University of Minnesota MRSEC

* 非技术摘要 * 本项目涉及三个跨学科研究小组（IRG）。第一个团队的目标是发展对固态材料中电荷传输的新理解，这是塑料电子和磁存储设备等技术的关键。第二个团队正在开发由无毒和地球丰富的元素制成的纳米晶体，用于制造太阳能和低能量照明的薄膜。第三个团队正在开发新的方法来组装具有上级性能组合的聚合物材料，用于水处理，燃料电池膜，基因治疗和集成电路制造等多种应用。高级研究人员为来自四年制大学，少数民族服务机构，部落学院和大学的全国网络的有前途的本科生提供研究经验。来自双子城和上中西部美洲原住民社区的高中生夏令营涉及高级调查员、学生和博士后的实践活动。娱乐演示节目，以说明基本的科学原理，由教师从所有三个IRG，每年吸引超过20，000名K-12学生。与行业的密切互动包括与40多家公司进行竞争前合作的知识转移。*技术摘要 * IRG-1的科学目标，材料的静电控制，是控制新材料的电子性能。最近开发的基于离子液体和固体电解质的方法可以产生前所未有的电荷密度，高达每个单元电池一个电子，从而实现显着的性能修改。机会包括磁序的可逆控制，绝缘体-金属和超导转变的微调，新器件，新相的发现，以及新材料中传输极限的确定。IRG-2的重点是可持续纳米晶体材料，是环境友好的纳米晶体基电子和光电材料的设计，合成，加工和薄膜特性。该领域的限制依赖于有毒（铅，镉）和/或稀缺（在，碲）元素，严重的环境，健康和经济问题。该团队的目标是使用可扩展的低温工艺（如等离子体合成）由无毒，丰富和可持续的材料（Si，Ge，Cu，Zn）制成的纳米陶瓷薄膜。IRG-3的愿景，分层多功能高分子材料，是开发一种多重相互作用的方法来设计聚合物材料，通过解耦两个或多个所需属性的优化来实现多功能应用。三个综合的推力目标控制水的流变性和凝胶化与含有纤维素醚嵌段的聚合物;控制的结构和性能的嵌段聚合物为基础的“双嵌体”，组装的聚阴离子与阳离子共聚物胶束;和设计和制备的新型多嵌段聚合物具有独立控制的有序状态的对称性和机械性能。

****Nontechnical abstract****This project involves three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs). The first team aims to develop new understanding of charge transport in solid-state materials, key to technologies such as plastic electronics and magnetic storage devices. The second team is developing nanocrystals made from non-toxic and earth abundant elements, for fabrication into thin films for solar energy and low energy lighting. The third team is developing new approaches to assembling polymeric materials with superior property combinations, for applications as diverse as water treatment, fuel cell membranes, gene therapy, and integrate circuit manufacturing. The senior investigators provide research experiences for promising undergraduates from a national network of four-year colleges, minority serving institutions, tribal colleges, and universities. Summer camps for high school students, from the Twin Cities and from Native American communities across the upper Midwest, involve senior investigators, students, and postdocs in hands-on activities. Entertaining demonstration shows to illustrate fundamental scientific principles, by faculty from all three IRGs, engage over 20,000 K-12 students each year. Close interaction with industry involves knowledge transfer in a pre-competitive collaboration with over 40 companies.****Technical abstract****The scientific target of IRG-1, Electrostatic Control of Materials, is to control electronic properties in novel materials. Recently developed methods based on ionic liquids and solid electrolytes can generate unprecedented charge densities, up to an electron per unit cell, enabling dramatic property modification. Opportunities include reversible control of magnetic order, fine-tuning of insulator-metal and superconducting transitions, novel devices, discovery of new phases, and determination of transport limits in new materials. The focus of IRG-2, Sustainable Nanocrystal Materials, is the design, synthesis, processing, and thin film properties of environmentally benign nanocrystal-based electronic and optoelectronic materials. The field is constrained by reliance on toxic (Pb, Cd) and/or scarce (In, Te) elements, with serious environmental, health, and economic concerns. The team is targeting nanocrystal-based thin films made from nontoxic, abundant and sustainable materials (Si, Ge, Cu, Zn) using scalable, low-temperature processes such as plasma synthesis. The vision of IRG-3, Hierarchical Multifunctional Macromolecular Materials, is to develop a multiple interaction approach to polymer materials design that enables multifunctional applications by decoupling the optimization of two or more desired attributes. Three integrated thrusts target control of aqueous rheology and gelation with polymers containing cellulose ether blocks; control of structure and properties of block-polymer-based "amphiplexes", assemblies of polyanions with cationic copolymer micelles; and design and preparation of novel multiblock polymers featuring independent control of ordered-state symmetries and mechanical properties.