Dynamic Light Scattering Instrumentation for Materials Development

用于材料开发的动态光散射仪器

• 批准号: RTI-2023-00419
• 负责人: Chen, Jennifer
• 金额: $ 9.91万
• 依托单位: York University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=747818
• 关键词: Dynamic; Light; Scattering; Instrumentation; Materials

A cornerstone analytical technique for characterizing the size and surface charge of colloids is dynamic light scattering (DLS). It is a key missing infrastructure at York University for numerous groups across Chemistry, Engineering and Biology researching on materials for analytical sciences, biomedical tools, vaccine development and environmental monitoring. DLS is the only in situ characterization technique that provides size and charge information of colloids readily. Colloids with different sizes, and charges under an electric potential, diffuse at different rates and yield random fluctuations in the scattering signal. Quantitative information, such as the hydrodynamic radius, zeta potential, and particle concentration, can be deduced based on the time scale of these fluctuations via autocorrelation signal processing. As a result, DLS is non-destructive and ideal for characterizing subnanometer to micron-sized particles in different solvents with minimal sample requirement. It is the only suitable equipment to address our needs in characterizing a diverse range of materials, from inorganic nanoparticles to polymers, lipid vesicles, microspheres and microplastics. We urgently need this equipment because our research, both in fundamental scientific inquiry and industrial collaborations, is facing bottlenecks and inefficiencies as we rely on qualitative observations instead of quantitative information. We often must proceed with experiments without verification of the targeted colloidal properties or biomolecular interactions, and we are only able to detect a problem downstream at a much later stage. The NSERC RTI will enable the acquisition of an in-house DLS instrument that will be fully utilized by at least 5 research groups plus numerous collaborators. It will enable equitable access to a fundamental materials characterization technique for all HQP.

动态光散射(DLS)是表征胶体尺寸和表面电荷的重要分析技术。对于化学、工程和生物学领域的许多研究小组来说，它是约克大学缺失的关键基础设施，研究用于分析科学、生物医学工具、疫苗开发和环境监测的材料。DLS是唯一一种能够很容易地提供胶体大小和电荷信息的原位表征技术。不同大小的胶体和电势下的电荷以不同的速度扩散，并在散射信号中产生随机波动。通过自相关信号处理，可以根据这些波动的时间尺度推断出流体动力学半径、Zeta电位和颗粒浓度等定量信息。因此，DLS是非破坏性的，非常适合在不同的溶剂中表征亚纳米到微米级的颗粒，并且只需要最少的样品。它是唯一合适的设备，以满足我们在表征各种材料方面的需求，从无机纳米颗粒到聚合物、脂泡、微球和微塑料。我们迫切需要这种设备，因为我们的研究，无论是在基础科学研究方面，还是在工业合作方面，都面临着瓶颈和效率低下的问题，因为我们依赖定性观察，而不是定量信息。我们经常必须在没有验证目标胶体性质或生物分子相互作用的情况下继续进行实验，而且我们只能在更晚的阶段检测到下游的问题。NSERC RTI将能够获得一台内部DLS仪器，该仪器将被至少5个研究小组和众多合作者充分利用。它将使所有HQP能够平等地获得基本材料表征技术。