MRI: Acquisition of an analytical transmission electron microscope (TEM) to enhance research and teaching at American University

美国大学的邹守忠教授及其同事Colin萨尔达尼亚、Matthew Hartings和道格拉斯福克斯获得了主要研究仪器（MRI）和化学研究仪器和设施（CRIF）项目的这一奖项。TEM将一束电子射向薄样品。电子与材料相互作用，产生物质的图像，就像光学显微镜一样。然而，放大率通常比光学显微镜更好。显微镜用于从材料研究到化学和生物学到医学的广泛领域。从TEM图像中闪烁的微观知识可以帮助理解材料的特性，并可能改善它们。在美国大学，TEM用于推进一些研究项目，它也影响本科生的研究培训，并用于讲座和实验室课程。它还用于对哥伦比亚特区大学和蒙哥马利学院等地方机构的外联活动，以进一步加强研究和学生培训。该提案旨在加强各级研究和教育，特别是在以下领域：（a）揭示燃料电池反应、二氧化碳转化为有机燃料和气体传感催化剂的结构-催化活性关系，（B）了解聚合物纳米复合物和有机配体稳定的贵金属纳米颗粒的形成机制并探索其结构-功能特性，（c）开发用于水净化和疾病检测的先进功能材料，（d）了解合成雌激素的突触芳香酶的表达和调节，（e）探索与环境光照条件有关的视网膜结构变化，以及（f）揭示十足类甲壳动物的生殖系统结构。

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) programs Professor Shouzhong Zou from American University and colleagues Colin Saldanha, Matthew Hartings and Douglas Fox have acquired an analytical transmission electron microscope (TEM). A TEM propels a beam of electrons at a thin sample. The electrons interact with the material to produce an image of the substance much as an optical microscope. However, the magnification is typically better than with optical microscopes. The microscope is used in a broad area of fields from materials research, to chemistry and biology to medicine. The microscopic knowledge gleamed from the TEM images can help understand the properties of the material and perhaps improve them. At American University the TEM is used to advance a number of research projects and it also impacts undergraduate research training and it is used in lecture and laboratory courses. It is also used in outreach activities to local institutions such as the University of the District of Columbia and Montgomery College to further enhance research and student training. The proposal is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) revealing structure-catalytic activity relationships of catalysts for fuel cell reactions, carbon dioxide to organic fuel conversion and gas sensing, (b) understanding formation mechanisms and exploring structure-function properties of polymer-nanocomand organic ligand-stabilized noble metal nanoparticles, (c) developing advanced functional materials for water purification and disease detection, (d) understanding the expression and regulation of synaptic aromatase that synthesizes estrogens, (e) exploring structural modifications of retina associated with ambient light conditions and (f) revealing the reproductive system structure of decapod crustaceans.