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Polymer-ceramic nanocomposite piezoelectric and dielectric films are of interest because of their possible application to advanced embedded energy storage devices for printed wired electrical boards. The incompatibility of the two constituent materials; hydrophilic ceramic filler, and hydrophobic epoxy limit the filler concentration, and thus, their piezoelectric properties. This work aims to understand the role of surfactant concentration in establishing meaningful interfacial layers between the epoxy and ceramic filler particles by observing particle surface morphology, piezoelectric strain coefficients, and resistivity spectra. A comprehensive study of nanocomposites, comprising non-treated and surface treated barium titanate (BTO), embedded within an epoxy matrix, was performed. The surface treatments were performed with two types of coupling agents: Ethanol and 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilan. The observations of particle agglomeration, piezoelectric strain coefficients, and resistivity were compared, where the most ideal properties were found for concentrations of 0.02 and 0.025. This work demonstrates that the interfacial core-shell processing layer concentration influences the macroscopic properties of nanocomposites, and the opportunities for tuning interfacial layers for desirable characteristics of specific applications. 

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of multi-layered mentoring in summer engineering programs on confidence in understanding engineering research, engineering disciplines and the ability to conduct engineering research. This paper describes the work in progress towards incorporating this approach into summer programs at Rutgers University. The participants in the study included high school students from over 6 different high schools in New Jersey, coupled with in-service teachers who were participants in a National Science Foundation RET Site: Rutgers University Research Experience for Teachers in Engineering for Green Energy Technology and undergraduate scholars who participated in the REU Site: Green Energy Technology Undergraduate Program. The perceptions, understanding and evaluation of the program before the implementation of the multi-layered mentorship program are compared to the multi-layered program. High school students expressed higher confidence levels in the engineering design cycle and knowledge of the engineering discipline in the multi-layered mentorship program. Undergraduate students who were in labs where they peer-mentored teachers expressed higher levels of confidence in their skills as researchers than undergraduate students who did not peer-mentor in-service teachers or high school students. Future work will include enhanced data sampling, a revision of interview questions and assessment of participant’s understanding of concepts via quizzes.