MRI-R2: Acquisition of Equipment for Rare Earth Spectroscopic Studies of Sol-Gel Glass Structure

MRI-R2：购置用于溶胶-凝胶玻璃结构稀土光谱研究的设备

• 批准号: 0959552
• 负责人: Daniel Boye
• 金额: $ 16.84万
• 依托单位: Davidson College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-03-01 至 2013-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0959552&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; R2; Acquisition; Equipment; Rare

0959552BoyeDavidson CollegeTechnical Summary: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Sol-gel derived glass containing fluorescing rare earth (RE) ions are potentially useful in applications such as lasers, optical sensors, and fiber optic and photonic devices. However, the optical behavior of RE-doped sol-gel glasses is not yet fully understood. The work proposed here will use optical spectroscopy to answer fundamental questions about the ways that sol-gel glass structure influences RE fluorescence yield. Two primary non-radiative decay mechanisms have been identified: deactivation through vibrational excitation of neighboring hydroxyl complexes and the silica matrix, and energy transfer among clustered RE ions on pore surfaces. This project will explore new synthesis techniques, including the use of drying control chemical agents in the starting solutions, to reduce fluorescence quenching. RE ions will be used as spectroscopic probes of structural parameters such as pore connectivity to aid in identifying the most effective methods for minimizing the RE-hydroxyl interactions. In addition, studies of energy transfer among RE ions will be used to explore how RE ion distribution in the porous sol-gel matrix correlates with synthesis protocols. These measurements will be crucial in optimizing the optical performance of these materials by achieving a more uniform distribution of RE ions in the glass. The goal is to obtain a deeper understanding of the fluorescence behavior of the RE ions, leading to a new class of more efficient fluorescent materials for the applications listed above. Our innovative research program in materials science involves collaboration between faculty and students at three undergraduate liberal arts colleges - Davidson, Hamilton, and Whitman Colleges. The new equipment provided by this grant will expand each laboratory's unique ability to perform time-based and cw spectroscopies. Undergraduate students will be involved in every aspect of this cross-disciplinary project and will benefit from increased opportunities to perform research with state-of-the-art equipment at the different participating colleges.Layman Summary: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Sol-gel materials have interesting uses in a surprisingly broad range of disciplines - from coatings on aircraft to hosts for biologically active enzymes. The sol-gel glass process uses readily available starting materials and relatively low temperatures to produce glasses with optical behavior comparable to glasses made by the traditional melt process. Creating new optical materials that are potentially useful in applications such as phosphor lighting, lasers, optical sensors, and fiber optic and photonic devices is the focus of our efforts. Our innovative research program in materials science involves collaboration between faculty and students at three undergraduate liberal arts colleges - Davidson, Hamilton, and Whitman Colleges. By leveraging the strengths of our individual laboratories, we will continue to make significant progress in understanding the ways that energy is absorbed, transferred and released by fluorescing Rare Earth (RE) ions in the glass. Undergraduate students are involved at all stages of this research process from grant writing to experimental design and implementation and on to publication in refereed journals and presentations at professional meetings. In fact, two of our recent students have received national recognition for their research. The new equipment provided by this grant will greatly expand each laboratory's unique ability to examine the time evolution and energy distribution of light emitted by RE ions in these materials. Building on the existing synergy of our collaboration, an increased number of students will be provided with more varied opportunities to explore cutting edge scientific ideas while working with state-of-the-art equipment. Our scientific goals are to obtain a deeper understanding of the interaction among RE ions, and between RE ions and their glass host, leading to a new class of more efficient fluorescent materials available for optical applications.

0959552博耶戴维森学院技术摘要：该奖项由 2009 年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法 111-5）资助。含有荧光稀土 (RE) 离子的溶胶-凝胶衍生玻璃在激光器、光学传感器、光纤和光子器件等应用中具有潜在用途。 然而，稀土掺杂溶胶-凝胶玻璃的光学行为尚未完全了解。 这里提出的工作将使用光谱来回答有关溶胶-凝胶玻璃结构影响稀土荧光产量的方式的基本问题。 已经确定了两种主要的非辐射衰变机制：通过邻近羟基配合物和二氧化硅基质的振动激发而失活，以及孔表面聚集的稀土离子之间的能量转移。 该项目将探索新的合成技术，包括在起始溶液中使用干燥控制化学试剂，以减少荧光猝灭。 稀土离子将用作结构参数（例如孔隙连通性）的光谱探针，以帮助确定最小化稀土-羟基相互作用的最有效方法。 此外，稀土离子之间的能量转移研究将用于探索多孔溶胶-凝胶基质中稀土离子的分布如何与合成方案相关。 这些测量对于通过实现玻璃中稀土离子更均匀的分布来优化这些材料的光学性能至关重要。 目标是更深入地了解稀土离子的荧光行为，从而为上述应用开发出一类更高效的新型荧光材料。 我们在材料科学方面的创新研究项目涉及三所本科文理学院（戴维森学院、汉密尔顿学院和惠特曼学院）的教师和学生之间的合作。 这笔赠款提供的新设备将扩大每个实验室执行基于时间和连续波光谱的独特能力。 本科生将参与这个跨学科项目的各个方面，并将受益于更多的机会，在不同的参与学院使用最先进的设备进行研究。外行摘要：该奖项由美国复苏和2009 年再投资法（公法 111-5）。溶胶-凝胶材料在令人惊讶的广泛学科中具有有趣的用途 - 从飞机涂层到生物活性酶的宿主。 溶胶-凝胶玻璃工艺使用现成的起始材料和相对较低的温度来生产光学性能与传统熔融工艺制造的玻璃相当的玻璃。 创造可用于磷光体照明、激光器、光学传感器以及光纤和光子器件等应用的新型光学材料是我们努力的重点。 我们在材料科学方面的创新研究项目涉及三所本科文理学院（戴维森学院、汉密尔顿学院和惠特曼学院）的教师和学生之间的合作。 通过利用我们各个实验室的优势，我们将继续在了解玻璃中荧光稀土 (RE) 离子吸收、转移和释放能量的方式方面取得重大进展。 本科生参与了该研究过程的所有阶段，从资助申请到实验设计和实施，再到在专业会议上发表评论期刊和演示。 事实上，我们最近的两名学生的研究已获得国家认可。 这笔赠款提供的新设备将极大地扩展每个实验室检查这些材料中稀土离子发射的光的时间演变和能量分布的独特能力。 基于我们现有合作的协同作用，更多的学生将获得更多样的机会，在使用最先进的设备的同时探索前沿的科学思想。 我们的科学目标是更深入地了解稀土离子之间以及稀土离子与其玻璃主体之间的相互作用，从而开发出可用于光学应用的新型更高效荧光材料。