UV-Vis-NIR Spectrophotometer for Materials Characterization

这项资助的目的是为拉瓦尔大学化学系的四名研究人员提供利用紫外可见近红外分光光度计合成和表征有机半导体的机会。现在迫切需要得到这样的仪器，因为化学系唯一可用的仪器在一年半前就死了。因此，这四名申请人及其研究生和博士后无法使用这种简单、常规的仪器来基本表征他们的分子和材料。该仪器与他们非常相关，因为它允许表征不同的π共轭分子和聚合物的光学性质，包括测定光密度，光带隙，在某种程度上，正在研究的分子的构象。这两个学院的研究小组制备的分子和材料是共轭低聚物和聚合物、纳米石墨烯、石墨烯纳米带、碳纳米管和开壳（双自由基）。这些分子吸收从紫外线（200纳米）到近红外（3000纳米的开壳分子）的光，一个覆盖整个范围的仪器是必要的。此外，所要求的仪器允许在不同基材和不同温度下进行溶液和固态分析。该仪器还将用于动力学研究，以评估C-H活化催化剂以及土壤中微量元素的测定。这款紫外可见近红外分光光度计将支持40多名科学家（学生、PDF和研究助理）参与化学各个领域的最先进和创新的研究项目，包括材料、催化和分析。显然，这台仪器也将提供给化学系的所有其他研究生和博士后（150名研究人员）。由于我们部门没有这种仪器，研究小组不得不把样品送到全国各地的其他设施，这极大地阻碍了许多项目的进展，并造成不必要的时间和金钱损失。拉瓦尔大学化学系没有能覆盖所需波长范围的分光光度计。拥有这台仪器对于HQP的培训以及他们未来在材料相关领域的职业生涯也非常重要。

The purpose of this grant is to provide four researchers of the Department of Chemistry at Université Laval involved in the synthesis and characterization of organic semiconductors with a UV-visible-NIR spectrophotometer. There is an URGENT need to obtain such instrument as the only one available in the Department of Chemistry died a year and a half ago. Thus, the four applicants and their graduate students and postdoc do not have access to this simple, routine instrument for the basic characterization of their molecules and materials. This instrument is very relevant for them since it allows the characterization of the optical properties of different pi-conjugated molecules and polymers, including the determination of optical density, optical bandgap and, to some extent, the conformation of the molecules being studied. Molecules and materials prepared by the two faculties' research groups are conjugated oligomers and polymers, nanographenes, graphene nanoribbons, carbon nanotubes and open-shell (diradical). These molecules absorb light from the UV (200 nm) to the NIR infrared (3000 nm for open-shell molecules) and an instrument covering this whole range is necessary. Moreover, the requested instrument allows analysis in both solution and solid state on different substrates and at different temperatures. The instrument will also be used for kinetic studies to evaluate catalysts for C-H activation as well as for the determination of trace elements in soil. This UV-visible-NIR spectrophotometer will support the state-of-the-art and innovative research programs of more than 40 scientists (students, PDF and research associates) involved in various areas of chemistry, including materials, catalysis and analytical. Obviously, this instrument will also be made available to all others graduate students and postdocs of the Department of Chemistry (150 researchers). The absence of such instrument in our department forces the research groups to send their samples to other facilities around the country, impeding tremendously the progression of many projects and resulting in unnecessary time and money lost. There is no spectrophotometer covering the range of wavelength needed in the Department of Chemistry of Université Laval. Having this instrument is also very important for the training of HQP and for their future career in materials-related areas.