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

非技术总结：这个本科院校研究CAS（可持续发展关键方面）合作项目的总体目标是通过用离子基团功能化纤维素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，具有许多理想的性能，包括良好的机械强度和高渗透性。然而，纤维素在先进材料的开发中尚未得到充分利用，这些先进材料用于储能和二氧化碳捕获等应用，这两者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，其结果将有助于推进能量储存和运输方面的知识。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，希望不仅为参与其中的学生提供丰富而有益的教育体验，而且还能继续两组之间的可持续合作。通过RUI的提议，农村和城市教育体验的整合（IRUE）将被创建，为每所大学的学生提供在各自机构度过部分夏季的机会，学习聚合物合成，形态和材料表征，从而提高他们科学教育的广度。由于密歇根州立大学位于肯塔基州的农村，而中国人民大学位于新泽西州的城市，这些学生也将体验到截然不同的社会环境，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、前沿的研究经验，这将为他们进入stem相关专业、职业和/或专业预科学校做好准备。技术概述：本提案的中心假设是，通过纤维素与离子液体（IL）或聚离子液体（PIL）基团的功能化，将开发出一类新的导电材料，并且通过仔细选择IL/PIL结构可以操纵其最终使用性能（机械，导电，形态学）。虽然纤维素本身的节段动力学相对较慢，导致其刚度高，导电性差，但通过IL或PIL基团的功能化会由于形态的改变而增强其柔韧性和离子导电性。作为该提案的一部分，pi提出了三个目标：(1)合成和表征白介素功能化的纤维素材料，(2)合成和表征白介素接枝的纤维素材料，以及(3)评估所选材料在二氧化碳捕获/吸收中的作用。离子电导率、骨干到骨干间距、多糖结晶度、离子聚集和微相分离将使用多种技术进行评估，包括电化学阻抗谱、x射线散射、化学作图、电子显微镜和量热实验。MSU将作为提案的领导机构，并将监督所有综合重点以及财务/技术报告的全面管理。RUC将负责材料的表征（电导率，形态学），包括湿度对这些特性的影响，然后在第二和第三年的合成工作中与MSU整合，以开发有前途的引线。二氧化碳分离/捕获测量将在两所院校进行，并在第三年时间许可的情况下完成。如上所述，相当数量的本科STEM学生将获得该奖项的支持，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。拟议的IRUE计划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。综合方法、材料分析和应用经过精心挑选，以便为学生参与者提供有益的研究经验，同时产生高质量的数据，这些数据将在国内和国际公认的同行评审期刊上传播，并在专业会议上发表。PIs坚信他们的成果将极大地促进可持续导电材料领域的发展，对能源运输/储存和二氧化碳捕获具有长远影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行了评估，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.