The National Science Foundation awarded a $375,000 project grant to the University of Notre Dame under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to support collaborative research on ion mobility in aqueous acids, bases, and salts from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2025.
Led by professors at the University of Notre Dame and Pennsylvania State University, the project will utilize experimental and theoretical modeling approaches to investigate ion transport mechanisms in water-based solutions. Researchers will employ spectroscopic techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance, and molecular dynamics simulations to study ion diffusion, hydration, proton transfer rates, and the impact of counterions on ion pairing and mobility. Findings aim to further the understanding of ion transport processes relevant to battery technologies and other applications. The grant also supports related training for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as development of a high school laboratory experiment on ion pairing.