Acquisition of an Atomic Resolution TEM for Advanced Analysis of Nanomaterials in the Environment, Agriculture and Technology (NEAT)

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The rapidly developing world of nanoscience and engineering will revolutionize technology for a multitude of applications. While the possibilities for new devices, materials, or catalysts are virtually unlimited, the key to realizing them is a deep understanding of the interactions and properties of each of the nanoscale systems being developed. Only through such understanding can control, tuning, and reproducibility of structures and properties be achieved. The first step is to characterize all aspects of the structure, composition, and bonding that are responsible for the properties of the system. The ability to simultaneously characterize these features on the sub-nanometer scale lies uniquely within the realm of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This research award will fund a field emission TEM instrument operating at 200kV that will also have extensive analytical capabilities. A key feature is the design and development of in situ stages that will allow the dynamics of nanoscale materials to be studied under various conditions of temperature, gas pressure, strain, and applied voltage. Specific research areas to be advanced by this grant will include investigations of catalysts, metal and ceramic glasses, electronic materials, and nanoparticles in host and biological systems. A strong connection with an NSF IGERT program will be made so that the next generation of microscopists can be trained on this pioneering approach for electron microscopy. Significant enhancement of the educational experience of underrepresented minorities will also be achieved. Collaborations with other academic and industrial laboratories will be an important part of the management of the facility.