MRI: Acquisition of a Ultra-High Resolution Analytical Scanning Electron Microscope for Multidisciplinary Research and Education

这项主要研究仪器奖是为了获得一台超高分辨率扫描电子显微镜（UHR/SEM），用于确定纳米级材料的结构和化学，以推进辛辛那提大学（UC）和该地区50多名教师、学生和科学家的研究。该仪器将加强和推进博士后、研究生和本科生在最先进的纳米级表征技术的多个研究领域和教育，加强外展计划，并为学生和代表性不足的群体提供新的机会，符合加州大学的使命。其他地方大学（迈阿密大学、俄亥俄州立大学等）的许多其他教师和学生，以及工业和政府实验室的研究人员也将受益于使用该仪器。该仪器的研究、创新、发现和教育将推动材料和器件及其可靠性因素的科学发展；它将导致具有独特性能的新材料和新产品，以及材料/设备/产品设计的新策略；协助工业和政府实验室的科学家开发和实施先进的材料和设备；促进新用户、合作和涉及学术界和工业界的战略研究；并最终培养出训练有素的科学家，在工程材料和设备的各个领域从事高级职业，以增强我们的国家？美国的全球竞争力。新的UHR/SEM，以及用于散装和薄片样品的适当辅助设备，将在辛辛那提大学（UC）的先进材料表征中心（AMCC）内安装和管理，并将用于研究半导体纳米线中的广泛多学科问题；催化;结构材料;纳米技术和生物传感器与纳米级物质的结构、化学和现象有关，从而以一种变革的方式推进了对先进材料和器件的合成-加工-结构-性能-可靠性关系的基于机制的理解。使用该仪器的研究将有助于深入了解半导体纳米线对太阳能电池性能的结构影响，探索控制、限制和增强高温结构材料可靠性的基本机制，促进对碳纳米管和石墨烯器件和传感器的理解，并阐明功能化金属、磁性和光子上转换纳米颗粒在生物传感器中的作用。光动力疗法和抗菌剂以及催化金属/氧化物纳米颗粒的结构和表面化学。

NontechnicalThis Major Research Instrumentation award is for the acquisition of a UltraHigh Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (UHR/SEM) for determining the structure and chemistry of materials at the nanoscale to advance the research of over 50 faculty, students and scientists at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the region. This instrument will strengthen and advance multiple research areas and education of post-docs and graduate and undergraduate students in state-of-the-art nanoscale characterization techniques, strengthen outreach programs and provide new opportunities for students and underrepresented groups, in line with the mission of the UC. Many other faculty and students at other local universities (Miami University, Ohio State University, etc.), and researchers in industry and government labs, will also benefit by having access to this instrument. Research, innovation, discoveries and education with the instrument will advance the science of materials and devices and factors governing their reliability; it will lead to new materials and products with unique properties and performance and new strategies for materials/device/product design; aid scientists in industry and government labs in the development and implementation of advanced materials and devices; foster new users, collaborations and strategic research involving academia and industry; and ultimately lead to expertly trained scientists highly qualified for advanced careers in engineering materials and devices in various sectors to enhance our nation?s global competitiveness. TechnicalThe new UHR/SEM, with appropriate ancillary devices for bulk and thin foil samples, will be installed and managed within the Advanced Materials Characterization Center (AMCC) at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and will be utilized to study a broad range of multidisciplinary problems in semiconductor nanowires; catalysis; structural materials; nanotechnology and biosensors relating to the structure, chemistry and phenomena of matter at the nanoscale and thereby advance in a transformative way the mechanism-based understanding of synthesis-processing-structure-property-reliability relationships of advanced materials and devices. Research using this instrument will enable insight into the structural implications of semiconductor nanowires for solar cell performance, probe the fundamental mechanisms that govern, limit and enhance reliability of high temperature structural materials, advance understanding of carbon nanotube and graphene devices and sensors, and illuminate the role of functionalized metallic, magnetic and photon upconverting nanoparticles in biosensors, photodynamic therapy and antibacterial agents and of the structure and surface chemistry of catalytic metallic/oxide nanoparticles.