MRI: Acquisition of a Small-angle X-ray Scattering Instrument

MRI：小角度 X 射线散射仪的采集

• 批准号: 1428620
• 负责人: Morgan Stefik
• 金额: $ 58.42万
• 依托单位: University of South Carolina at Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-08-15 至 2017-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1428620&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Small; angle; ray

Non-technical: Nanoscience is a major research focus across South Carolina. The state has three research-intensive universities including the University of South Carolina (USC), Clemson University, and the Medical University of South Carolina, in addition to numerous research-active teaching-colleges. The proposed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) instrument fills a regional need for nanoscale characterization capabilities and has written commitments from more than 20 faculty members across 6 universities to put the tool to immediate use. The SAXS instrument establishes an open regional facility called the South Carolina SAXS Center (SCSC) that is centrally located to support affordable access from HBCUs and PUIs. The instrument enables emerging research programs from recently hired faculty and broadly supports numerous federally funded programs on soft-matter physics, engineering, biological sciences, and nanomaterials chemistry. SCSC supports the education of nearly two hundred undergraduate and graduate students. The SAXS capabilities are being incorporated into existing educational programs as well as into new USC undergraduate and graduate courses on nanoscale characterization. A new summer program at USC introduces SAXS to students of HBCUs, including South Carolina State University, Claflin University, and Benedict College. In addition, industrial research partners use the SAXS instrument to accelerate their research that enhances the local economy, promotes close academic-industry collaboration, and increases the hiring of South Carolina graduates.Technical: Establishing the South Carolina SAXS Center transforms statewide nanoscale research capabilities, especially regarding block copolymers, conductive polymers, nanocomposites, nanoparticles, bioparticles, protein solutions/interfaces, mesoporous materials, and nanomaterials for energy devices. The scientific problems to be studied all require nanoscale structural information such as the long-range order of nanocomposites or the shape and size of nanoparticles. The previous lack of local access to a SAXS instrument had significantly slowed the scientific research of numerous federally funded projects. This SAXS acquisition includes several sample stages and multiple configurable detectors to support a diverse range of measurement methods from small- to wide-angle scattering in both transmission and reflection modes from solids, pastes, and liquids. The temperature controlled environmental chamber, flow cell, and capillary stage enable the diverse experimental needs of the broad user base. SCSC supports 24/7 cyber-access for remote instrument use and will promote the dissemination of results with online data hosting. The user-friendly software packages guide trained undergraduates, graduates, and senior scientists in SAXS analysis. SCSC enhances ongoing fundamental studies and supports diverse applications such as photovoltaics from anisotropic nanoparticles, high-performance membranes for fuel cells, sustainable thermoplastic elastomers, and drug delivery from dynamic nanocapsules. Accelerated results from the South Carolina SAXS Center transform advanced research programs on polymers, nanocomposites, energy materials, biological sciences, and physical sciences.

非技术：纳米科学是整个南卡罗来纳州的一个主要研究重点。该州有三所研究密集型大学，包括南卡罗来纳大学(USC)、克莱姆森大学和南卡罗来纳医科大学，以及许多研究型教学学院。拟议的小角X射线散射(SAXS)仪器满足了该地区对纳米级表征能力的需求，并已由6所大学的20多名教职员工书面承诺立即使用该工具。SAXS仪器建立了一个开放的地区性设施，称为南卡罗来纳州SAXS中心(SCSC)，该中心位于中央，以支持HBCU和PUI负担得起的接入。该仪器支持最近聘用的教师进行的新兴研究项目，并广泛支持众多联邦资助的软物质物理、工程、生物科学和纳米材料化学项目。SCSC支持近200名本科生和研究生的教育。SAXS的能力正在被纳入现有的教育计划，以及新的南加州大学关于纳米尺度表征的本科生和研究生课程。南加州大学的一个新的暑期项目将SAXS介绍给HBCU的学生，包括南卡罗来纳州立大学、克拉夫林大学和本尼迪克特学院。此外，工业研究伙伴使用SAXS仪器来加速他们的研究，以促进当地经济，促进密切的学术和行业合作，并增加对南卡罗来纳州毕业生的雇用。技术：建立南卡罗来纳州SAXS中心转变全州范围内的纳米级研究能力，特别是在嵌段共聚物、导电聚合物、纳米复合材料、纳米颗粒、生物微粒、蛋白质解决方案/界面、介孔材料和用于能源设备的纳米材料方面。要研究的科学问题都需要纳米级的结构信息，如纳米复合材料的长程有序性或纳米颗粒的形状和大小。以前当地无法获得SAXS仪器，大大减缓了许多联邦资助项目的科学研究。该SAXS采集器包括多个样本级和多个可配置的探测器，以支持多种测量方法，从小角度到广角散射，从固体、膏体和液体的透射式和反射式。温控环境室、流动池和毛细管级使广大用户能够满足不同的实验需求。SCSC支持全天候通过网络访问远程仪器，并将通过在线数据托管促进成果的传播。用户友好的软件包指导训练有素的本科生、毕业生和高级科学家进行SAXS分析。SCSC加强了正在进行的基础研究，并支持各种应用，如各向异性纳米颗粒的光伏、燃料电池的高性能膜、可持续的热塑性弹性体，以及动态纳米胶囊的药物输送。南卡罗来纳州SAXS中心的加速成果转变了聚合物、纳米复合材料、能源材料、生物科学和物理科学的高级研究计划。