Acquisition of an FTIR-Raman Spectrometer System to Probe Intermediate Phases in Disordered Systems

该补助金为辛辛那提大学购买傅里叶变换红外拉曼（FTIR）光谱仪系统提供支持，以探测无序系统中的中间相。网络眼镜已经成为无序系统的典范。拉曼散射和调制差示扫描量热实验表明，玻璃中的应力刚性的开始涉及作为增加交联的函数的两个弹性相变：从易变形网络（松软相）到等静压刚性网络（中间相）的转变-1，和从中间相到应力刚性相的转变-2。均衡一词意味着不存在会产生应力的多余键。中间相代表无序系统的自组织相，其中应力（能量）全局最小化。这些关于无序分子网络自组织的想法可以扩展到生物学（蛋白质折叠）和电子学（高温超导体）。FTIR光谱仪的采集将首次使探测IR活性模式成为可能。此外，FT拉曼模块将允许探测具有光学间隙的玻璃，以包括一些技术上更重要的材料系统。从教育的角度来看，仪器的采购将允许材料研究的超硬薄膜，沸石，纳米偏振发光二极管，粘土，铁电和硅基结构，除了玻璃。%该仪器将直接影响辛辛那提大学工程学院和艺术与科学学院多个系30多名研究生的研究论文。此外，该仪器将为研究生课程的学生提供实践经验。在加州大学和北方肯塔基州大学的本科生将受益于使用该设施在老年人和本科生的研究项目。此外，该学院将与少数民族本科生的选择组，作为一个程序的一部分，建立到可用的研究机会感兴趣的这些学生。少数民族高中生将被招募参加暑假期间的实验室工作。教师还将通过7年级的学生和他们的父母给演示，作为家庭科学学院的推广工作的一部分，以感兴趣的科学和工程在我们的生活中的作用的孩子。

This grant provides support for the acquisition of a Fourier Transform Infrared Raman (FTIR) spectrometer system to probe intermediate phases in disordered systems at the University of Cincinnati. Network glasses have served as a paradigm of disordered systems. Raman scattering and modulated-differential-scanning-calorimetry experiments have shown that the onset of stressed rigidity in glasses involves two elastic phase transitions as a function of increasing cross-linking: transition-1 from an easily deformable network (floppy phase) to an isostatically rigid network (intermediate phase), and transition-2 from an intermediate phase to a stressed rigid phase. The term isostatic connotes absence of redundant bonds that would create stress. Intermediate phases represent self-organized phases of disordered systems in which stress (energy) is globally minimized. These ideas on self-organization of disordered molecular networks may extend to biological ones (protein folding) and electronic ones (high-T superconductors). The FTIR spectrometer acquisition will make possible, for the first time, the probing of IR-active modes. Furthermore, the FT-Raman module will permit probing glasses with optical gaps to include some of the technologically more important materials systems. From an educational point of view, the instrument acquisition will permit materials research of superhard thin-films, zeolites, nanoscale polarized light-emitting diodes, clays, ferroelectrics and silicon based structures in addition to glasses. %%%The instrument will impact directly the graduate thesis of more than 30 graduate students working on these materials across several departments in the Colleges of Engineering, and Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. In addition, the instrument will provide hands on experience to students in graduate courses. Undergraduate students at UC and at Northern Kentucky University will benefit from use of the facility in seniors and undergraduate research projects. Furthermore, the faculty will work with select groups of minority undergraduates, as part of a program established to interest these students into available research opportunities. Minority high school students will be recruited to participate in laboratory work during summer recess. The faculty will also give presentations to 4th through 7th graders and their parents, as part of the Family Science Academy outreach effort to interest children in the role of Science and Engineering in our lives.