Acquisition of an Atomic Resolution TEM for Advanced Analysis of Nanomaterials in the Environment, Agriculture and Technology (NEAT)

迅速发展的纳米科学和工程世界将为多种应用带来技术革命。虽然新设备、材料或催化剂的可能性几乎是无限的，但实现它们的关键是对每一个正在开发的纳米级系统的相互作用和性质有深刻的理解。只有通过这样的理解，才能实现对结构和性能的控制、调整和重现性。第一步是表征结构、组成和键合的所有方面，这些方面对体系的性质负责。在亚纳米尺度上同时表征这些特征的能力在透射电子显微镜(TEM)领域是独一无二的。该研究奖将资助一台工作在200千伏的场发射瞬变电磁仪器，该仪器也将具有广泛的分析能力。一个关键的特点是设计和开发了原位阶段，可以在不同的温度、气体压力、应变和施加电压的条件下研究纳米材料的动力学。这笔赠款将推动的具体研究领域将包括对催化剂、金属和陶瓷玻璃、电子材料以及宿主和生物系统中的纳米颗粒的研究。将与NSF IGERT计划建立强有力的联系，以便下一代显微镜工作者可以接受关于电子显微镜这一开创性方法的培训。还将大大改善任职人数不足的少数群体的教育经验。与其他学术和工业实验室的合作将是该设施管理的重要组成部分。

The rapidly developing world of nanoscience and engineering will revolutionize technology for a multitude of applications. While the possibilities for new devices, materials, or catalysts are virtually unlimited, the key to realizing them is a deep understanding of the interactions and properties of each of the nanoscale systems being developed. Only through such understanding can control, tuning, and reproducibility of structures and properties be achieved. The first step is to characterize all aspects of the structure, composition, and bonding that are responsible for the properties of the system. The ability to simultaneously characterize these features on the sub-nanometer scale lies uniquely within the realm of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This research award will fund a field emission TEM instrument operating at 200kV that will also have extensive analytical capabilities. A key feature is the design and development of in situ stages that will allow the dynamics of nanoscale materials to be studied under various conditions of temperature, gas pressure, strain, and applied voltage. Specific research areas to be advanced by this grant will include investigations of catalysts, metal and ceramic glasses, electronic materials, and nanoparticles in host and biological systems. A strong connection with an NSF IGERT program will be made so that the next generation of microscopists can be trained on this pioneering approach for electron microscopy. Significant enhancement of the educational experience of underrepresented minorities will also be achieved. Collaborations with other academic and industrial laboratories will be an important part of the management of the facility.