Chemical imaging of sheets, surfaces, and interfaces

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Non-technical SummaryWith this project, which is supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research, Professor Janice Musfeldt and her research group will explore the properties of material sheets, and material surfaces and interfaces using near field-infrared spectroscopy, and will invest in the education of a diverse group of young people at the University of Tennessee. Both initiatives will advance the use of chemical imaging spectroscopies at synchrotron facilities and contribute to important societal values and outcomes. A variety of material systems will be imaged including van der Waals, ferroic, and catalytic materials. These material sheets and textures are small in size - well below the diffraction limit of traditional infrared spectroscopies - which is why near-field imaging approaches such as those employed in this project have the potential to be transformative, also in unraveling important structure-property relationships. A broad range of educational, outreach, and service activities will also take place under the auspices of this National Science Foundation-funded program, especially in the areas of diversity, conference and workshop organization, and service to various national laboratories.Technical SummaryThe research, which is supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research, employs synchrotron-based near-field infrared spectroscopy to image a variety of materials with different functionalities. The focus is on van der Waals, ferroic, and catalytic materials, as well as the structure-property relationships that can be unraveled in these systems. The goals are to: (i) explore symmetry and properties of magnetic and heavy chalcogenides and halides in the ultrathin limit, (ii) reveal interface dynamics in unusual settings such as at ferroelastic and ferroelectric domain walls, (iii) untangle chemical bonding heterogeneities and their relationship with catalytic behavior, and (iv) understand how these effects can be enhanced and controlled. What brings these efforts together is an overall interest in imaging heterogeneity in quantum materials and the opportunity to explore completely new types of light-matter interactions. Findings from this program will advance the development of theoretical approaches and of energy-related applications. This program also supports the interdisciplinary education of a diverse group of young researchers for future employment in academics, government laboratories, and industry in the area of advanced materials.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.