MRI: Acquisition of a laboratory beamline small (wide)-angle X-ray scattering tool for in-situ characterization of (bio)materials

（生物）材料科学和工程领域的研究活动是犹他州及其周边地区各大学和公司的主要重点。所提出的仪器旨在提供一个集成的实验室束线X射线散射工具，包括小角度（SAXS），广角（WAXS），和掠入射（GI）的（生物）材料的表征能力。该仪器是第一个开放获取设施，适合在山间西部地区的生物（材料）的原位表征，它将被用于大型机构（R1和R2），本科院校，以及州内和州外的许多研究项目公司。该仪器使研究活动由化学，矿业地球科学，工程，药学和医学院内的教师和学生的多元化和大集团。该仪器促进的重点研究活动包括传感和能量收集材料的研究;蛋白质折叠;先进燃料合成和燃烧的催化剂;人工视觉等下一代无线神经接口;单分子诊断;和量子电子材料。该仪器还将促进对学生和研究人员进行先进表征技术方面的教育和培训。此外，大多数研究小组和工业界已经开始将他们的研究计划转向实施原位和操作中的方法，以帮助调查（生物）材料在动态条件下的失效和性能，这是该仪器将实现的能力。更重要的是，许多机构的学生和博士后将与区域公司和政府实验室的科学家有很大的重叠，这将使他们能够寻求实习和工作机会。SAXS/WAXS工具将满足Intermountain West地区各种研究和教学机构的关键研究，教育和培训需求。该仪器的主要用途是表征各种（生物）材料的形态和结构，例如导电有机薄膜，石油基结构，纳米复合材料，纳米颗粒，有机-无机混合材料，生物颗粒，蛋白质折叠/界面，生物系统和介孔材料。拟议的SAXS/WAXS工具将包括几个用于现场和操作中测量的附件，并将允许在透射和反射模式下同时对固体、糊状物、液体和薄膜进行SAXS和WAXS研究，这是广泛的用户基础所迫切需要的。来自7所大学、1个国家实验室以及7家公司的约44名教职员工表示了他们对SAXS/WAXS系统的强烈兴趣和支持，该系统可以帮助减少到同步加速器设施的行程，或者在更专业的同步加速器实验之前筛选和优化样品。SAXS/WAXS仪器在犹他州大学的纳米纤维、纳米尺度成像和表面分析核心设施实验室内的位置将促进区域公司的研究，促进合作研究，加强现有的实验室外展活动，以帮助STEM领域代表性不足的学生，并扩大教育计划。拟议中的仪器也将极大地有利于犹他州及其周边地区的小型机构，这些机构无法负担前往州外同步加速器设施的费用。犹他州大学的Nanofabstract、Nanoscale Imaging和Surface Analysis核心实验室将组织一次年度研讨会，在研讨会上，教师和学生将对SAXS/WAXS仪器所支持的研究活动进行口头介绍。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Research activities in the areas of (bio)materials science and engineering are a major focus of various universities and companies across the State of Utah and its surroundings. The proposed instrumentation seeks to provide an integrated laboratory beamline X-ray scattering tool comprising small-angle (SAXS), wide-angle (WAXS), and grazing incidence (GI) capabilities for the characterization of (bio)materials. This instrument is the first-open access facility fitted for in-situ characterization of bio(materials) in the Intermountain West region and it will be used by numerous research programs at large institutions (R1 and R2), undergraduate institutions, as well as in-state and out-of-state companies. The instrument enables research activities by a diverse and large group of faculty and students within Chemistry, Mines & Earth Sciences, Engineering, Pharmacy, and the School of Medicine. Highlighted research activities facilitated by this instrumentation include investigation of materials for sensing and energy harvesting; protein folding; catalysts for synthesis and combustion of advanced fuels; next-generation wireless neural interfaces such as in artificial vision; single-molecular diagnostics; and quantum electronic materials. The instrument will also facilitate the education and training of students and researchers in advanced characterization techniques. Additionally, most research groups and industry efforts have started to shift their research programs into the implementation of in-situ and in-operando approaches to help investigate (bio)materials failure and performance under dynamic conditions which are capabilities that this instrument will enable. More importantly, students and postdocs across many institutions will strongly overlap with scientists at regional companies and government laboratories which will allow them to seek internships and job opportunities.The SAXS/WAXS tool will meet the critical research, education, and training needs of various research and teaching institutions in the Intermountain West region. The principal use of the instrument will be to characterize the morphology and structure of a broad range of (bio)materials such as, conducting organic thin films, petroleum-based structures, nanocomposites, nanoparticles, organic-inorganic hybrid materials, bioparticles, protein folding/interfaces, biological systems, and mesoporous materials. The proposed SAXS/WAXS tool will include several accessories for in-situ and in-operando measurements and will allow for simultaneous SAXS and WAXS studies of solids, pastes, liquids, and thin films in both transmission and reflection modes which are vitally needed given the broad user base. About 44 faculty members at 7 universities, 1 national laboratory, as well as 7 companies have expressed their strong interest and support for having a SAXS/WAXS system readily available that could help minimize trips to the synchrotron facilities or for screening and optimizing samples prior to a more specialized synchrotron experiment. The location of the SAXS/WAXS instrument within the Nanofabrication, Nanoscale Imaging and Surface Analysis core facility laboratory at the University of Utah will boost the research of regional companies, promote collaborative research, enhance existing laboratory outreach activities to underrepresented students in STEM fields, and expand educational programs. The proposed instrument will also be of great benefit to smaller institutions in the State of Utah and its surroundings that cannot afford out-of-state travel to synchrotron facilities. The Nanofabrication, Nanoscale Imaging and Surface Analysis core facility laboratory at the University of Utah will organize an annual workshop where faculty and students will give oral presentations on research activities enabled by the SAXS/WAXS instrument.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.