MRI: Acquisition of a High-Pressure, High-Temperature Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Instrument for Oklahoma

这项重大研究仪器(MRI)奖支持收购一台小角X射线散射(SAXS)仪器，该仪器将使俄克拉荷马州及其周边地区的基础和应用研究成为可能。该仪器将允许科学家和工程师研究各种材料的纳米级结构。这些材料包括聚合物、纤维、复合材料、薄膜、液晶、纳米颗粒、洗涤剂、乳剂和生物材料。该仪器还将能够在与工业过程相关的压力和温度升高的情况下研究这些材料的流动情况。该仪器支持的研究项目包括与塑料回收、药物输送和水处理相关的项目。除了最先进的科学，该奖项还将通过在每年为期两天的实践培训车间提供仪器访问，加强俄克拉荷马州学生的教育和培训机会。SAXS仪器将是对俄克拉何马州现有仪器基础设施的宝贵补充，并将补充该州现有的电子显微镜仪器。小角X射线光谱分析是一项有价值的补充，因为小角X射线光谱分析得到的结果代表了大块物质，而不仅仅是电子显微镜中观察到的局部部分(S)。然而，显微照片更容易解释，而且不像SAXS那样依赖于将测量数据拟合到复杂的数学模型。通过使用这两种技术，研究人员可以对他们的材料得出比只使用一种测量方法更有力的结论。重要的是，SAXS也是非破坏性的，无需任何专门的额外设备或样品制备，即可分析材料原始状态的结构。该仪器的2D探测器对于具有排列的纳米结构的各向异性样品将是有价值的，例如液晶或流动变形颗粒。该项目由土木、机械和制造创新部门(CMMI)、既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)和重大仪器研究计划(MRI)联合资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) instrument that will enable fundamental and applied research in the state of Oklahoma and surrounding region. The instrument will allow scientists and engineers to study the nano-scale structure of a wide variety of materials. These include polymers, fibers, composites, thin-films, liquid crystals, nanoparticles, detergents, emulsions, and biological materials. This instrument will also enable study of these materials under flow, and at elevated pressures and temperatures which are relevant to industrial processes. The research projects enabled by this instrument include those related to plastic recycling, drug delivery, and water treatment. Beyond state-of-the-art science, the award will also enhance the educational and training opportunities for students in Oklahoma by providing instrument access in an annual, two-day, hands-on training workshop.A SAXS instrument will be a valuable complement to existing instrument infrastructure in Oklahoma and will complement the electron microscopy instrumentation available in the state. SAXS is a valuable addition because the results obtained from SAXS are representative of the bulk material and not just the local portion(s) observed in electron micrographs. Micrographs, however, are much easier to interpret and do not rely on fitting the measured data to complex mathematical models, as SAXS does. By having access to both techniques, researchers can draw much stronger conclusions about their materials than would be possible with only one type of measurement. Importantly, SAXS is also non-destructive and analyzes the material’s structure in its original state without any specialized additional equipment or sample preparation. The instrument’s 2D detector will be valuable for anisotropic samples with aligned nano-scale structures, such as liquid crystals or flow-deformed particles. This project is jointly funded by the division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI), the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Major Instrumentation Research Program (MRI).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.