MRI: Acquisition of a nanoIR3 for Polymers and Life Science Research

授予南达科他州矿业公司一项以原子力显微镜为基础的红外光谱仪（AFM-IR，nanoIR 3）。一般来说，nanoIR 3结合了红外光谱和生物材料界面的化学成像，分辨率低于10纳米。尤其重要的是nanoIR 3能够提供一种方法，用于映射生物材料中的红外吸收物质，关联电学，热学和机械性能，并丰富对样品异质性的理解，同时对表面形貌进行成像。因此，nanoIR 3增强了SD基础设施的状态，以在生物学和表面工程的交叉点进行跨学科研究，特别是在应用生物学，生物启发工程，生物物理学，化学工程，材料科学和纳米工程领域。nanoIR 3支持的研究项目的基础知识将支持创新课程材料，技术研讨会和实践研究培训的设计，以及扩大参与和提高本科生，研究生和博士后研究人员的技术技能。nanoIR 3支持的项目将丰富额外的计划，这些计划将有助于培训和开发下一代STEM员工队伍，他们与教师一起工作，因为他们开发了红外光谱和高分辨率AFM显微镜的背景。使用该仪器进行的大部分研究都与开发生物基材料和储能材料有关，这些材料将保护环境，实现可持续制造，并增强农业经济在下一代材料合成中的作用。这种新的AFM-IR功能使南达科他州的教师和研究中心能够以低于10 nm的空间分辨率研究结构-性能关系，远低于生物样品、聚合物基复合材料、生物复合材料、纳米复合材料和2D材料的常规光学衍射极限（微米）。nanoIR 3的研究将特别有利于主要研究人员的研究，这些研究涉及新的可生物降解聚合物的亚细胞特性的设计，合成，表征和调整，这些聚合物解决了与污染性化石燃料塑料的使用和替代有关的主要问题。这项新功能还为纳米材料增强生物聚合物、热塑性塑料、电纺异质结构、堆叠组件或由2D材料形成的混合复合材料薄膜的深入化学表征提供了一条途径。测量界面和相间区域材料特性的纳米级变化的能力也使SD研究人员能够开发下一代保护涂层，这些涂层将具有耐腐蚀性，并设计高容量锂离子阳极材料，以抵抗固体电解质界面中过量的锂离子截留。总之，nanoIR仪器将使南达科他州矿山成为高分辨率AFM-IR分析的中心，支持南达科他州和该地区的研究人员。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。

An award is made to South Dakota Mines to acquire an atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy instrument (AFM-IR, nanoIR3). In general, nanoIR3 combines IR spectroscopy and chemical imaging of bio-material interfaces at resolutions below 10 nanometers. Especially important is the ability of nanoIR3 to provide a method for mapping IR-absorbing species in biological materials, correlating the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, and enriching the understanding of the heterogeneity of the sample, while imaging the surface topography. Hence, nanoIR3 enhances the state of SD infrastructure to perform interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biology and surface engineering, especially in the fields of applied biology, bio-inspired engineering, biophysics, chemical engineering, materials science, and nano-engineering. The fundamental knowledge from the nanoIR3 enabled research projects will support the design of innovative course materials, technical workshops, and hands-on research training, as well as broadening the participation and enhancing the technical skills of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers. The nanoIR3 supported projects will enrich additional programs that will be instrumental in the training and development of the next-generation STEM workforce who work with the faculty as they develop a background in both IR spectroscopy and high-resolution AFM microscopy. Much of the research to be performed with this instrument is related to developing bio-based materials and energy storage materials that will protect the environment, result in sustainable manufacturing, and enhance the role of the agricultural economy in next generation of materials synthesis.This new AFM-IR capability enables South Dakota faculty and research centers to study structure-property relationships with sub-10 nm spatial resolution, far below the conventional optical diffraction limit (micrometers) for biological specimens, polymer-based composites, bio-composites, nanocomposites, and 2D materials. The research enabled by the nanoIR3 will especially benefit the studies of the principal investigators related to design, synthesis, characterization, and tuning of sub-cellular properties of new biodegradable polymers, which address major issues related to the use and replacement of polluting fossil-fuel based plastics. The new capability also provides a path for in-depth chemical characterization of thin films of nanomaterial-reinforced biopolymers, thermoplastics, electrospinning-enabled heterogeneous structures, stacked assemblies, or hybrid composites formed from 2D materials. The ability to measure nano-scale variations in the material properties at the interfacial and interphase regions also enables SD researchers to develop next-generation protective coatings that will be resistant to corrosion and engineer high-capacity lithium-ion anode materials to resist excessive lithium-ion entrapment in the solid-electrolyte interphase. In summary, the nanoIR instrument will allow South Dakota Mines to become a hub for high-resolution AFM-IR analysis, supporting researchers in the state of South Dakota and the region.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.