Atomic Force Microscopy and Nanomechanical Mapping Platform for Soft Materials

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Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a crucial and essential characterization tool used in polymer and materials chemistry, and materials science and engineering to characterize the nanoscale morphology and properties of materials in the solid-state. Materials ranging from ultrasolft polymers to hard coatings can be analyzed through AFM. Modern AFM not only provide important information on materials solid-state morphology, but also enable an in-depth evaluation of properties such as stiffness, Young's moduli, conductivity and phase separation. Without this essential information, the development of new materials for emerging applications and new structure-property relationships in polymer/materials chemistry is almost impossible. This application request support for a critical and urgent upgrade of our current outdated AFM, so that this instrument can become again a workhorse to support and move forward our research programs, which cover cutting-edge research in wearable electronics, conjugated polymers, soft organic electronics, liquid crystalline materials, printed electronics, functional nanoparticles, and more. This critical piece of equipment will be used by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from 11 research groups with expertise ranging across materials chemistry, materials and mechanical engineering, experimental biochemistry, and electrical engineering. The new upgraded AFM and nanomechanical platform for soft materials will be housed in the University of Windsor's Essex Centre of Research (CORe), a collaborative shared research space, allowing for HQP to receive a hands-on experience on this advanced characterization tool. The requested instrument will further support current and future industrial collaboration funded-projects by the applicants and frequent users, who all have a recognized track-record of excellence in their respective field. This new state-of-the-art instrument will provide for new interdisciplinary collaborations and expansions of the team's research programs, ultimately resulting in the training of next-generation Canadian materials chemists and engineers.