MRI: Acquisition of a Next-Generation XPS for Research and Education in the Southwest Borderlands

该奖项由主要研究仪器和化学研究仪器项目联合支持。德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校正在购买一台x射线光电子能谱仪（XPS），以支持李秀军教授及其同事Carlos Cabrera Martinez、Jorge Gardea-Torresdey、Hongmei Luo和Sreeprasad Sreenivasan的研究。该仪器促进了化学、材料科学和物理领域的研究。XPS光谱是用x射线照射样品产生的，x射线有足够的能量来喷射电子。接下来，测量电子的动能，并随后将其与结合能联系起来。这些数据可能与样品中的化学元素及其结合环境的影响有关。该仪器加强了许多部门各级学生的教育、研究和教学工作，并广泛影响了催化、传感、能源材料、磁性材料和增材制造领域的研究。该仪器在许多课程中都有应用，包括一门专注于表面分析的新课程。授予XPS的目的是加强各级的研究和教育，通过该仪器系统地表征元素、化学和结构信息，探索先进的表面化学、先进材料和传感器的新特性，从而满足西南地区的研究和教育需求。主要研究方向为催化、水电解电催化剂、光伏应用等。它还协助研究与燃料电池相关的纳米结构催化剂和新型储能材料的研究。其他研究集中在了解掺杂石墨烯量子点的结构和成分对电催化、传感和量子科学的影响；植物结构中的纳米颗粒运输；3D打印无氧化物陶瓷；磁性纳米粒子用于纳米电子学、数据存储设备和量子计算。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 award is jointly supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Programs. The University of Texas at El Paso is acquiring an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) to support the research of Professor XiuJun Li and colleagues Carlos Cabrera Martinez, Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, Hongmei Luo, and Sreeprasad Sreenivasan. This instrument facilitates research in the areas of chemistry, materials science, and physics. XPS spectra are produced by irradiating a sample with X-rays that have sufficient energy to eject electrons. Next, the kinetic energy of the electrons is measured and subsequently related to their binding energy. These data can be related to the chemical elements in the sample and effects from their bonding environment. This instrument enhances the educational, research, and teaching efforts of students at all levels in many departments and broadly impacts research in the fields of catalysis, sensing, energy materials, magnetic materials, and additive manufacturing. The instrument is leveraged in many courses including a new course focused on surface analysis. The award for the XPS is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels to explore advanced surface chemistry, new properties of advanced materials and sensors through systematic characterization of elemental, chemical, and structural information by this instrument, thus meeting the research and educational needs of the southwest region. Research focuses on investigations relevant to catalysis, electrocatalysts for water electrolysis, photovoltaic applications. It also assists in studies involving nanostructure catalysts relevant to fuel cells and investigations of novel energy storage materials. Other studies focus on understanding structural and compositional impacts on doped graphene quantum dots for electrocatalysis, sensing and quantum science; nanoparticle transport in plant structures; 3D printed non-oxide ceramics; and magnetic nanoparticles for nanoelectronics, data storage devices and quantum computing.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.