Program Overview

RESEARCH INTERESTS. OSU has an active materials research community encompassing departments in the Colleges of Science and Engineering. Interactions extend to local companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Intel. The chemistry department also actively participates in the Oregon-sponsored initiative on Multiscale Materials and Devices. Students can earn an MS degree in materials science engineering (MSE) en route to a PhD in chemistry, and a PhD degree in materials science is an additional option.

FACILITIES. Gilbert Hall, the Ag & Life Sciences Building, and the Radiation Center house chemistry research and administrative offices with separate undergraduate teaching labs located in Gilbert Addition. Facilities are available for the synthesis of solids as powders, thin films, and large single crystals. A complete range of facilities is available for characterizing the structure and properties of solids. This includes four X-ray diffractometers for determining structures, an atomic force microscope, and extensive shared instrumentation in the College of Engineering and the Physics Department. A number of pulsed and cw laser systems are used in our research labs. These include optical parametric oscillator and dye lasers giving tunable radiation from the uv to the infrared as well as a Coherent anti-Stokes Raman system with state-of-the-art spectral resolution of 0.001 cm-1.

• Graduate students in good standing receive yearround support through a combination of research grants and departmental funds.
  
  
• 2005/2006 annual graduate stipend is $18,000 plus the cost of tuition, totalling over $30,000.
  
  
• Seminar series, including the Linus Pauling Lectures, brings internationally recognized guest speakers to OSU.
  
  
• Coursework is tailored to students interests.
  
  
• Students interested in academic careers can participate in a mentoring program for teaching.
  
  
• Graduates find careers in academe, governmental and industrial labs, and small high-tech research companies.
  
  
• Applications are accepted throughout the year. No fee is required.

CORVALLIS AND THE NORTHWEST. Corvallis is a small university town of 50,000 an hourand- a-half drive south of Portland in the beautiful Willamette Valley. Summers are mild with temperatures of 85°F, clear blue skies, and low humidity; winter lows seldom dip below 32°F. The Pacific Northwest is famous for rain which results in lush green forests and farmland. Residents enjoy microbrews, strong coffee, and local wines with their unique Northwest cuisine. Within an hour’s drive, a parade of volcanic peaks marches through the Cascade Mountains offering rugged terrain for hiking, biking, camping, rock climbing, and water and snow sports. The Pacific coast is a pleasant 50-minute drive to the west.

FACULTY

Glenn Evans - PhD Brown. Physical chemistry of complex fluids. “Current research focuses on statistical mechanics of self-assembling systems in fluids. Topics include the aggregation of water in ambient and atmospheric environments, the formation of network liquids, dendrimer growth and termination, and micelle self-assembly using mathematical and computational tools.”

Douglas Keszler - PhD Northwestern. Synthesis and study of new electronic, optical, and electro-optical inorganic materials. “We are studying crystal growth and nonlinear optical crystals for efficient generation of high-power vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) laser light; synthesis of new VUV-excited phosphors for laser detection, imaging, display, and lighting applications; and development of wide band-gap semiconductors for transparent electronics and tandem solar cells.”

Wei Kong- PhD Waterloo. Spectroscopic methods for studies of chemical reaction mechanisms. “We are interested in using electronic spectroscopy to investigate photochemical and photophysical properties of two types of materials: biologically related species such as nucleic acid bases, amino acids, their oligomers, and their polymers, and nanomaterials such as quantum dots.”

Michael M. Lerner - PhD UC Berkeley. Nanocomposites and intercalation chemistry. “We are exploring syntheses, structures and properties of intercalation compounds and layered nanocomposites. Applications of interest include rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and structural materials.”

John G. Loeser - PhD Harvard. Dimensional scaling methods for electronic structures. “We are especially interested in materials where correlation has been shown to be crucial, such as magnetic insulators and hightemperature superconductors.”

Joseph W. Nibler (Emeritus) - PhD UC Berkeley. Chemical physics, applications of linear and nonlinear forms of laser spectroscopy “We use high resolution FTIR and coherent Raman spectroscopies to study structures and dynamic properties of simple reactive molecules and radicals, as well as of weak complexes and nanoclusters formed in cold molecular beams. Examples include species such as CH₃, SO₃, C₃O₂ and clusters such as (CO₂)_n and (N₂)_n.”

Arthur Sleight - PhD Univ of Connecticut. Synthesis of new inorganic solids and the elucidation of structure-property relationships of inorganic solids, especially oxides. “Currently under investigation are oxides that contract on heating along with transparent oxides that are good electrical conductors.”

Philip Watson - PhD Univ of British Columbia. Surface chemistry. “We use scanning probe microscopies and direct recoil spectrometry to understand the role of surface processes in the synthesis of thin-film materials, catalytic reactions and the formation of biominerals. Our current focus is the investigation of the nanoscale structure and kinetics of thin films formed from solution.”

In addition adjunct faculty member, Janet Tate's research program focuses on thin films, including oxides that are transparent conductors, sulfide electroluminescent films, and oxide high temperature superconductors.