STTR Phase I: The xAristotle Platform for Advanced X-ray Spectroscopy

这项小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的广泛影响有几种形式。基本产品使新的动手本科教学先进的x射线方法用于开发电能存储和催化系统。接下来，该产品的升级版本将为这些x射线方法在工业质量控制中的使用开辟新的市场，并扩大相同方法在学术界和国家实验室的专业研究中的市场。可能的应用包括锂离子电池组件的质量控制，清洁能源领域催化剂和电催化剂的研究，以及从清洁能源到消费产品的许多应用的工程纳米相的快速筛选。拟议的项目解决了由于缺乏被称为x射线吸收精细结构（XAFS）的先进x射线方法的入门级能力所带来的核心问题。在这里，我们所说的入门级，是指在成本和性能上适合用于化学、物理、化学工程和材料科学的高级教学实验室的本科教育，或者同样适合用于工业和学术界的某些应用，这些应用要求很高，但技术能力相对较低。我们将以现有的原型能力为基础，开发能够连接到现有x射线衍射源的小型化台式XAFS能力。工作将包括测试不同的光学和探测器组件，以及减少背景散射的工作。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project takes several forms. The basic product enables new hands-on undergraduate instruction in advanced x-ray methods for use in development of electrical energy storage and catalysis systems. Next, upgraded versions of this product will open a new market for use of these x-ray methods in industrial quality control and expand the market for the same methods in specialized research in academia and national labs. Likely applications include quality control for lithium-ion-battery components, research into catalysts and electrocatalysts in the clean energy sector, and rapid screening of engineered nanophases for many applications spanning from clean energy to consumer products. The proposed project addresses the core problem posed by the absence of entry-level capability for the advanced x-ray method known as x-ray absorption fine structure, or XAFS. Here, by entry level, we mean suitable in cost and performance for use in undergraduate education in advanced instructional laboratories in chemistry, physics, chemical engineering and materials science, or similarly suitable for use in certain applications in industry and academia where very high access but relatively low technical capability is required. We will build on existing prototype capabilities to develop miniaturized benchtop XAFS capability capable of attaching to an existing x-ray diffraction source. Effort will include testing of different optical and detector components and work to decrease background scattering.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.