MRI - Acquisition of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring for Enhanced Research and Teaching of Interfacial Science in the State of Mississippi

带有耗散的石英晶体微天平（QCM-D）是一种高灵敏度的天平，可以通过监测石英晶体的频率和耗散变化来检测分子水平上的质量变化。这些能力大大提高了材料开发研究的表面和界面在广泛的领域，如涂层开发；膜污染；药物胶囊制剂；以及地质构造对含水介质的生物吸收。该仪器将作为密西西比州和东南部地区的共享设施，由密西西比大学（UM）和密西西比州立大学（MSU）的调查人员协调使用。具体来说，该仪器将用于显著提高两所大学（密歇根大学和密歇根州立大学）至少八个部门的研究效率，包括化学、生物医学、土木和农业/生物工程；地球科学系；以及药学院。14个不同的研究小组将立即受益于将该仪器纳入他们的研究活动，多达65名研究生将使用这一最先进的设备学习新的界面测量。此外，超过200名学生将受到学术课程研究的积极影响，这些课程将利用QCM-D进行实践活动，其中大约一半的学生来自代表性不足的群体。最后，作为专门的外展计划的一部分，该仪器还将用于夏季研究活动，以引起K-12学生对STEM的兴趣。QCM-D是用于材料开发和表面和界面研究的最先进的仪器。它在测量表面分子的吸附、结合或去除方面具有分子水平的精度。除了基本的4通道流量模块外，所提出的仪器还有几个模块，包括恒湿室；进行并发显微镜测量的模块；高温室至150℃；还有一个旋转镀膜机，用来制备具有独特表面的单个传感器。该基础设施最初将服务于以下领域的14个研究小组：a)包装应用的多功能涂层开发；B)离子液体/聚合物复合材料用于膜分离；C)药物递送涂层的开发；D)细胞分裂和肌肉收缩；E)石墨烯纳米药物载体；F)地质应用中的纳微尺度成矿机制；g)地质构造对含水介质的生物吸收。这些努力将扩大到其他领域，与其他机构和行业共享本文书的性质。本项目由CBET-MRI项目和EPSCoR项目共同资助。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 Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) is a highly sensitive balance that can detect changes in mass at the molecular level by monitoring changes in frequency and dissipation of a quartz crystal. These capabilities significantly enhance material development research of surfaces and interfaces over a wide range of areas, such as coating development; fouling of membranes; drug capsule preparations; and bio-absorption of aqueous media on geological formations. This instrument will be used as a shared facility in the State of Mississippi and the southeastern region, coordinated by investigators from the University of Mississippi (UM) and Mississippi State University (MSU). Specifically, this instrument will be used to dramatically improve research productivity from at least eight Departments across two Universities (UM and MSU), spanning Chemical, Biomedical, Civil, and Agricultural / Biological Engineering; Department of Geosciences; and the School of Pharmacy. Fourteen different research groups will immediately benefit from incorporation of this instrument into their research activities, and up to 65 research students will learn new interfacial measurements using this state-of-the-art equipment. Additionally, over 200 students will be positively impacted by the study of academic courses that will utilize the QCM-D for practical activities, with approximately half of these students being from underrepresented groups. Finally, this instrument will also be used for summer research activities to interest K-12 students in STEM, as part of a dedicated outreach program.The QCM-D is a state-of-the-art instrument used in material development and investigation of surfaces and interfaces. It has molecular-level accuracy in measuring adsorption, binding, or removal of molecules from a surface. The proposed instrument has several modules besides the basic 4-channel flow module, including a constant humidity chamber; a module to conduct concurrent microscopy measurements; a high temperature chamber to 150oC; and a spin coater to prepare individual sensors with unique surfaces. This infrastructure will initially serve 14 research groups in areas of a) multifunctional coating development for packaging applications; b) ionic liquid / polymer composites for membrane separations; c) coating development for drug delivery; d) cell division and muscle contraction; e) graphene-based nanocarriers for drug delivery; f) mineralization mechanisms at nano and micro scales in geological applications; and g) bio-absorption of aqueous media on geological formations. These efforts will be expanded to other areas with the shared nature intended for this instrument with other institutions and industries.This project is jointly funded by CBET-MRI Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program.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.