Excellence in Research: Collaborative Research on Nanosensors to Develop Research Capacities at Interdisciplinary Materials Research and Education Laboratory (IMREL)

这一卓越研究(EIR)项目由费耶特维尔州立大学(FSU)的三名研究人员提出，旨在对纳米传感器(包括物理、化学和生化传感器)进行跨学科协作研究。传感器被用来检测其环境的变化，如温度、波、电/磁/电磁场、化学物质等，在纳米级制造的传感器可以实现更高的灵敏度、扩展的检测极限、增强的机械、物理和化学性能以及高通量检测。这项研究包括三个子项目：(1)用于快速X射线检测的纳米闪烁体；(2)用于光学传感的共轭聚合物和小分子；(3)用于检测β淀粉样蛋白的基于氧化物纳米纤维的高灵敏电化学和荧光生化传感器。建议的研究将与外国语大学的本科生教育相结合。佛罗里达州立大学是一所历史悠久的黑人大学，专注于非裔美国学生的教育，女性、军人或与军方有关联的学生人数较多。该项目有三个项目目标：(1)建立一支强大的物理、化学和生化传感器研究的协作研究团队；(2)加强支持纳米材料研究的基础设施；(3)培养纳米传感器研究方面的下一代材料科学家和STEM(科学、技术、工程和数学)专业人员。研究与教育的融合将以循证实践为基础，提高多个STEM科室材料科学专业未成年人的STEM教育质量，通过研究型教育显著提升本科生的教育质量。结合纳米材料的电子结构和光学发光特性，本EIR项目将共同开展：(1)用于快速X射线探测的纳米闪烁体物理传感器的研究将探索控制快速X射线探测的因素，并可能通过化学掺杂来寻找具有最佳可调谐发射的新的快速闪烁体材料；(2)操纵共轭聚合物和小分子的光学性质将为这些体系如何作为化学传感器提供重要的见解，并将为未来使用这些材料设计具有成本效益和高灵敏度的固态化学纳米传感器提供方向；(3)利用具有高孔隙率和大表面积的氧化物纳米纤维支架，免疫传感器的研究将使高灵敏度、选择性、快速和可重复检测β淀粉样蛋白成为可能。当前酶传感器面临的挑战。在各种科学的时间分辨实验中，快速X射线探测是非常必要的，用于探测快速脉冲辐射，如材料研究中极端条件下的瞬时形变或相变过程。使用共轭聚合物和小分子的光学传感将为固态化学传感提供一种简化的策略，并且非常适合于检测单线态氧、电荷/离子物种和自由基。基于氧化物纳米纤维的免疫传感器在生物、食品、环境和能源科学中有着广泛的应用前景。这些先进的纳米传感器将影响危险检测、疾病检测、环境监测和外星监测。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Excellence in Research (EIR) project, proposed by three investigators at Fayetteville State University (FSU), is to conduct interdisciplinary collaborative research on nanosensors including physical, chemical and biochemical sensors. A sensor is used to detect the changes in its environment, such as temperature, waves, electric/magnetic/electromagnetic fields, chemicals, etc., and a sensor made at the nanoscale may achieve higher sensitivities, extended detection limits, enhanced mechanical, physical and chemical properties, and high-throughput detection. This research includes three subprojects: (1) nanoscintillators for fast X-ray detection; (2) conjugated polymers and small molecules for optical sensing; and (3) highly sensitive electrochemical and fluorescent biochemical sensors based on oxide nanofibers for beta amyloid protein detection. The proposed research will be integrated with the education of undergraduates at FSU. FSU is a Historically Black University focusing on the education of African American students, with high female, military or military-affiliated student populations. This project carries with three project goals to: (1) build a strong collaborative research team for research in physical, chemical and biochemical sensors; (2) enhance infrastructure to support nanomaterials research; and (3) train the next generation of materials scientists and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professionals in nanosensors research. The integration of research and education will improve the STEM educational quality of Materials Science minors from multiple STEM departments based on evidence-based practices, significantly enhancing the educational quality of undergraduates through the research-oriented education. Crosslinked with electronic structures and optical luminescence properties of nanomaterials, this EIR project will be conducted collaboratively: (1) research on physical sensors of nanoscintillators for fast X-ray detection will investigate factors controlling fast X-ray detection, and potentially identify new fast scintillator materials with optimized tunable emissions through chemical doping; (2) manipulation of optical properties of conjugated polymers and small molecules will provide important insights into how these systems can be applied as chemical sensors, and will provide directions for future design of cost-effective and highly sensitive solid-state chemical nanosensors using these materials; and (3) using oxide nanofiber scaffolds with high porosity and large surface areas, research on immunosensor will allow highly sensitive, selective, rapid and repeatable detection of beta amyloid. challenges of current enzyme sensors. The fast X-ray detection is highly desirable in a wide range of scientific time-resolved experiments to detect rapid pulsed radiations, such as the transient deformation or transformation process under extreme conditions in materials research. Optical sensing using conjugated polymer and small molecules will provide a simplified strategy for solid-state chemical sensing and is highly desirable to detect singlet oxygen, charge/ionic species and radicals. Immunosensors based on oxide nanofibers hold several promises for applications in biological, food, environmental and energy sciences. These advanced nanosensors will impact the hazard detection, disease detection, environmental monitoring, and exo-terrestrial monitoring.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.