Materials World Network: Hybrid Thiacalixarene-Silica Nano-Frits - A New Generation of Selective Nanoporous Membranes

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

The work is a cooperative effort between the University of Utah and Kazan State University in Russia. The work is based on sintered silica colloidal crystals (nano-frits) with the goal of developing membranes containing nanoscale pores whose surface is modified with thiacalixarene receptors. These receptors, capable of binding ions, small molecules and biomacromolecules, will be covalently attached to the nanopore surface, which will produce nanoporous membranes with selective and environmentally responsive molecular transport. The US and Russian teams possess expertise in the fields of surface-modified silica nanoporous materials and synthesis of thiacalixarenes, respectively. The two groups will complement each other in creating new types of nanoporous materials that will find applications in separations and sensing. Furthermore, this work will be of mutual interest and importance as the two groups will contribute equally to the research and will bring to the table two sets of skills, otherwise not available. The interaction between the two teams will use cyberinfrastructure. Specifically, infrastructure will be built to enable the interaction between the two research groups using the Internet and videoconferencing. Two conference rooms, at the US and the Russian team locations, are built and equipped for videoconferencing and face-to-face interactions over the Internet. Thus, joint meetings will be conducted every month with the participation of all students and researchers involved in the project. Moreover, this infrastructure will enable everyday communication between researches working in two labs, which will greatly facilitate the cooperative effort. Also, students from both research teams will participate in one extended (1-3 months) stay each year in the counterpart university. In addition, exchange visits of senior participants will take place once a year for 1-2 weeks. These visits will include formal presentations to the research groups and departmental seminars, as well as informal interactions. All these interactions will expose the students and researchers in both cooperating groups to new scientific approaches and methods, and will widen their cultural horizons. This award is co-funded by the Division of Materials Research and the Office of International Science and Engineering.