FCZ before and after the phase transformation excited at 365 nm.

1. Effect of nanoparticle crystallization on optical properties in glass ceramics DMR-1001381Jacqueline A. Johnson (UTSI) & Amanda K. Petford-Long (Northwestern) TEM studies of fluorochlorozirconate(FCZ) glasses have shown the nucleation and growth of previously unreported face-centered-cubic and orthorhombic BaF2nanocrystals (ncs) in addition to BaCl2ncs, during annealing. The upper figure shows a dark field TEM image of the nanocomposite glass-ceramic containing spheroidal BaCl2 and BaF2 ncs in a glass matrix. In-situ XRD is being used to follow the way that the various phases form as a function of heat-treatment. The glass ceramics are doped with one or more rare-earth elements to promote scintillation or storage phosphor behavior. The optical properties depend critically on the nature of the nanocrystals. For example, color of the photoluminescence (PL) depends on the phase of the BaCl2nanocrystals. The phase transformation from hexagonal to orthorhombic shifts the PL from blue to purple. Spheroidal BaF2 and BaCl2 nanocrystals FCZ before and after the phase transformation excited at 365 nm. C.J. Alvarez, Y. Liu, R.L. Leonard, J.A. Johnson and A.K. Petford-Long,J. Am. Cer.Soc. (In Press, 2013)

2. Reality check – mock grant application The circle of internship: adding value to our students’ experience Here we go – lectures again Career day was fun! Jackson Matt Megan Oh wait – we get to go in the lab Always the center We also get to do simulations on computers We do however need to check what we are doing in the literature- Good call professor!