RUI: Glass Science Research at Coe College

非技术概述：本基金支持伊利诺斯州锡达拉皮兹市科学院本科生的玻璃科学研究。该研究计划的重点是发现具有新性能和结构的新玻璃家族。这些眼镜的一些例子在电池中有潜在的用途。学生们使用各种方法将液体快速冷却到内部设计和制造的玻璃杯中。结构是用各种形式的光谱学发现的。性能包括热学和光学测量以及密度、硬度、电导率和离子电导率。经常进行计算机模拟和理论模型。更广泛的影响对这个项目至关重要。最重要的更广泛的影响是，这些多样性迅速增加的本科生获得了几年的研究经验。这符合国家利益，有助于为国家提供急需的训练有素的技术人员，并为研究生院提供大量受过良好教育的学生。另一个重要的更广泛的影响是，科学院现在是玻璃科学本科研究专业知识的中心。关于这个本科生研究项目的知识正在系统地与其他高等教育机构的教师分享，包括一些少数民族服务的大学。此外，作为Coe REU计划的一部分，来自研究不足的大学的学生和高中教师加入了这项研究。高中学生每年夏天也参加这个研究项目。本基金支持科学院本科生对新型氧化玻璃的研究。研究计划是将玻璃形成扩展到目前正在研究的各种潜在的二元和三元玻璃形成系统中的新成分。这些系统的一些例子包括碱碲和钒酸盐，在这个实验室有很好的结果。例如，倒置碲酸盐玻璃是用高达65%摩尔浓度的氧化钠制成的。在这个项目中，双辊淬火被用于学生和教师在这里定制设计和建造的仪器。性能和原子结构被测量和比较。这些技术包括热（Tg、Tx、Tm和脆性）、光学（TOF-MS、激光悬浮研究玻璃的形成和粘度、拉曼光谱和XRD）性能以及密度、硬度和离子电导率。与合作者进行核磁共振，x射线和中子散射研究。此外，分子动力学模拟和拓扑约束理论被用来确定从结构模型和键约束的知识组成变化的性质。更广泛的影响对这个项目至关重要。最重要的更广泛的影响是，许多本科生获得了多年可发表的研究经验。这为国家提供了训练有素的技术人员以及受过良好教育的研究生。另一个重要的更广泛的影响是科学院继续作为本科生研究专业知识的中心。这些知识正在系统地与其他高等教育机构分享，包括一些少数民族服务的高等教育机构。研讨会、技术会议上的演讲和相互访问也会发生。我们经常向小学和高中伸出援手。高中学生每年夏天都参加这个研究项目。每年夏天，来自研究能力较差的大学的学生和教师都会参加这项研究，作为Coe REU计划的一部分。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-Technical SummaryThis grant supports research on glass science for undergraduates at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA. The research plan is focused on discovering new glass families with novel properties and structure. Some examples of these glasses are of potential use in batteries. Students use various ways to rapidly quench liquids to glasses designed and built in-house. Structure is found using various forms spectroscopies. Properties include thermal and optical measurements as well as density, hardness, and electrical and ionic conductivity. Computer simulations and theoretical models are frequently done. Broader impacts are of vital importance to this project. The foremost broader impact is that these undergraduates, rapidly increasing in diversity, gain several years of research experience. This serves the national interest and helps provide the nation with urgently needed highly trained technical staff as well as provide a substantial source of well-educated students for graduate school. Another important broader impact is that Coe College is now a hub of undergraduate research expertise in glass science. Knowledge about this undergraduate research program is being systematically shared with faculty at other higher education institutions, including several minority serving ones. Also, as part of Coe’s REU program, students from research-poor colleges and high-school teachers join this research. High-school students also join this research program each summer. Technical SummaryThis grant supports research on novel oxide glasses by undergraduate students at Coe College. The research plan is to extend glass formation to new compositions in a variety of potential binary and ternary glass forming systems that are currently understudied. Some examples of these systems include alkali tellurites and vanadates where there are promising results from this lab. For example, invert tellurite glasses have been formed with up to 65 molar percent sodium oxide. For this project, twin-roller quenching is used on custom designed and built instruments made here by students and faculty. Properties and atomic structure are measured and compared. These techniques include thermal (Tg, Tx, Tm, and fragility), optical (TOF-MS, laser levitation studies of glass formation and viscosity, Raman spectroscopy, and XRD) properties as well as density, hardness, and ionic conductivity. With collaborators NMR, x-ray, and neutron scattering studies are carried out. Also, molecular dynamics simulations and topological constraint theory are employed to determine compositionally changing properties from structural models and knowledge of bond constraints. Broader impacts are of vital importance to this project. The foremost broader impact is that many undergraduates gain multiple years of publishable research experience. This provides the nation with trained technical staff as well as provide a source of well-educated graduate students. Another important broader impact is that Coe College continues to serve as hub of undergraduate research expertise. This knowledge is being systematically shared with other higher education institutions, including several minority serving ones. Workshops, presentations at technical conferences, and mutual visits also occur. Outreach to elementary schools and high schools happens often. High-school students join this research program each summer. Students from research-poor colleges and teachers join this research each summer as part of Coe’s REU program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.