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 Saldanha、Matthew Hartings和Douglas Fox获得了重大研究仪器(MRI)和化学研究仪器与设施(CRIF)项目颁发的这一奖项。瞬变电子显微镜将一束电子束推进到一个薄样品上。电子与物质相互作用，产生物质的图像，就像光学显微镜一样。然而，放大倍率通常比光学显微镜要好。显微镜被用于从材料研究到化学、生物再到医学的广泛领域。从透射电子显微镜图像中闪现的微观知识可以帮助理解材料的性质，或许还可以改进它们。在美国大学，瞬变电磁被用来推进一些研究项目，它也影响到本科生的研究训练，它被用在讲座和实验室课程中。它还用于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。该建议旨在加强各级的研究和教育，特别是在下列领域：(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的催化剂的结构-催化活性关系；(B)了解聚合物-纳米碳和有机配体稳定的贵金属纳米颗粒的形成机理和结构功能特性；(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控；(E)探索视网膜随环境光条件的结构变化；(F)揭示十足目甲壳类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.