MRI Acquisition of a high-resolution confocal Raman microscope with capabilities to perform liquid and solid experiments

该补助金支持获得具有进行液体和固体实验能力的高分辨率共焦拉曼显微镜。拉曼光谱是一种非破坏性的分析技术，可以提供有关固体和液体中化学结构、组成、结晶度和分子相互作用的详细信息，因此在地质、生命和材料科学中有着广泛的应用。这项资助的重大研究仪器（MRI）项目的战略使命是建立一个具有实验能力的协作拉曼光谱实验室，其目的是：1）加强新墨西哥州采矿与技术研究所（NMT）的多学科和跨学科研究，2）促进外部合作，3）促进NMT的教育使命。从这个新的拉曼设施的研究将支持四个早期的职业教师，并将允许通过在经济地质学和石油科学以及材料，环境，人类健康和生命科学的研究解决直接相关的社会问题。该仪器及其软件易于使用，可全面控制数据采集、分析和显示，实现复杂概念的可视化，例如表征合成宝石与天然宝石、流体和熔体包裹体、生物分子以及地球最古老岩石中的化石有机物和环境中存在的气溶胶。这一新设施将产生重大的跨学科和多学科影响，促进整个校园以及与其他NM大学和国家实验室的合作。新设施还将提供给本科生和研究生，教师科学硕士课程和其他涉及K-12和高中学生的新教育课程（例如，水资源教育计划，流体和矿物暑期学校）扩大参与和培训，包括接触尖端的分析技术。与矿物博物馆XRD实验室合作，我们将提供矿物表征拉曼仪器，与新墨西哥州矿物爱好者社区互动，并促进外联活动。Horiba LabRAM HR Evolution高分辨率共焦拉曼显微镜配备了266 nm紫外激光器和532 nm维斯激光器该仪器极大地提高了光谱分辨率，可以对矿物样品中的微观流体、气体和熔体包裹体、生物分子、气溶胶颗粒进行研究，还可以处理水浸样品。266 nm紫外激光改善了对有机分子的荧光抑制，紫外激发提高了拉曼散射效率和信号灵敏度。UV激发的另一个优点是特定复合物的共振增强，促进了用于研究材料和流体的化学和物理性质的新拉曼方法的发展。电动XY载物台、四个显微镜物镜和一个40倍UVB物镜为不同的应用提供了多功能性，并与许多类型的实验细胞（即，用于流体/熔融内含物的加热/冷却阶段、用于含水形态实验的毛细管流体单元和/或热液金刚石砧单元、用于气溶胶的流动系统等）。新的3D绘图技术（Horiba SWIFT和Duoscan）提供了改进的绘图功能，空间分辨率为0.5-1 µm。这将允许表征流体-矿物相互作用在微米尺度上，流体和熔体包裹体中的相比例的测定，并将在岩石力学和环境科学中有其他新的应用。通过收购这台拉曼仪器实现的研究活动将允许整合整个新墨西哥州理工学院的实验室，并为跨学科合作提供坚实的基础。我们团队将涵盖的研究领域包括：㈠通过研究化石和活动地热和热液沉积系统中地质材料中的油和流体包裹体研究地壳中的流体，㈡矿床中关键矿物的流体-矿物界面反应和性质，㈢地壳深部的矿物，为地球动力学模型提供信息，iv）现代和古代近地表面环境中微体化石和微生物沉积物的生源特征，包括火星类似物，以及v）发现环境过程中隐藏的反应途径和机制，以更好地了解其对全球气候，生态系统的影响，和人类健康。该奖项由地球科学部的仪器和设施项目资助。该奖项反映了NSF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。

This grant supports the acquisition of a high-resolution confocal Raman microscope with capabilities to perform liquid and solid experiments. Raman Spectroscopy is a non-destructive analytical technique, that can provide detailed information about chemical structure, composition, crystallinity, and molecular interactions in solids and liquids, thus finding broad applications in geologic, life and material sciences. The strategic mission of this funded Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) project is to build a collaborative Raman spectroscopy laboratory with experimental capabilities, which aims to: 1) strengthen multi- and interdisciplinary research at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT), 2) foster external collaborations, and 3) promote the education mission of NMT. Research from this new Raman facility will support four early career faculty and will allow solving problems directly relevant to society through research in economic geology and petroleum sciences as well as material, environmental, human health, and life sciences. The instrument and its software are easy to use and provide full control over data acquisition, analysis and display, enabling visualization of otherwise complex concepts such as characterizing synthetic vs. natural gemstones, fluid and melt inclusions, biomolecules, and fossil organic matter in Earth’s oldest rocks and aerosols present in the environment. This new facility will have a significant inter- and multidisciplinary impact fostering collaborations across campus and with other NM universities and national laboratories. The new facility will also be available to undergraduate and graduate students, the Master of Science for Teachers program and other new education programs that involve K-12 and senior high-school students (e.g., Water Resources Education Program, Fluids and Minerals Summer School) broadening participation and training including exposure to cutting-edge analytical techniques. In collaboration with the Mineral Museums XRD laboratory, we will provide access to the Raman instrument for mineral characterization to interact with the New Mexico mineral enthusiast community and to promote outreach activities.The Horiba LabRAM HR Evolution high-resolution confocal Raman microscope is equipped with a 266 nm UV laser and a 532 nm VIS laser (green light) and has a focal length of 800 mm. This instrument greatly improves spectral resolution, which permits carrying out research on microscopic fluid, gas and melt inclusions in mineral samples, biomolecules, aerosol particles and it also allows working with water immersed samples. The 266 nm UV laser improves fluorescence suppression from organic molecules and UV excitation increases Raman scattering efficiency and signal sensitivity. Another advantage of UV excitation is resonance enhancement of specific complexes promoting the development of new Raman methods for investigating chemical and physical properties of materials and fluids. The motorized XY stage, four microscope objectives and a 40x UVB objective provide versatility for different applications and are compatible with many types of experimental cells (i.e., heating/cooling stage for fluid/melting inclusions, capillary fluid cell and/or hydrothermal diamond anvil cell for aqueous speciation experiments, a flow system for aerosols, etc.). The new 3D-mapping technology (Horiba SWIFT and Duoscan) provides improved mapping capabilities with spatial resolution of 0.5-1 µm. This will allow characterization of fluid-mineral interaction at the micron-scale, determination of phase proportions in fluid and melt inclusions and will have other new applications in rock mechanics and environmental sciences. The research activities enabled through the acquisition of this Raman instrument will permit integrating experimental laboratories across New Mexico Tech campus and provide a strong basis for interdisciplinary collaborations. The research areas that our team will cover include: i) fluids in the crust through the study of oil and fluid inclusions in geologic materials in fossil and active geothermal and hydrothermal-sedimentary systems, ii) fluid-mineral interface reactions and properties of critical minerals in ore deposits, iii) minerals in the deep crust, which inform geodynamic models, iv) biogenic features in microfossils and microbial deposits in modern and ancient near Earth surface environments, including Martian analogues, and v) discovering hidden reaction pathways and mechanisms in environmental processes to better understand their impact on global climate, ecosystems, and human health. This award was funded by the Instrumentation and Facilities program in the Earth Science Division.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.