A CAREER Plan: New Mixed-Valent Layered Perovskites to Elucidate Structure-Property Relationships

理解结构-性能关系是解锁定制设计新型超导体和其他具有有趣电子和磁性质的材料的能力的关键。该职业奖将支持专注于具有层状钙钛矿型结构的新型混合价材料的合成和表征的研究。具体地说，新的混合价钛酸盐和铌酸盐将通过在熔融氯化物助熔剂中直接制备。这些材料的电子和磁性能的表征将阐明一系列具有相似结构和不同组成的化合物的结构-性质关系。这项研究的结果将扩大早期过渡金属氧化物的合成策略，并为还原钛酸盐和铌酸盐的超导性所必需的结构和电子特征提供有价值的见解。教育计划将强调指导本科生进行研究，并通过开发几个新的实验室项目，将层状钙钛矿的结构-性质关系这一主题整合到无机化学入门课程中。此外，将在当地高中化学教室开展以学生为基础的拓展计划，并通过开发一个万维网网站向更大的教育界传播扩展固体中结构-性质关系的说明性例子。在材料研究这样一个本质上是跨学科的领域，固态化学家的作用是引领人们发现具有有趣性质的新材料。反过来，新材料将刺激物理学家、材料科学家和工程师思考如何利用这些特性进行技术应用。新材料的发现是这项研究计划的核心，也是材料研究未来进展的核心。在更广泛的层面上，这项工作的主要影响将是本科生参与前沿研究的丰富教育经验。通过这个项目，里德学院的学生将体验到现代科学是如何完成的，以及化学家在塑造未来固态材料中的作用。* * *

9733329 Geselbracht Understanding structure-property relationships is the key to unlocking the ability to tailor-design new superconductors and other materials with interesting electronic and magnetic properties. This CAREER award will support research focused on the synthesis and characterization of new mixed-valent materials with layered perovskite-type structures. Specifically, new mixed- valent titanates and niobates will be targeted via direct preparation in molten chloride fluxes. Characterization of the electronic and magnetic properties of these materials will elucidate structure--property relationships in a series of compounds with similar structures and varying compositions. The results of this research will expand the repertoire of synthetic strategies to early transition metal oxides and provide valuable insight into what structural and electronic features are necessary for superconductivity in reduced titanates and niobates. The educational plan will emphasize mentoring undergraduate students in research and integrating the theme of structure-property relationships in layered perovskites into the Introductory Inorganic Chemistry course through the development of several new laboratory projects. In addition, a student-based outreach program to local high school chemistry classrooms will be initiated, and illustrative examples of structure-property relationships in extended solids will be disseminated to the larger educational community through the development of a World Wide Web site. %%% In an inherently interdisciplinary field like materials research, the role of the solid state chemist is to lead the drive to discover new materials with interesting properties. New materials will, in turn, stimulate physicists, materials scientists, and engineers to think about ways to harness these properties for technological applications. The discovery of new materials lies at the heart of this research plan and remains central to future progress in ma terials research. On a broader level, the primary impact of this work will be the rich educational experience of undergraduates participating in cutting-edge research. Through this project, students at Reed College will experience how modern science is done and the role of chemists in shaping the solid state materials of the future. ***