REU Site: Multifunctional Nanomaterials

本科生参与者（每年10名）在这个REU（本科生研究经验）网站被整合到科学调查，以培养下一代美国科学家和工程师。本网站主要支持妇女、代表性不足的少数民族和来自经济贫困地区的人（例如，阿巴拉契亚）。参与将提高参与者参加研究生水平的科学和工程教育课程的可能性，从而提高美国参与者的科学劳动力提供了一个全面的计划，使他们迅速走向研究独立。这种准备工作包括纳米材料相关项目的日常研究工作，并与以下方面的培训相结合：研究过程和尖端科学仪器;实验室安全和科学道德;以及沟通，协作和技术写作。该项目旨在最终开发用于新一代生物识别、医疗保健和能源应用的设备，包括环境监测、早期疾病检测和太阳能电池技术。该项目侧重于解决与制造用于环境监测、早期疾病检测、蛋白质组/基因组识别和能源效率的复杂设备相关的基础工程和科学问题。该方法包括：使用扫描探针加速显微镜来研究生物相关表面的纳米级机械响应;使用从头算DFT计算建模来设计用于CO2捕获/转化的金属有机框架纳米结构;制造和表征a）用于集成到存储器装置中的多铁性薄膜，B）用于护理点测试的非机械阀，d）用于水中重金属检测的量子点-金纳米颗粒光学测定;用于薄膜太阳能电池技术的纳米图案化肖特基二极管的开发和性能测量;使用附着到自组装单层的P450酶建模肝功能，随后进行表面表征;使用COMSOL-Multiphysics软件研究通过纳米毛细管微流体装置的离子传输;合成超顺磁性氧化铁纳米颗粒，随后进行表面活性剂修饰，并表征;有机和混合发光二极管（LED）的生长和表面纳米结构的表征（光学/电学），以提高对LED效率和可靠性的理解。本科生研究经验（REU）参与者与教师和研究生合作开展研究，并接受现代科学设备（AFM，X射线反射率和衍射，毛细管电泳，光刻，SEM等）的培训。和/或使用计算机建模软件（ab initio DFT，COMSOL-Multiphysics）。 该项目包括对未来科学领导者的发展至关重要的培训，例如科学道德，实验室安全，沟通，协作和技术写作技能。该REU网站由NSF材料研究部门（DMR）和化学部门（CHE）共同资助。

Undergraduate student participants (10 per year) in this REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) site are integrated into scientific investigations in order to train the next generation of U.S. scientists and engineers. This Site primarily supports participation of women, underrepresented minorities, and persons from economically depressed areas (e.g., Appalachia). Involvement will improve the likelihood that participants will enroll in graduate-level science and engineering education programs, thereby improving the scientific workforce of the U.S. Participants are provided with a comprehensive program that rapidly moves them toward research independence. This preparation includes day-to-day research work on nanomaterials-related projects intermingled with training in: research process and cutting-edge scientific instrumentation; laboratory safety and scientific ethics; and communication, collaboration, and technical writing. Projects are geared to the eventual development of devices for a new generation of biometric, healthcare, and energy applications, including environmental monitoring, early disease detection, and solar cell technologies.This project focuses on solving fundamental engineering and scientific problems related to the fabrication of complex devices for use in environmental monitoring, early disease detection, proteomic/genomic identification, and energy efficiency. The approach includes: use of scanning probe acceleration microscopy to study nanoscale mechanical responses of biologically relevant surfaces; use of ab initio DFT computational modeling to design metal organic framework nano-architectures for CO2 trapping/conversion; fabrication and characterization of a) multiferroic thin films for integration into memory devices, b) non-mechanical valves for point-of-care testing, c) microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane tissue bioreactors for culture of breast cells, normal and cancerous, and d) quantum dot-gold nanoparticle optical assays for heavy metal detection in water; development and performance measurements of nanopatterned Schottky diodes for thin film solar cell technologies; modeling of liver functions using P450 enzymes attached to self-assembled monolayers with subsequent surface characterization; study of ion transport through nano-capillary microfluidic devices using COMSOL-Multiphysics software; synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with subsequent surfactant modification, and characterization; growth of organic and hybrid light emitting diodes (LED) and characterization (optical/electrical) of surface nanostructures for improved understanding of LED efficiency and reliability. Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) participants carry out their research in collaboration with faculty and graduate students and are trained on modern scientific equipment (AFM, X-ray reflectivity and diffraction, capillary electrophoresis, photolithography, SEM, etc.) and/or in the use of computer modeling software (ab initio DFT, COMSOL-Multiphysics). The project includes training that is important to the development of future scientific leaders, e.g. scientific ethics, laboratory safety, communication, collaboration and technical writing skills.This REU Site is co-funded by the NSF Divisions of Materials Research (DMR) and Chemistry (CHE).