RUI: Glass Science Research at Coe College

非技术总结这项资助用于支持位于亚利桑那州锡达拉皮兹的Coe学院本科生的玻璃科学研究。该研究计划的重点是发现具有新颖性能和结构的新玻璃家族。这些玻璃的一些例子在电池中有潜在的用途。学生们使用各种方法将液体快速冷却到内部设计和制造的玻璃杯中。使用各种形式的光谱分析发现了其结构。性能包括热和光学测量以及密度、硬度、电导率和离子导电性。经常进行计算机模拟和理论模型。更广泛的影响对这个项目至关重要。最重要的更广泛的影响是，这些本科生的多样性迅速增加，获得了几年的研究经验。这符合国家利益，有助于为国家提供急需的训练有素的技术人员，并为研究生院提供大量受过良好教育的学生。另一个重要的更广泛的影响是，Coe学院现在是玻璃科学本科生研究专业知识的中心。关于这个本科生研究项目的知识正在系统地与其他高等教育机构的教职员工分享，其中包括几个少数族裔服务机构。此外，作为COE REU计划的一部分，来自研究匮乏的大学的学生和高中教师也加入了这项研究。每年夏天，高中生也会参加这个研究项目。技术概述这笔助学金支持COE学院本科生对新型氧化物眼镜的研究。研究计划是将玻璃形成扩展到各种潜在的二元和三元玻璃形成系统中的新成分，目前这些系统还在研究中。这些体系的一些例子包括碱性亚碲酸盐和钒酸盐，这一实验室取得了令人振奋的结果。例如，已经形成了含有高达65%摩尔百分比的氧化钠的倒碲酸盐玻璃。在这个项目中，双辊淬火被用于学生和教职员工定制设计和制造的仪器上。测量并比较了它们的性质和原子结构。这些技术包括热学(TG、TX、TM和脆性)、光学(TOF-MS、激光悬浮玻璃形成和粘度研究、拉曼光谱和X射线衍射法)特性以及密度、硬度和离子导电性。与合作者一起进行了核磁共振、X射线和中子散射研究。此外，分子动力学模拟和拓扑约束理论被用来根据结构模型和键约束的知识来确定组成变化的性质。更广泛的影响对这个项目至关重要。最重要的更广泛的影响是，许多本科生获得了多年可发表的研究经验。这为国家提供了训练有素的技术人员，也提供了受过良好教育的研究生的来源。另一个重要的更广泛的影响是，COE学院继续作为本科生研究专业知识的中心。这一知识正在系统地与其他高等教育机构分享，包括几所为少数族裔服务的机构。还会举办研讨会、在技术会议上发表演讲和相互访问。向小学和高中伸出援手的情况经常发生。每年夏天，高中生都会参加这个研究项目。作为COE REU计划的一部分，来自研究贫乏学院的学生和教师每年夏天都会加入这项研究。该奖项反映了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 SummaryThis grant supports research on glass science for undergraduates at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA. The research plan is focused on discovering new glass families with novel properties and structure. Some examples of these glasses are of potential use in batteries. Students use various ways to rapidly quench liquids to glasses designed and built in-house. Structure is found using various forms spectroscopies. Properties include thermal and optical measurements as well as density, hardness, and electrical and ionic conductivity. Computer simulations and theoretical models are frequently done. Broader impacts are of vital importance to this project. The foremost broader impact is that these undergraduates, rapidly increasing in diversity, gain several years of research experience. This serves the national interest and helps provide the nation with urgently needed highly trained technical staff as well as provide a substantial source of well-educated students for graduate school. Another important broader impact is that Coe College is now a hub of undergraduate research expertise in glass science. Knowledge about this undergraduate research program is being systematically shared with faculty at other higher education institutions, including several minority serving ones. Also, as part of Coe’s REU program, students from research-poor colleges and high-school teachers join this research. High-school students also join this research program each summer. Technical SummaryThis grant supports research on novel oxide glasses by undergraduate students at Coe College. The research plan is to extend glass formation to new compositions in a variety of potential binary and ternary glass forming systems that are currently understudied. Some examples of these systems include alkali tellurites and vanadates where there are promising results from this lab. For example, invert tellurite glasses have been formed with up to 65 molar percent sodium oxide. For this project, twin-roller quenching is used on custom designed and built instruments made here by students and faculty. Properties and atomic structure are measured and compared. These techniques include thermal (Tg, Tx, Tm, and fragility), optical (TOF-MS, laser levitation studies of glass formation and viscosity, Raman spectroscopy, and XRD) properties as well as density, hardness, and ionic conductivity. With collaborators NMR, x-ray, and neutron scattering studies are carried out. Also, molecular dynamics simulations and topological constraint theory are employed to determine compositionally changing properties from structural models and knowledge of bond constraints. Broader impacts are of vital importance to this project. The foremost broader impact is that many undergraduates gain multiple years of publishable research experience. This provides the nation with trained technical staff as well as provide a source of well-educated graduate students. Another important broader impact is that Coe College continues to serve as hub of undergraduate research expertise. This knowledge is being systematically shared with other higher education institutions, including several minority serving ones. Workshops, presentations at technical conferences, and mutual visits also occur. Outreach to elementary schools and high schools happens often. High-school students join this research program each summer. Students from research-poor colleges and teachers join this research each summer as part of Coe’s REU program.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.