Project Grant 2610380

Federal Grant Award Summary

Florida State University's Sponsored Research Administration Division received a $500,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Materials Research under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), awarded July 15, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2029. The project, titled "Directing the Synthesis of Complex Materials from Metal Fluxes," delivers fundamental research and development in materials chemistry through systematic exploration of intermetallic compound synthesis using molten metal solvents. Researchers will investigate methods to grow large crystals and tune the electronic and magnetic properties of novel materials by substituting elements or introducing atoms into structural voids, producing new compound formulations with potential applications in advanced electronics and thermoelectric power conversion.

The grant supports two primary research focus areas: lanthanide-rich compounds with potential superconducting or complex magnetic properties applicable to quantum information science, and semiconducting silicon compounds containing mixed metal cations for waste heat-to-electricity conversion. Beyond material discovery and characterization, the award funds workforce development through graduate and postdoctoral training in advanced synthesis and characterization methods, with collaborative partnerships through major national laboratories. The project contributes to NSF's broader mission of strengthening the Nation's scientific enterprise by advancing fundamental knowledge in materials science and preparing the next generation of materials chemistry researchers.