This work is part of CHiPR, the Center for High Pressure Research, an NSF Science and Technology Center which links Davis, the State University of New York at Stony Brook,. and the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. After completion of a very successful 6-year study the thermodynamics of high Tc oxide superconductors, the group has moved on to studies of the broader range of variable oxidation state oxides, with current emphasis on stable and metastable manganese oxides and on rare earth perovskites of cobalt and manganese, including those showing giant magnetoresistive effects. Dr. Navrotsky's group is studying their thermodynamic properties and relating them to structure, physical properties, and crystallization of various minerals from such silicate melts. The thermodynamics of nitrides and oxynitrides represents a virtually unexplored field. Such materials are increasingly important as modern ceramics for high temperature applications requiring high strength and low reactivity.
Several projects explore the relation of energetics, structure, and surface area.
A multifaceted project on zeolites, involving natural minerals, synthetic SiO2 and AlPO4 polymorphs, and synthetic aluminosilicates tailored for specific industrial applications receives support from both government and industry. Work on nanocrystalline alumina, magnesium aluminate, and other ceramics is also underway. The disposal of weapons grade plutonium and other actinides by immobilization in ceramic wasteforms is being explored by the Department of Energy. The thermodynamics of thse phases is being studied under a collaborative project between Dr. Navrotsky's group, Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.