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Building-Block Approach To The Discovery Of Na8mn2(Ge2se6)2: A Polar Chalcogenide Exhibiting Promising Harmonic Generation Signals With A High Laser-Induced Damage Threshold, Srikanth Balijapelly, Andrew J. Craig, Jeong Bin Cho, Joon I. Jang, Kartik Ghosh, Jennifer A. Aitken, Aleksandr V. Chernatynskiy, Amitava Choudhury

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new polar quaternary chalcogenide, Na8Mn2(Ge2Se6)2, has been synthesized using the building-block approach by reacting preformed Na6Ge2Se6 and MnCl2 at 750 °C. The structure consists of layers of [Na(1)Mn(Ge2Se6)]3– stacked perpendicular to the c-axis and sodium ions occupying the interlayer space. An indirect bandgap of 1.52 eV has been calculated using density functional theory, which is expectedly underestimated compared to the observed optical bandgap of 1.95 eV derived from diffuse reflectance spectroscopic measurements in the UV/Vis/NIR region. Magnetic measurements confirm the paramagnetic nature of Na8Mn2(Ge2Se6)2 with an experimental magnetic moment of 5.8 μB in good agreement with the theoretical spin …

17th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Winners, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Fiber On Re-Crosslinkable Particle Gels, Jacob Head

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

In the Petroleum industry, water is inadvertently produced during the production of hydrocarbons. Fluid flow in a heterogenic reservoir favors high permeable zones resulting in un-swept areas. As production continues, these areas become depleted of hydrocarbons and transition to a highway for waterflow. This results in a significant increase in the water-to-oil ratio, leading to the abandonment of the well, leaving approximately 2/3 of oil unrecovered. Re-crosslinkable preformed particle gel (RPPG) has been developed and implemented to restrict fluid flow in high permeable zones, redirecting fluid flow to un-swept areas of the reservoir. In this research, fiber was incorporated into …

Applying Spin Dynamics Methods To Uranium Dioxide, Anthony Lonsdale

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Experiments conducted on Uranium Dioxide (UO₂) under the Manhattan Project led to the creation of the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction at Chicago Pile-1 in 1942. 80 years later, UO₂ functions as the primary fuel for nuclear fission reactors, providing around 10% of global electric output. Understanding UO₂'s thermal and magnetic properties is instrumental in ensuring safe operation and handling, which can be done computationally using the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS). Recent advances in LAMMPS allow for the simulation of quantum spin-lattice coupling in magnetic subsystems, which we have applied to elemental Iron across …

Early Dark Energy In Precision Cosmology, Jordan Stevens

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The flat ΛCDM model of the Universe has started to falter due to recent and precise observations. A prominent example is the Hubble tension; the Hubble constant, the rate at which the universe is currently expanding, is different depending on the method used to measure it. One of the most promising models to resolve the tension is the axion-like Early Dark Energy (EDE) model. However, all the previous work on EDE models assumed a flat Universe. Since the detection of such a component has a significant impact on our understanding of fundamental physics, we must revisit the assumptions in the …

Thq Synthesis, Formation Of Aerogels For Co2 Capture, Joey Gloriod

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The accelerated increase of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere over the modern era damages natural ecosystems through ocean acidification and global warming. As such, carbon capture is an essential tool for regulating CO₂ levels from rising further, or, ideally, decreasing the carbon footprint overall. This project's goal is to formulate new materials for high capacity and selective CO₂ adsorption. The material of focus is polymerized from the newly synthesized tetrahydroquinazoline (THQ) monomer. THQ is prepared in a four-step synthesis and polymerized through an acid catalyzed ring-opening mechanism. The PTHQ wet gels are then dried in an autoclave …

The Motivations & Goals In The German Peasants' War, Donovan Mefford

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The German Peasants’ War, which lasted from 1524 to 1526, has been evaluated in many different ways by scholars. The war began as a result of the demands for reforms raised by peasants in Germany went unanswered. This uprising ultimately failed, but many scholars see it as an important precedent. Some Marxist and socialist historians see it as an early bourgeois revolution, while others have seen it as an early attempt to move towards a parliamentary democracy instead of monarchy. This research looks at the goals and motivations of the peasants in the German Peasants’ War as evidenced through documents …

Nutrient Release From Aquatic Plants, Michaela Quinones

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Eutrophication is among the greatest threats to global freshwater. Methods such as floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) utilize aquatic plants to remove excess nutrients directly from the water column. However, plants senesce or die off seasonally, releasing nutrients back into the water. The harvesting of plant tissues can be employed to remove nutrients from the system more permanently. The effectiveness of these strategies is dependent on the amount of nutrients a senesced or dying plant releases. This study submerged four common Missouri macrophytes in conditions that prompted senescence and examined the nutrient concentrations over time. The amount of nutrients released varied …

Insecticide Metabolic Responses Of Two Lepidoptera, John Sneed

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Soybean loopers (Chrysodeixis includens) and corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea) are moth pests of soybean and corn fields across the United States, including Missouri. Here, we assessed their toxic and metabolic responses to cypermethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide registered for foliar use in agriculture.

An analysis of literature studies and generation of preliminary dose-response curves in the laboratory indicated that, although corn earworms and soybean loopers belong to the same lepidopteran family (Noctuidae), they show different susceptibilities to topically applied cypermethrin. To assess if metabolic factors are responsible for these differences, we undertook synergistic studies with PBO, TPP, and DEM, which are …

Scalar Susceptibility Of A Diluted Classical Xy Model, Reece Beattie-Hauser

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The Higgs (amplitude) mode at the disordered superfluid-Mott glass quantum phase transition was recently shown to feature unusual localization properties that violate naive scaling [1,2,3]. To test whether analogous behavior also occurs in the classical case, we analyze the Higgs mode in a diluted 3D classical XY-model near the magnetic phase transition. We calculate the amplitude correlation function and the corresponding scalar susceptibility by means of Monte Carlo simulations. In contrast to the quantum case, we find that the scalar susceptibility fulfills naive scaling (employing the clean critical exponents, as expected from the Harris criterion) as the temperature is varied …

Supramolecular Assembly Of Metal Phosphates, Vaughn Foreman

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Aluminosilicate zeolites are highly porous crystalline structures with varying properties. There are hundreds of zeolites with differing pore dimensions and channels, composed of corner-shared AlO₄ and SiO₄ tetrahedra. Like aluminosilicates, aluminum phosphates also form many zeolitic structures. Syntheses of zeolitic structures are often achieved in the laboratory under hydrothermal or solvothermal conditions in the presence of an organic template, which also acts as a structure directing agent.

Synthesis in high pressure bombs under hydrothermal conditions is often termed as termed as black box where aluminate, silicate, and phosphate precursors in presence of an organic amine at a certain …

Designing Novel Modular Biodiesel Plant, Caleb Moellenhoff

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

In the search for low carbon-emitting, sustainable, and economical energy sources, biodiesel has been noted to be a potential solution. As an alternative to petroleum derived diesel, biodiesel can be produced through the transesterification reaction of waste cooking oil and methanol. Our research has focused on scaling up this process to a commercial plant that could be placed onto a trailer allowing on-site production of biodiesel wherever waste cooking oil is made available. Our aim is that this biodiesel would meet industry quality and purity standards such that it could subsequently be used in a traditional diesel burning engine. This …

Assessing The Effects Of Age And Sex On Mtbi Severity, Jennifer Harrell

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a serious problem affecting soldiers in training and during deployment. Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) accounts for over 80% of the TBIs recorded in soldiers in the last two decades. While symptoms may be mild initially,subjection to continued mTBIs could result in severe comorbidities appearing years later. Examination of current research available on mTBI shows an overwhelming skewing of murine animal models used as being solely male and of one age. With age and sex being known to have an affect on TBI, this project set out to explore the differences in severity in various …

La Fuerza De La Mujer (The Strength Of Women), James Drennan

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Hailing from Spain and with a career that has spanned over thirty years, Pedro Almodovar has become one of the most successful modern filmmakers. His films have won him many prestigious accolades including the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film and Best Screenplay. There are many components to his films that make him unique, specifically his use of the melodrama genre and colorful cinematography. However, his use of women in leading roles is looked at as his most important mark in cinema. The award winning films Volver and Hable con Ella are phenomenal examples of writer and director Pedro Almodovar's …

The History Of Automobiles In The United States, Gregory Dreiswerd

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

In the late 19th century when automobiles first made an appearance in the United States, they were only affordable to the wealthy. Others who often could not afford the vehicles believed they were dangerous to pedestrians and causing congestion in cities. As cars became affordable to working-class individuals, they caused many positive socio-economic changes in urban and rural areas.

The research conducted for this poster compiles information from secondary books, databases, and contemporary newspapers focusing on the impact of the automobile. This poster includes data related to urban sprawl and the creation of suburban areas that were only accessible by …

Effect Of Dbf2 On Phosphorilation, Christian Bigler

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Cytokinesis refers to the separation of two daughter cells after mitotic division. An important signaling pathway that enables this process is called the Mitotic Exit Pathway, or MEN. Of particular interest in this pathway is the Dbf2 protein kinase. Dbf2 essentially acts as a middleman within the cascade of messengers and activates proteins that physically separate the cells. The kinase activity of Dbf2 is regulated by other cellular kinases, including the cell cycle regulator kinase. Using mutant alleles of the dbf2 gene, we can manipulate this protein's ability to be phosphorylated or dephosphorylated, thereby altering the downstream effects of the …

Effects Of Autoimmune Disease On Mscs, Maya Washington

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, are pluripotent adult stem cells capable of producing daughter cells with more than one fate as well as performing self-replication. Their ability to self-renew and create cells from all three germ layers gives them a variety of uses within regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, including modulation of autoimmune diseases. Despite their promising pre-clinical studies, results in clinical trials are less effective. Our hypothesis is that MSCs are defunct in autoimmune disease and treatment, therefore, requires the use of allogenic MSCs instead of autologous, which is currently the standard. Autologous MSCs that are isolated from a …

Enzyme Inhibitors And Insecticide Effect On Caterpillars, Sage Wood

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

This project aims to determine why there is a significant difference in susceptibility to imidacloprid (IMI) between corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea) and fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda). Both species belong to the Lepidoptera order and Noctuidae family, but corn earworms are significantly more susceptible to IMI. In this study, three enzyme inhibitors were used to identify the metabolic pathways that both species of moth use to detoxify IMI from their system. The enzyme inhibitors were triphenyl phosphate (TPP) which inhibits esterase, piperonyl butoxide (PBO) which inhibits mixed-function oxidases and diethyl maleate (DEM) which inhibits transferase enzymes. In the first study, we …

Mineral Compositional Changes During Weathering, Mercedes Lane

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The weathering of rocks is dependent on the mineral composition, climate, and tectonic environment. Goldich (1938) determined the relative weathering rate of minerals in igneous rocks was inversely proportional to their crystallization temperature (i.e. Bowen's Reaction Series). To test this relationship, we sampled weathered and unweathered granite, rhyolite and basalt rocks from the St. Francois Mountains, MO area. The samples were crushed, pulverized, and pressed into pellets suitable for X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. XRD and microscopic analysis showed that the K-feldspar within the granite and rhyolite samples weathered to illite and kaolinite clays. From unweathered to …

Carbon Aerogels For High Capacity Adsorption Of Co2, Samuel Hackett

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Carbon aerogels are light, highly porous materials with high surface areas. Their applications have been demonstrated in a wide range of areas such as CO₂ capture, gas separations, electrochemical cells, catalysis, etc. Carbon aerogels are typically made from pyrolysis of a variety of carbonizable polymeric aerogels, which in turn are synthesized via sol-gel methods. It has been argued that along with porosity and the surface structure, heteroatoms such as O and N play a decisive role on the properties of porous carbon materials, with nitrogen-containing functional groups in particular responsible for improving interaction with gases for gas adsorption applications. …

Simulation Of A Photonic Crystal Fiber, Elizabeth Nolte

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The importance of optical fibers has been greatly increasing over the years as technology for communication and sensing continues to improve and expand. With this increased importance, there has been more research into optimizing optical fibers to make them more sensitive and reliable, which is especially important for biosensing. One of the types of fibers being studied is the photonic crystal fiber, which contain a pattern of holes in their cross-section. In this study, various simulations will be done using the RSoft software to compute the modes of a photonic crystal fiber.

Enzyme Inhibitors And Insecticide Effect On Caterpillars, Alexis Baiter

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

This project aims to determine why there is a significant difference in susceptibility to imidacloprid (IMI) between corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea) and fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda). Both species belong to the Lepidoptera order and Noctuidae family, but corn earworms are significantly more susceptible to IMI. In this study, three enzyme inhibitors were used to identify the metabolic pathways that both species of moth use to detoxify IMI from their system. The enzyme inhibitors were triphenyl phosphate (TPP) which inhibits esterase, piperonyl butoxide (PBO) which inhibits mixed-function oxidases and diethyl maleate (DEM) which inhibits transferase enzymes. In the first study, we …

Mineral Compositional Changes During Weathering, Rachel Adcock

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The weathering of rocks is dependent on the mineral composition, climate, and tectonic environment. Goldich (1938) determined the relative weathering rate of minerals in igneous rocks was inversely proportional to their crystallization temperature (i.e. Bowen's Reaction Series). To test this relationship, we sampled weathered and unweathered granite, rhyolite and basalt rocks from the St. Francois Mountains, MO area. The samples were crushed, pulverized, and pressed into pellets suitable for X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. XRD and microscopic analysis showed that the K-feldspar within the granite and rhyolite samples weathered to illite and kaolinite clays. From unweathered to …

Mineral Compositional Changes During Weathering, Emma Puetz

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The weathering of rocks is dependent on the mineral composition, climate, and tectonic environment. Goldich (1938) determined the relative weathering rate of minerals in igneous rocks was inversely proportional to their crystallization temperature (i.e. Bowen's Reaction Series). To test this relationship, we sampled weathered and unweathered granite, rhyolite and basalt rocks from the St. Francois Mountains, MO area. The samples were crushed, pulverized, and pressed into pellets suitable for X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. XRD and microscopic analysis showed that the K-feldspar within the granite and rhyolite samples weathered to illite and kaolinite clays. From unweathered to …

Insecticide Metabolic Responses Of Two Lepidoptera, Kathryn Zychinski

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Soybean loopers (Chrysodeixis includens) and corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea) are moth pests of soybean and corn fields across the United States, including Missouri. Here, we assessed their toxic and metabolic responses to cypermethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide registered for foliar use in agriculture.

An analysis of literature studies and generation of preliminary dose-response curves in the laboratory indicated that, although corn earworms and soybean loopers belong to the same lepidopteran family (Noctuidae), they show different susceptibilities to topically applied cypermethrin. To assess if metabolic factors are responsible for these differences, we undertook synergistic studies with PBO, TPP, and DEM, which are …

Insecticide Metabolic Responses Of Two Lepidoptera, Amberly Scott

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Soybean loopers (Chrysodeixis includens) and corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea) are moth pests of soybean and corn fields across the United States, including Missouri. Here, we assessed their toxic and metabolic responses to cypermethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide registered for foliar use in agriculture.

An analysis of literature studies and generation of preliminary dose-response curves in the laboratory indicated that, although corn earworms and soybean loopers belong to the same lepidopteran family (Noctuidae), they show different susceptibilities to topically applied cypermethrin. To assess if metabolic factors are responsible for these differences, we undertook synergistic studies with PBO, TPP, and DEM, which are …

Mineral Compositional Changes During Weathering, Stephan Houser

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The weathering of rocks is dependent on the mineral composition, climate, and tectonic environment. Goldich (1938) determined the relative weathering rate of minerals in igneous rocks was inversely proportional to their crystallization temperature (i.e. Bowen's Reaction Series). To test this relationship, we sampled weathered and unweathered granite, rhyolite and basalt rocks from the St. Francois Mountains, MO area. The samples were crushed, pulverized, and pressed into pellets suitable for X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. XRD and microscopic analysis showed that the K-feldspar within the granite and rhyolite samples weathered to illite and kaolinite clays. From unweathered to …

Nmr Relaxometry Of Syngas-To-Methanol Conversion, Allison Hermelink

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Methanol is an important raw material for many industrial and laboratory processes. It is synthesized by converting natural gas to a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas. This mixture, called syngas, is then converted with help of a Cu-ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst to produce methanol. Only about 7% of methanol is yielded in a one-turn conversion. NMR relaxometry will be conducted in a specialized toroid-cavity probe to better understand the reactivity of the active sites of the catalyst. The toroid-cavity probe can record NMR relaxation times under industrial reaction conditions. A computational algorithm will be used to analyze …

17th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Abstract Book, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Micro-Structural Dispersity Of Simo Ductile Iron On High Temperature Performance During Static Oxidation, Semen Naumovich Lekakh, Asebi Bofah, Larry A. Godlewski, Mei Li

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High silicon and molybdenum (SiMo) ductile iron is commonly used for car exhaust systems, and its micro-structural dispersity depends on intrinsic parameters, which include alloy composition and inoculation efficiency, as well as extrinsic factors, such as casting wall thickness and molding material, which define cooling rate during solidification. Micro-structural dispersity is referred to as the degree of heterogeneity of sizes of structural constituencies within the microstructure. A variation in the micro-structural dispersity could impact the high temperature performance of SiMo ductile iron during static oxidation and transient thermo-mechanical loading conditions. In this study, static high temperature tests were performed on …