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Functional Inorganic Materials @UMD

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Our Research and Vision

Without the material, the technology does not exist. Therefore, our starting point is always materials design, solid state synthesis, and crystal growth. In the Rodriguez Laboratory, we focus on the exploration of functional inorganic materials and in understanding how structure at the atomic scale, as determined from neutron and x-ray diffraction techniques, leads to extraordinary magnetic, electronic, and ionic properties. We primarily study ferroic materials, superconductors, magnetic materials, and oxygen storage materials.

We are a highly interdisciplinary group, comfortably existing at the intersection of solid state chemistry, condensed matter physics, crystallography, and materials science. Scroll below to learn more about our specific sponsored projects.

We also specialize in crystallographic techniques to study our functional materials with most of our beamline experiments taking place at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, the Spallation Neutron Source (ORNL), the High-flux Isotope Reactor (ORNL), and the Advanced Photon Source (ANL). In addition, we contribute to this vibrant community by co-organizing or participating in the Neutron and X-ray Scattering School, Solving Magnetic Structures School, and Fundamentals of Quantum Materials (FQM) School.

Projects

To learn more about each project, click on the images in the slide. 

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Research area 1: Hydrothermal and solvothermal synthesis of

non-centrosymmetric Quantum Materials

How can we use intercalates, such as the handed metal-amine complexes, to break symmetry in layered materials to induce novel physical properties? This is a chief question we try to solve through synthesis of novel hybrid phases and through crystal growth using hydrothermal and solvothermal conditions. We take layered transition metal chalcogenides as the hosts and during crystal growth insert the metal amine complexes that interact with the layers through hydrogen bonding.

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This research project is currently supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research, DMR-2113682. 

Latest Publications

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