image mentioned above off of her web page.Her current research centers on investigations of new and wonderous metallic alloys. Specifically, the Ti-based alloys which can form the novel phase known as the quasicrystal. Quasicrystals are unique because they exhibit crystalline-like diffraction, yet contain 5-fold rotational symmetry; a symmetry that is not allowed for a traditional crystalline material. The included image is an electron diffraction pattern for a quasicrystal; note the ten spots around the central spot, reflecting the 5-fold symmetry of the quasicrystal. The structure of the quasicrystal and its appearance in the TiZrNi system make TiZrNi quasicrystals ideal candidates for hydrogen storage. Large amounts of hydrogen can be safely stored inside metallic materials. The hydrogen can then be extracted in a controlled manner, thus making metal-hydrides one possible solution to the energy crisis (Ni-metal hydride rechargable batteries are being used today in a variety of household appliances and computers). She is currently investigating the hydrogen characteristics of TiZrNi quasicrystals. This includes studies of how much hydrogen can be stored in these alloys, how fast does the absorption and desorption occur, and how does repeated cycling of hydrogen affect the alloy.
You can get the image mentioned above off of her web page.
