Placement Information
Year you started your placement
2015
Placement period
May – August, September – December
Supervisor’s name
Martin Valldor
Project Details
Overview
The discovery, synthesis, and study of new inorganic chemical compounds with unique and interesting crystal lattices, primarily transition metal compounds having two or more anions. Newly discovered compounds are characterized using single crystal diffraction techniques. If it proves interesting, a pure powder may be synthesized using solid state chemistry carried out inside a glove box. Samples are then studied using a variety of techniques ranging from high energy spectroscopy to resistivity to magnetic measurements.
Project objectives
The incorporation of additional anionic species into transition metal compounds can provide new and interesting dimensionality to the crystal structure as well as lead to new type structures different from anything previously discovered. These new structures can in turn result in strange properties. The goal of our group is to report on new compounds of this type and to try and rationalize the physical properties with the crystal structure.
Research outcomes
Project status
Completed
Expected completion date
11/01/2015
TaylorWright – 2015 – Presentation
My Co-op Experience at MPI
Why did you apply for a placement with Max Planck Institute?
I applied for this position for a number of reasons, both academic and personal. I had previously worked for one year in an industrial co-op placement and wanted the opportunity to experience an academic co-op placement. The MPG represented the best possible exposure to what academic research could be. As well, a number of the potential projects that were available were of particular interest to what I might have wanted to pursue for further education, and so the chance to work briefly in one of these fields would prove invaluable for making further career decisions. A position at the MPG would have also given me the chance to be exposed to many new cultures and places through travel, food, and meeting new people. Being in Germany provides so many wonderful opportunities for travel and an endless number of new cultures to explore. The chance to experience these new places first-hand was too good to pass up.
What recommendations do you have for students who wish to participate in MPI-UBC exchange program?
I would recommend that students be prepared to make the most of their relatively short time here. This means both applying yourself as much as you can while at work while also travelling as much and as far as possible on your time off. Eight months may seem like a long time but it goes by much too quickly. Progressing far enough at work that you can write a scientific paper in only eight months requires a lot of dedication at work. It means asking questions, applying what information you already know, and being willingly to perform as many experiments as possible. If you are willing to put in the effort though, you can come out of this experience with a massive boost to your career, your education, and your self-confidence. The same is true of travel here during your eight months. Travelling all over Europe means a lot of night spent on busses and trains. It means seven hour car rides back and forth the country. It means waking up at 4am to catch the only flight that fits with your schedule. But it also means being able to visit Vienna, Copenhagen, Salzburg, Munich, Prague, and so many wonderful cities. You will get out as much from this exchange program as you put in.
Tell us about your travels and cultural experiences in Germany and the rest of the Europe
I was able to take some kind of vacation almost every other weekend. Many of these were to nearby local landmarks, mountains, or castle. Others were longer trips to cities all across Europe, by car, train, bus, and plane. One of the best parts of all the travelling is the opportunity to try new foods, and to see how each new place makes common foods “traditional”. Every region has their own beer, their own pastries, and their own meals, which have all been around for hundreds of years. Getting to try so many local specialty items has been a great experience. Whether its Smorrebrod in Copenhagen, a liter of beer in a Munich beer hall, or Wiener Schnitzel the size of a pizza in Vienna, trying new food all across Europe has been one of the greatest parts of being here.
