Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of Electrochemical Impedance Spectrometer for Research in Glass with Undergraduates

非技术概述这一重大研究仪器项目由材料研究部和既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助，为购买电化学阻抗谱(EIS)提供资金。这项收购允许COE学院物理系的本科生和教职员工及其合作者在受控大气下，在高达2200摄氏度(或1200摄氏度)的温度下对固体和液体样品进行电学表征，从而大大扩展了他们的研究范围。为此，该设备在不同频率下测量施加在样品上的输入电压和输出电流之间的相位差。然后，将结果与表现出类似行为的电路进行统计比较，并使用这些数据来计算样本的电气属性。这项工作还将培训12名本科生，因为他们每年夏天都可以定期接触到这项工作。此外，学生还将在某些高级课程中接触到这些仪器，如材料科学和高级实验室。该设备还将与代表STEM领域未被充分代表的群体的COE学院的组织合作使用，以促进这一职业前景并吸引更多未来的科学家进入该领域。技术概述COE学院的新电化学阻抗谱系统将由高性能模块测量系统(负责频域中的介电、电导、电化学、阻抗和增益相位测量)组成，由于其宽广的阻抗测试接口，其频率范围为3微赫至20兆赫。该系统附带两个炉子--用于样品池的Novotherm温度控制系统，其温度范围为+25°C至400°C；以及一个交钥匙高温系统，其温度范围为+25°C至1200°C，但设计为在高于300℃的温度下理想地运行。交钥匙炉还可以在受控气氛下运行。更具体地说，EIS设备将用于表征碱含量异常高的玻璃和微晶玻璃，测量通常难以制备的玻璃的电学性能，随着预测性人工智能的进步，帮助开发可能的商业成分，并用于开发在微晶玻璃中获得晶体生长的新方法。EIS系统将极大地扩展COE学院材料研究小组的表征能力，并继续发展该学院作为国家本科生材料表征中心的地位。此外，该系统的定性工作将影响其他地方和国家学术机构、当地公司、国内和国际合作者，以及REU学生和RET高中教师。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 major research instrumentation project, jointly funded by Division of Materials Research and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), funds the acquisition of a electrochemical impedance spectrometer (EIS). This acquisition allows the undergraduate students and faculty of the Physics Department at Coe College and their collaborators to drastically expand their research by allowing electrical characterization of solid and liquid samples at temperatures of up to 2200 oF (or 1200 oC), under controlled atmosphere. To do so, the equipment measures the phase differences between the input voltage and the output current being applied at the sample, at different frequencies. The results are then statistically compared to electrical circuits who present a similar behavior, and that data is used to calculate the electrical properties of the sample. The work will also allow for the training of twelve undergraduate students, as they will have regular access to it every summer. Additionally, students will also be exposed to the instruments in certain advanced classes, such as Materials Science and Advanced Laboratory. The equipment will also be used in collaboration with organizations from Coe College that represent underrepresented groups in STEM fields to promote this career perspective and attract more future scientists to the field.Technical SummaryThe new electrochemical impedance spectrometer system at Coe College will be composed of a high-performance modular measurement system (responsible for the dielectric, conductivity, electrochemical, impedance and gain phase measurements in the frequency domain), with a frequency range of 3 micro-Hz to 20 mega-Hz thanks to its wide impedance test interface. Two furnaces accompany the system – a Novotherm temperature control system for sample cells with a temperature range of +25°C to 400°C and a turnkey high-temperature system, with a temperature range of +25°C to 1200°C but designed to operate ideally at temperatures above 300 oC. The turnkey furnace can also operate under a controlled atmosphere. More specific to the proposed project, the EIS equipment will be used to characterize glasses and glass-ceramics with unusually high alkali content, measure the electrical properties of glasses that are usually hard-to-prepare, help with the development of possible commercial compositions with the advance of predictive artificial intelligence, and used to help develop a new methodology for obtaining crystal growth in glass ceramics. The EIS system will expand drastically the characterization capabilities of the materials research groups at Coe College; and continue the growth of the institution as a national undergraduate materials characterization hub. Additionally, the characterization work on the system will impact other local and national academic institutions, local companies, domestic and international collaborators, as well as REU students, and RET high-school teachers.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.