How To Apply
Interested in participating in this research project? Contact the professor or graduate student listed below.
Professor
Dr. Fardin Khabaz, Assistant Professor (Department of Polymer Engineering, Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering) | fkhabaz@uakron.edu
Graduate Student
Alessandro Perego | ap226@zips.uakron.edu
Project Description
Ionic liquids (ILs) are defined as salts that melt at or below 373 K. A typical IL is composed of a bulky organic cation and an inorganic or organic anion. As a group, many ILs tend to be miscible with many organic solvents. They show low vapor pressure, high viscosity and low degree of toxicity. At low temperatures ILs do not crystallize; instead, they form a glassy phase, while at high temperatures they flow with high viscosity, which is due to the strong electrostatic interactions between cations and anions. Preliminary data have shown that the dynamics of ILs in bulk can be related to the thermodynamics of these systems. In this project, we are interested in investigating the dynamics and rheology of these complex fluids subjected to nano-confinement. Furthermore, we seek to find a universal law, i.e., an equation of state, to correlated dynamics of ILs and thermodynamics. Goals of the project: 1. Use fundamental relationships in thermodynamics to estimate the entropy of these systems. 2. Correlate the entropy with the dynamics of the ions. 3. Develop an equation of state for these complex fluids.
Project Dates
Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020
Search Terms
Advanced Materials, Chemistry, For Credit, Non-Credit, STEM