Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of an AFM-Raman Confocal Microscope to Enhance Materials Research and Training at the University of Puerto Rico - Humacao

非技术描述：波多黎各大学-乌马考分校（UPRH）正在通过增加原子力-拉曼共聚焦显微镜（AFM-拉曼）仪器来增强其研究、教育和培训能力。来自UPRH和波多黎各其他机构的研究人员正在使用该仪器来推进生物学，化学，物理学和材料科学界面领域的知识。该小组进行的研究通过开发用于健康，环境，能源和电子应用的新材料和设备来造福社会。此外，数百名少数民族本科生和高中生受益于学习和应用新的分析技术进行研究项目，并受益于将实验室经验纳入科学课程。通过让学生和教师接触新的分析和成像技术，也丰富了外展计划。因此，更多的少数民族学生有动力和更好的培训，以追求更高的学位和更具竞争力的科学事业。最后，原子力显微镜拉曼仪器有利于更大的波多黎各研究社区使用UPRH的共享研究设施，并促进新的合作的发展。技术描述：AFM-拉曼是一个集成的解决方案，用于同时进行AFM和共焦拉曼、荧光、扫描近场光学显微镜（SNOM）和尖端增强拉曼散射（TERS）测量。该工具所支持的科学通过促进以下项目中的基础和应用研究提供了相关的社会效益：（1）以最小化移液步骤为目标，研究用于比色测定的液体大理石的开发，（2）理解银纳米颗粒的物理和生长动力学，用于开发超灵敏、高选择性，和低成本的表面增强拉曼光谱（Sers）传感器，（3）了解用柱[n]芳烃官能化纤维素对捕获和检测水中重金属和/或有机分子的影响，（4）开发用于药物递送、传感器和医学应用的新的镓衍生纳米材料，（5）使用导电聚合物纳米纤维共混物开发新的传感器和无源电子器件，（6）理解碳基纳米材料的结构/性能关系，以开发具有可调性能的自立和柔性复合材料，用于新的应变、光传感和可穿戴电子器件应用，（七）了解掺杂剂对用于燃料电池中氧还原反应的电催化剂氧化锌晶体结构的影响。本专业研究仪器（MRI）项目由材料研究部（DMR）和刺激竞争性研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。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。

Non-Technical Description:The University of Puerto Rico - Humacao (UPRH) is enhancing its research, education, and training capabilities with the addition of an atomic force - Raman confocal microscopy (AFM-Raman) instrument. Researchers from UPRH and other institutions in Puerto Rico are using the instrument to advance knowledge in areas at the interface of biology, chemistry, physics, and materials sciences. The research conducted by the group benefits society by developing new materials and devices for health, environmental, energy, and electronics applications. In addition, hundreds of minority undergraduates and high-school students benefit from learning and applying new analytical techniques for their research projects and from the integration of laboratory experiences into science curricula. The outreach program is also enriched by exposing students and teachers to new analytical and imaging techniques. As a result, more minority students are motivated and better trained to pursue advanced degrees and more competitive sciences careers. Finally, the AFM-Raman instrument benefits the larger Puerto Rican research community using UPRH's shared research facilities and promotes the development of new collaborations. Technical Description:AFM-Raman is an integrated solution for simultaneous AFM and confocal Raman, fluorescence, scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM), and tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) measurements. The science enabled by this instrument provides relevant societal benefits by contributing to fundamental and applied research in the following projects as examples: (1) study the development of liquid marbles for colorimetric assays with the goal of minimizing pipetting steps, (2) understand the physics and growth dynamics of silver nanoparticles for the development of ultra-sensitive, highly-selective, and low-cost surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensors, (3) understand the effect of cellulose functionalization with pillar[n]arenes on trapping and detecting heavy metals and/or organic molecules in water, (4) develop new gallium-derived nanomaterials for drug delivery, sensors, and applications in medicine, (5) develop new sensors and passive electronics using conductive polymers nanofibers blends, (6) understand structure/property relation of carbon-based nanomaterials to develop self-standing and flexible composites with tunable properties for new strain, photo-sensing, and wearable electronics applications, (7) understand the effect of doping agents on the crystal structure of the electrocatalyst zinc oxide use in the oxygen reduction reaction in a fuel cell.This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) project is jointly funded by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.