conductivity, backbone-to-backbone spacing, polysaccharide crystallinity, ion aggregation, and microphase separation will be evaluated using a combination of techniques, including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray scattering, chemical mapping, electron microscopy, and calorimetry experiments. MSU will serve as the lead institution of the proposal and will oversee all of the synthetic thrusts as well as the overall management of financial/technical reporting. RUC will be responsible for characterization (conductivity, morphology) of the materials, including the affect of humidity on these properties, and then integrate with MSU in the synthetic efforts during years two and three as promising leads are developed. Carbon dioxide separation/capture measurements will be made at both institutions and completed as time permits in year three. As mentioned above, a significant number of undergraduate STEM students will be supported by this award, acquiring skills that encompass monomer/polymer synthesis and characterization (FTIR, TGA, DSC, X-ray scattering, DRS, SEM, etc.). Students in the proposed IRUE program will gain a unique sociological perspective as well as a broadening of their scientific skills. Synthetic approaches, materials analyses and applications were carefully selected so as to provide student participants with a rewarding research experience while generating high quality data which will be disseminated in nationally and internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals and presented at professional meetings. The PIs firmly believe that their results will greatly enhance the area of sustainable, conductive materials with long-range implications in energy transport/storage and CO2 capture..This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.