MRI: Acquisition of a Next Generation Small-Angle X-ray Scattering System for Nanoscale Characterization and Development of Advanced Functional Materials

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NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThe development of advanced functional materials for energy efficient processes, life-enhancing biomedical applications, and nanostructured materials for advanced manufacturing depends on state-of-the-art tools required to characterize and understand the precise organization of material structures over many length scales. Top among the list of such tools is small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), where x-rays traveling through the material relay length-scale information about the manner in which matter is distributed throughout the chemical composition. To meet this need, this project is focused on the acquisition of a next-generation (SAXS) system that will offer researchers at Virginia Tech (VT) the ability to probe structural details of nano-phase separated membranes for fuel cell applications, safe and efficient electrolytes for energy storage, precisely ordered block-copolymer nanocomposites for advanced optical devices, ordered biopolymers for targeted drug delivery, gels and aerogels for lightweight insulation, and 3D printable aqueous latexes for structured elastic materials. With the proposed instrument, VT’s critical infrastructure as a regional resource in small-angle x-ray scattering will be profoundly enhanced. With respect to the grand challenges facing our society, this project will provide fundamental structural detail needed to develop cost-effective, readily available materials alternatives needed to meet critical demands for energy storage, water purification membranes, fuel cell membranes for clean energy conversion, lightweight construction and aerospace materials, and environmentally friendly materials for the medical and healthcare industries. The interdisciplinary nature of research activities in this project, ranging from pure chemistry and physics to materials engineering, will provide a plethora of educational opportunities to a diverse community of citizens and researchers eager to contribute to our nation’s leadership in ensuring a healthier, more energy-efficient global society.TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis project is focused on the acquisition of a next-generation small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) system with advanced capabilities including a grazing-incidence GISAXS module for thin film characterization; large sample chamber with a broad range of sample cells; large-area, ultrasensitive, beamstopless SAXS detector for fast data acquisition; an automated beam alignment/refinement to accommodate diverse geometries and a user-friendly graphical interface to facilitate rapid training and educational demonstrations. The goal of this project is to offer researchers at Virginia Tech the ability to probe and quantify structural details over a wide range of length scales (from 100’s of nm to a few Angstroms) of nano-phase separated membranes for fuel cell applications, safe and efficient macromolecular electrolytes for energy storage, precisely ordered block-copolymer nanocomposites for plasmonic metamaterials, lipid bilayer constructs and helical peptide nanocoils for targeted delivery of bioactive agents, hierarchical gels and aerogels for lightweight insulation in construction and aerospace applications, 3D printable aqueous latexes for vat photopolymerization in advanced manufacturing, and anisotropic cellulose nanocrystal/polymer composites. Building upon internationally recognized accomplishments of the team, validated through a broad range of federally/industrially supported projects, the cutting-edge research efforts to be accomplished in this project will have far-reaching impact in the science and engineering of advanced materials for critical energy solutions, biomedical applications, and advanced manufacturing. The Principal Investigators have extensive experience in scattering fundamentals, methods, and analysis, and are poised to lead this diverse team of materials innovators toward new heights of structure-property understandings needed to meet our society’s most complex materials challenges.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.