CRIF-MU: Acquisition of a DSC-TGA-MS System at Idaho State University

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With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation: Multi-user (CRIF:MU) program, Professor Robert Holman and colleagues Todd Davis, Lisa Goss, Joshua Pak and Rene Rodriguez from Idaho State University will acquire a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) with a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) attached to a mass spectrometer (MS). The proposal is aimed at enhancing research training and education at all levels, especially in areas of study such as (a) synthesis and controlled decomposition of single-source precursors for the formation of nanomaterials and (b) study and use of nanomaterials for the preparation of photovoltaic devices.Mass spectrometers (MS) are used to identify the chemical composition of a sample by measuring the mass of the molecular constituents in the sample. The DSC attachment allows the measurement of the difference in the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of a sample and reference as a function of temperature while the TGA capability shows the changes in weight of a sample as it is being heated. These techniques provide information on the chemical composition of various materials. The instrumentation will be used not only in research but also in research training and teaching of undergraduate students.