Prof. James Walsh, Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst
September 23, 2023
Did you know that water can be crystallized as solid ice at temperatures well above 100 °C? Or that the graphite in pencil lead can be transformed into its weight in diamonds? High pressure is the key to both chemical processes, and represents a growing area of research that brings together chemists, physicists, and planetary scientists. Dr. James Walsh leads an experimental research group in the Department of Chemistry that studies how high pressure can be used to synthesize brand new materials. In this seminar, he will introduce and explain a number of exciting research areas within the field of high-pressure science, including: (1) How and why diamonds can be synthesized from graphite using high pressures; (2) Where natural diamonds come from, and what they can teach us about the processes occurring deep within the earth’s mantle; and (3) How computational tools can help us to predict what the next wonder materials might look like. The seminar will be a mixture of lecture material (interactive Q&A) and hands-on practical demonstrations of high-pressure research tools. (Note: There are zero physical or chemical hazards associated with the demonstrations, which use microscopic quantities of water compressed between the tips of small diamonds.) Participants will gain a full understanding of a highly engaging area of cutting-edge research with broad appeal to STEM students, and will be provided with slides and materials that can be incorporated into their own classes.