MRI: Acquisition of small/wide angle X-ray scattering system for nanomaterials characterization

该项目将在布法罗大学（UB）和纽约州立大学（SUNY）获得最先进的小/广角x射线散射（SAXS/WAXS）仪器设备，用于研究、研究培训和综合研究/教育活动。SAXS/WAXS仪器探测样品内电子密度的差异。对所获得数据的分析提供了长度范围从0.2到100纳米的结构细节。从SAXS/WAXS中获得的信息示例有：(i)溶液中聚合物、蛋白质和纳米颗粒的尺寸和形状，（ii）材料的非均匀（两相）结构，以及（iii）表面活性剂、聚合物或纳米复合材料的结晶周期结构。SAXS/WAXS仪器将支持纳米结构材料和相关主题的高质量科学研究，这将在纳米颗粒和纳米结构材料的几种合成方法的基本理解以及这些纳米级构建块的自组装方面取得重要进展。拟议工作的更广泛影响将分为两类：(a)由于长期实施商业应用所发展的科学和技术而产生的社会影响和改善生活质量；(b)教育和推广的影响。在教育和推广方面，建议的仪器将被许多研究生在他们的论文研究中使用，以及被本科生研究人员使用。该仪器也将用于正式的科学和工程课程。参与该提案的教师将继续努力向高中、本科和研究生阶段未被充分代表的少数民族学生提供服务。最后，该设施将提供给当地工业，从而促进工业和学术界之间的知识联系，并为当地经济作出贡献。

This project will acquire a facility for state-of-the-art small/wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) instrumentation for research, research training, and integrated research/education activities at the University at Buffalo (UB), The State University of New York (SUNY). The SAXS/WAXS instrument probesdifferences in electron density within a sample. Analysis of the data obtained provides structural details at length scales ranging from 0.2 to 100 nanometers. Examples of information to be obtained from SAXS/WAXS are (i) size and shape of polymers, proteins, and nanoparticles in solution, (ii) non-uniform (two-phase) structure of materials, and (iii) crystalline periodic structure of surfactants, polymers or nanocomposites. The SAXS/WAXS instrument will support high quality scientific research in nanostructured materials andrelated topics, which will result in important advances in the fundamental understanding of several methods of synthesis of nanoparticles and nanostructured materials and in the self-assembly of such nanoscopic building blocks.Broader impacts of the proposed work will be of two types: (a) societal impacts and improvements in quality of life due to long-term implementation of the science and technology developed in commercial applications; and (b) education and outreach impacts. In education and outreach, the proposed instrument will be used by numerous graduate students in their thesis research, as well as by undergraduate researchers. The instrument will also be used in formal science and engineering courses. Faculty involved in this proposal will continue their outreach efforts to underrepresented minority students at the high-school, undergraduate, and graduate levels. Finally, this facility will be made available to local industry, thus fostering intellectual connections between industry and academia and contributing to the localeconomy.