CAREER: The Physical Chemistry of Disordered Nanostructures

莱斯大学授予Vicki L.Colvin的这一职业奖项得到了化学部先进材料项目的支持。研究的重点将是从两个不同的方面研究纳米材料的行为和性质。第一个项目将解决纳米颗粒(如亚硒化锌、二氧化钛和氧化锆)与聚合物(如聚丙烯酸酯和聚甲基丙烯酸酯)之间的界面性质。通过利用无机纳米颗粒在尺寸和表面控制方面的最新进展，将通过化学方法创建模型界面。通过核磁共振和热机械分析，探讨界面对本体聚合物结构的影响。原子力显微镜将被用作界面区域的纳米机械探针。第二个项目将利用创造不同大小的星团的能力来探索玻璃中无序的起源。无序二氧化硅团簇的稳定性将通过监测体系经历结构变化的温度和/或压力来测量。团簇在1-100 nm范围内稳定性的尺寸依赖关系将为玻璃形成模型提供一个重要的检验。尺寸转换将用振动光谱学来探测。这些项目将有助于弥合纳米级固体的实验室合成和它们在现实世界技术中的最终使用之间的差距。这一职业奖的教学方面将集中在材料领域基础科学和应用科学之间的协同作用。将开发一门研究生水平的课程，为学生提供对技术问题的欣赏。课程将侧重于三到四项新兴技术的技术评估，这些技术依赖于可读写CD光盘或电致发光平板显示器等复杂材料。学生将结合文献中的技术数据和对潜在市场的分析来评估这些新应用的潜力。这种方法也将有利于本科生水平的课程，特别是物理化学。研究生课程所建议的例子，例如激光打印机的光物理，将在课堂上用来说明物理化学原理的广泛应用。

This CAREER award to Vicki L. Colvin at Rice University is supported by the Advanced Materials Program in the Chemistry Division. The main focus of the research will be the behavior and properties of nanomaterials from two different aspects. The first project will address the nature of the interface between nanoparticles such as zinc selenide, titania and zirconia and polymers such as polyacrylates and polymethacrylates. By exploiting the recent advances in the size and and surface control of inorganic nanoparticles, model interfaces will be chemically created. The effect of the interfaces on the bulk polymer structure will be explored by NMR and thermomechanical analysis. Atomic force microscopy will be used as a nanomechanical probe of the interfacial region. The second project will exploit the ability to create clusters of different sizes to probe the origins of disorder in glass. The stability of disordered silica clusters will be measured by monitoring the temperature and/or pressure at which the systems undergo structural changes. The size dependence of cluster stability over the 1 to 100 nm range will provide an important test for models of glass formation. Size transformations will be probed by vibrational spectroscopy. These projects will help bridge the gap between the laboratory synthesis of nanoscale solids and their ultimate use in real world technologies. The teaching aspect of this CAREER award will focus on the synergy between basic and applied science in the area of materials. A graduate level course will be developed that provides students with an appreciation of technological issues. The curriculum will focus on the technical assessment of three to four emerging technologies which rely on complex materials such as read-writeable CD disks or electroluminescent flat panel displays. Students will combine technical data from the literature and analysis of potential markets to evaluate the potential for these new applications. This approach will also benefit undergraduate level courses, especially physical chemistry. Examples suggested by the graduate course, such as the photophysics of a laser printer will be used in lectures to illustrate the wide-ranging applications of physical chemical principles.