MRI: Acquisition of a Powder X-Ray Diffractometer

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Professor Benjamin King from University of Nevada Reno and colleagues Ana de Bettencourt-Dias will acquire an X-ray-powder diffractometer. In general, an X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full three-dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of a molecule relative to neighboring molecules. A powder diffractometer also allows compositional analysis. The studies described here will impact a number of areas, including organic and inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, geology and biochemistry. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research and research training not only in Chemistry but also in Geology and Engineering and Materials Science. In addition, the instrument will be used in outreach activities involving K-12 area schools.The proposal is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) designing and synthesizing Lewis base derivatized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to selectively remove carbon dioxide from gaseous mixtures; (b) studying capped, mixed bimetallic systems for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide; (c) developing mono- and bi-metallo-intercalators for site specific binding of DNA; (d) investigating molecular systems for application in photovoltaics, photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction and photoacoustic imaging technologies; (e) studying bioinorganic chemistry of iron and hydrogen peroxide homeostasis; and (f) developing strategies for the preparation of complex organic molecules.