MRI: Development of a Multifocal Hyperspectral Raman Imaging System for Research and Training in Advanced Materials at CWRU

拉曼仪器可以成像物质中化学键的分布，它广泛应用于材料科学、生物、能源、医学、化学和物理。目前的仪器产生这些图像的速度很慢，因此，用传统的拉曼仪器不能对动态过程进行成像。该项目的目标是通过开发一种新型的拉曼仪器来解决这一限制，该仪器将比传统设备快一个数量级或更多，从而能够研究一系列动态应用，包括电池充电、发光二极管和生物系统。这样的设备引发的影响不仅限于科学的进步，还延伸到医疗、国防和能源。用户群包括当地机构，如克利夫兰艺术博物馆的保护科学部门，以及俄亥俄州东北部更大地区的机构和行业。本科生测量实验室将包括一个教学模块，用于可视化混合温度流体流动中的温度分布。一名博士后研究员和一名研究生将作为前沿研究的仪器科学家获得开发该系统的第一手经验。该项目开发的仪器将能够在一次快照中快速生成材料的化学图像，而不需要进行空间扫描。一个多焦点全球拉曼成像系统与二维CCD正在集成，以覆盖可见光到短波红外范围。使用双轴运动介电滤波方案，该系统将能够在高光谱模式下运行，在图像的每个像素提供全光谱。该系统的性能将在各种应用中进行评估，如InGaN纳米晶须、锂离子电池、纤维素纳米晶、矿化纳米复合材料、光伏电池、聚苯并恶嗪、微陨石、龋齿、艺术画、微等离子体合成纳米材料和聚合物有机发光二极管。仪器开发将辅之以培训研讨会、编写用户手册、在地方和国家会议上展示仪器以及开发本科生实验室单元。

Raman instruments can image the distribution of chemical bonds in matter and it is commonly used in materials science, biology, energy, medicine, chemistry and physics. Current instruments are slow in generating these images; therefore, dynamic processes cannot be imaged with conventional Raman instruments. The goal of this project is to address this limitation by developing a novel Raman instrument which will be faster than conventional devices by an order of magnitude or more, enabling the study of a range of dynamic applications including battery charging, light emitting diodes and biological systems. The impact of such a device elicits is not limited to the progress of science, but also extends to healthcare, defense and energy. The user base includes local institutions such as Cleveland Museum of Art's conservation science division as well as the institutions and industry in the greater area of northeast Ohio. A teaching module is being included in the undergraduate measurement laboratory for visualizing temperature distribution in mixed temperature fluid flow. A postdoctoral fellow and a graduate student will receive firsthand experience in developing the system as instrument scientists in forefront research. The instrument developed in this project will be capable of generating chemical images of materials expeditiously in a single snapshot without the need for spatial scanning. A multifocal global Raman imaging system with 2D CCDs is being integrated to cover visible to shortwave infrared range. Using a dual axis kinematic dielectric filtering scheme, the system will be able to operate in the hyperspectral mode, providing a full spectrum at each pixel of the image. The system performance will be evaluated in a variety of applications such as InGaN nanowhiskers, lithium ion batteries, cellulose nanocrystals, mineralized nanocomposites, photovoltaic cells, polybenzoxazines, micrometeorites, dental decay, art paintings, microplasma synthesized nanomaterials and polymeric organic light emitting diodes. Instrument development will be supplemented with training seminars, development of user manuals, instrument showcasing in local and national meetings and the development of an undergraduate laboratory module.