Federal Grant Award Summary

Arizona State University's Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration is administering a $623,804 National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry Project Grant awarded August 1, 2026, and scheduled for completion July 31, 2031. The research initiative, titled "From Maps to Mechanisms: Engineering Interfacial Electron Transfer via Nanoscale Electrostatic Landscapes," develops advanced methodologies to visualize and control electron movement across complex material interfaces. The research team will synthesize model materials with precisely controlled nanoscale features and employ advanced fluorescence imaging techniques to map electron-transfer behavior across heterogeneous surfaces. By integrating experimental measurements with machine learning and data-driven analysis, the researchers will establish predictive design principles linking nanoscale electrostatic variation to electron-transfer dynamics in mixed-metal oxide systems, with applications for improving catalytic, sensing, and energy-related materials.

The award supports both research activities and educational outreach components under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). Deliverables include foundational research findings that could establish new design principles for controlling charge movement at complex interfaces, as well as research-inspired educational materials and vertically integrated mentoring activities developed collaboratively with local high school teachers and involving undergraduate and graduate trainees. These educational components aim to expand nanoscale science accessibility and develop the next generation of materials researchers.