The topic of Metal-Rich, Solid-State Phases enjoys a long history of strength in the Materials Chemistry Program. Starting already 40 years ago, with the pioneering work of Corbett, McCarley, Jacobson, and Franzen, the Materials Chemistry Program established a strong national and international reputation for exploratory synthesis and for combining theoretical and experimental approaches to the field of solid-state chemistry. This work continues today as a core strength, and has expanded. Our research focus is on the following five areas:

Electronic Stabilization in Metal-Rich Solid-State Phases
Corbett, Miller, Li

Bulk Structure and Structure-Property Relationships in Intermetallics and Metal-Rich Solid-State Inorganic Compounds
Miller, Shechtman, Besser

Surface Structure and Structure-Property Relationships in Metal-Rich Solid-State Phases
Thiel, Jenks

Solute Effects in Metal-Rich Solid-State Phases
Sordelet, Corbett, Kramer, Besser

Macroscopic Growth of Metal-Rich Solid-State Phases
Lograsso, Jenks

The topic of Metal-Rich, Solid-State Phases took a new twist in 1996, when we were awarded funding for a so-called New Initiative entitled “Surface and Interface Properties of Quasicrystals,” under the direction of P. Thiel. This was (and still is) a very cross-disciplinary project, involving personnel from all three of the Materials Sciences Programs. With time, the Initiative has evolved to encompass topics beyond surfaces and interfaces (although that remains a strong core). Examples of the expansion are our research into electronic stabilization of quasicrystals, and into macroscopic growth phenomena. As a result of the New Initiative, and its subsequent evolution, it is entirely fair to say that the Ames Laboratory is an internationally famous center for research on quasicrystalline phases.