RAMAN MICROSCOPE FOR PROBING NANO-BIO INTERFACES AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS

0933621Somasundaran这个项目是为哥伦比亚大学UFL/CU I/UCRC NSF颗粒和表面活性剂系统(CPSS)中心购买分析级共焦拉曼显微镜，供其他部门共享使用。该仪器对于推进CPSS当前和计划在以下领域的研究至关重要：1)健康和环境安全以及纳米颗粒(NP)的化学反应性；2)工业用更环保的化学品；3)性能增强的新型有机硅表面活性剂和聚合物。在地球与环境工程部和其他部门目前的项目中，也肯定会从拉曼的使用中受益：1)二氧化碳封存、替代能源、气体分离膜；2)用于分子成像和靶向治疗的医用生物胶体工程；3)通过识别高硅岩浆中的溶解挥发分、识别宿主晶体中多微米尺寸包裹体中的矿物相来确定地质过程；4)新的纳米电子系统；智能优点：1)独特、快速、准确和非侵入性的拉曼光谱技术将用于原位定位NPs，并表征其电子、表面和晶格性质、润湿性、团聚和沉积以及在自然和工程界面以及细胞、细菌、乳液和悬浮液中的反应性(吸附、酸碱、氧化还原性质，以及NPs产生或清除活性氧物种的能力)。2)基于拉曼光谱和其他补充光谱和显微方法获得的科学数据，将开发一种新的纳米颗粒毒性的范例。3)结合其他实验方法和理论模型，拉曼显微镜将在分子和超分子水平上了解绿色表面活性剂与常规表面活性剂、聚合物及其杂化化合物之间的协同效应。将提出和测试聚集行为和结构-性能关系的基本机制和预测模型。4)首次对有机硅表面活性剂/聚合物在棉织物上的表面和界面活性与有机硅分子构型的关系进行了系统的基础振动光谱研究。产生的信息将用于扩展现有的知识库，以开发新的杂化有机硅结构，并识别具有独特界面特性的其他材料。广泛的影响：在我们的研究工作中使用拉曼显微镜将允许1)产生必要的关键知识，以应对绿色技术、纳米技术和纳米科学、胶体科学、地球科学、医学和材料研究等新兴领域的挑战；2)基于对新型和复杂材料及其在分子水平上与生物系统的相互作用的更好了解，开发新的技术解决方案，特别是促进使用表面活性剂、聚合物和纳米颗粒的广泛行业的创新；3)加强跨学科和跨部门的合作；4)对本科生和研究生进行关于具有广泛学科实用性的仪器的培训，促进他们的教育和他们的团队互动；5)将光谱化学社区的范围扩大到应用科学和工程的新兴领域，这肯定会促进新的高质量的跨学科研究。这项研究将有助于增加各实验室的少数民族学生数量，因为我们的目标是通过工程学院的特殊本科生研究参与计划培养更多的少数民族学生。少数族裔学生将通过亲身体验科学研究方法，使用先进的分析技术，并学习其在工业相关领域的应用而受益。他将整合部分受雇的实验研究，以开发一个实验室模块，用于他的课程：表面和胶体化学导论以及应用表面和胶体化学。

0933621SomasundaranThis project is for the acquisition of an analytical grade confocal Raman microscope for the UFL/CU I/UCRC NSF Center for Particulate and Surfactant Systems (CPSS) at Columbia University, for a shared use with other departments. The instrument is essential in advancing current and planned research at CPSS in such areas as 1) health and environmental safety and chemical reactivity of nanoparticles (NPs); 2) greener chemicals for industries; 3) new silicone surfactants and polymers with enhanced performance. Among current projects in the Department of Earth and Environment Engineering and other departments which would also definitely benefit from the use of Raman are: 1) carbon dioxide sequestration, alternative energy, gas separation membranes; 2) biocolloid engineering for medical applications in molecular imaging and targeted therapy; 3) determination of geological processes through identification of dissolved volatiles in high silica magmas, identification of mineral phases in multi-micron sized inclusions within host crystals; 4) new nanoelectronical systems; unique electronic, rotational, vibrational and spin interactions between an incarcerated guest molecules with the inner concave walls of a C60 host.Intellectual Merit: 1) Unique, fast, accurate, and non-intrusive techniques of Raman spectroscopy will be developed for in situ locating of NPs and characterizing of their electronic, surface, and lattice properties, wettability, agglomeration, and deposition as well as reactivity (adsorption, acid-base, redox properties, and the capacity of NPs to generate or scavenge reactive oxygen species, interaction with cell membranes) at natural and engineered interfaces as well as in cells, bacteria, emulsions, and suspensions. 2) Based on the scientific data obtained through Raman and other complementary spectroscopic and microscopic methods, a new paradigm of nanotoxicity of NPs will be developed. 3) In combination with other experimental methods and theoretical modeling, Raman microscopy will be used to understand the synergistic effects of green surfactants with conventional surfactants, polymers and their hybrids at molecular and upramolecular levels. Fundamental mechanisms and predictive models for the aggregation behavior and structure-performance relationship will be proposed and tested. 4) For the first time, a systematic fundamental vibrational spectroscopic study will be performed on the surface and interfacial activity of silicone surfactants/polymers on cotton fabric, as a function of silicone molecular architecture. The information generated will be used to expand the existing knowledge base to develop new hybrid silicone structures and to identify other materials with unique interfacial properties.Broader Impact: The use of Raman microscopy in our research efforts will allow 1) the generation of critical knowledge required to address challenges in the emerging fields of green technologies, nanotechnology and nanoscience, colloid science, geoscience, medicine, and materials research; 2) the development of new technological solutions based on a better understanding of novel and complex materials and their interactions with biosystems at the molecular level, in particular, fostering innovation in a broad range of industries that employ surfactants, polymers, and nanoparticles; 3) the enhancement of interdisciplinary and inter departmental collaboration; 4) the training of undergraduate and graduate students on an instrument with utility across a wide range of disciplines, promoting their education and their team interaction; 5) the expansion of the scope of the spectrochemistry community into the emerging areas of applied sciences and engineering, which will certainly boost new high quality interdisciplinary research. The research will help to increase the number of minority students in various laboratories, as we are aiming to train more minority students through the Engineering school's special Undergraduate Research Involvement program. Minority students will benefit through first hand experience in methods of scientific research, working with advanced analytical techniques, and learning about their applications in industrially relevant areas. The PI will integrate a part of the employed experimental studies to develop a laboratory module for use in his courses Introduction to Surface and Colloid Chemistry and Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry.