Scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy capabilites for studying the structure and elemental composition of inorganic and polymeric nanomaterials

本提案描述了将受到拟议的具有能量色散X射线光谱能力的扫描电子显微镜(SEM-EDS)收购的影响的研究。目前需要这笔资金来填补该部门的一些空缺。首先，我们系越来越多地参与材料研究，这在很大程度上依赖于扫描电子显微镜成像(仅SERPE组的研究就可以从日常访问中获得很大好处)；目前的大学设施不支持对我们的材料进行表征所需的研究水平。其次，校园内没有支持研究生进行扫描电子显微镜-能谱分析技术培训的设施。收购拟议的扫描电子显微镜-EDS将填补这些空白，并使我们的学生在研究和培训方面取得真正的进步。该系统将支持的具体研究包括：1)基础和应用胶体和聚合物科学；2)纳米微型光子学；3)基础和应用无机材料/纳米材料化学；4)用于超灵敏生物传感的金属纳米颗粒开发；以及5)太阳能电池技术开发。收购拟议的扫描电子显微镜-EDS将允许学生每天访问他们所需的资源来表征他们的材料，从而使所有这些项目都能够实现，这样他们的研究的下一步可以被逻辑地和快速地规划。

This proposal describes research that will be impacted by the acquisition of the proposed scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy capabilities (SEM-EDS). The funds are needed at this time to fill a couple of voids in the department. First, our department is becoming more involved in materials research, which relies heavily on SEM imaging (research in the Serpe group alone could benefit greatly from daily access); the current University facilities do not support the level of research required to characterize our materials. Second, there is no facility on campus that supports the training of graduate students on SEM-EDS techniques. Acquisition of the proposed SEM-EDS will fill these voids, and allow our students to make real progress both in research and training. The specific research that will be supported by this system includes: 1) fundamental and applied colloid and polymer science; 2) nano-micro photonics; 3) fundamental and applied inorganic materials/nanomaterials chemistry; 4) metal nanoparticle development for ultrasensitive biosensing; and 5) solar cell technology development. Acquisition of the proposed SEM-EDS will enable all of these projects by allowing students daily access to the resources they need to characterize their materials, so that the next steps in their research can be planned logically and expeditiously.