Solid State and Materials Chemistry Workshop: Hybrids and Interfaces

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

PART I: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Hybrid materials that combine two or more components in an extended solid offer the potential for new structures and emergent properties not available in single-component materials. Hybrid materials play critical roles in applications such as gas capture and energy conversion and storage. At the same time, the complexity of these materials presents particular challenges regarding their controlled synthesis and precise characterization. This workshop, supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research, offers the opportunity for junior and senior researchers to discuss the topic of Hybrid Materials and Interfaces by bringing together researchers in diverse sub-fields of materials chemistry that often do not cross-pollinate knowledge. Through presentations and working group discussions, the workshop will address overarching questions at the frontier of hybrid materials research. Advertising and invitations for the workshop have been planned to foster demographic, geographic, and scientific diversity among discussion leaders and participants. The anticipated outcomes of the workshop are better approaches for the controlled synthesis, characterization, and theory of hybrid materials and interfaces as well as improved communication among researchers working in this interdisciplinary area. PART II: TECHNICAL SUMMARY Extended hybrid materials of all kinds -- including inorganic-organic, organic-organic, and inorganic-inorganic combinations at different length scales -- pose unique challenges and opportunities in discovery, characterization, and establishment of structure-property relationships. A workshop will be held in Alexandria, VA, on the topic of Hybrid Materials and Interfaces in October 2019, supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research. Themes include hybrid materials synthesis, control of functional surfaces, control of buried interfaces, and opportunities for collaboration and access to advanced characterization facilities. The workshop schedule is designed to include invited talks, "lightning round" contributions from other participants, and breakout sessions addressing overarching questions. Advertising and invitations for the workshop have been planned to foster demographic, geographic, and scientific diversity among discussion leaders and participants. The anticipated outcomes of the workshop are identification of strategies and research opportunities for the controlled synthesis, characterization, and theory of hybrid materials and interfaces as well as improved communication among researchers working in this interdisciplinary area. 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.