NSF Award
2000091
Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award will (1) further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, (2) improve research and teaching at the home institution, and (3) engage more undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in research experiences. The project from Xavier University of Louisiana, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU), seeks to explore the novelties of imidazolium-based ionic liquids that have significant potential as a ?green? organic solvent for industrial applications by utilizing chemical techniques that are readily available at the institution and through collaboration with other local institutions. Furthermore, the project is designed to include undergraduate students as active researchers while providing enhancements to existing courses by integrating the results of the proposed research within those selected courses. Accordingly, the project has significant intellectual merit and broader impacts.<br/><br/>Imidazolium-based ionic liquids are complex spatially heterogeneous liquids. In this proposal, infrared labels, particularly the C2-D probe on the cation ring, will be used to investigate how the complex microenvironment of these ionic liquids changes in response to a change in temperature or in the presence of a solvent or a dissolved gas. Analysis of the infrared response from the C-D band, both by linear and non-linear vibrational spectroscopy, supported by computational studies is expected to provide a deep molecular-level insights into the structural reorganization of these liquids in response to external stimuli like temperature and the nature of solute-solvent interactions. In doing so, the outcomes will facilitate rational application of these green solvents both in industrial and laboratory settings.<br/><br/>This project is jointly funded by Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).<br/><br/>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.
