NIRT: Bioinspired Flex Nanomembranes for Multifunctional Microsensors

这项研究的智力优势在于引入和开发了一种新型的坚固、自由悬浮、轻质的有机-无机柔性纳米膜，有效厚度为5-100纳米，具有出色的敏感性能。这些纳米膜将被用作微传感器和传感阵列的新平台：热、声、化学、触觉、流体和气体膜微传感器。清楚地了解纳米级相互作用的基本原理和结构对形成、响应行为和功能的重要作用，将是成功组装这些柔性纳米膜的关键。作为一个长期目标，我们设想微观纳米膜的嵌入式阵列，它将被用作具有光学，电学或机械响应的多功能阵列。主要的分子设计包括一个主要的中心传感层，无机纳米颗粒夹在两个聚合物多层之间，每层10-30纳米厚。传感纳米层将包括金属或半导体纳米球、薄片、棒、线、壳或管，表现出强烈和可检测的响应行为（例如，拉曼光谱、电导率、表面等离子体共振或发光的变化）。聚合物多层将作为非弹性支撑基质，并提供可调节的渗透壁，以控制进入中心层。作为这个项目的结果，我们期望制造各种各样的坚固的、自由悬浮的纳米膜，具有各种传感内层，并测试它们对传感应用至关重要的基本物理特性。来自爱荷华州立大学、伊利诺伊大学和密歇根大学材料科学与工程系、化学工程系和电气工程系的五个pi，以及来自五个国家实验室/机构和两个欧洲研究机构的合作伙伴，将加入他们在NIRT合作活动中的努力。该团队代表了化学家，物理学家，材料科学家，化学和电气工程师的真正跨学科组合，具有互补的专业知识。该跨学科项目将需要与来自国家实验室（ANL， Ames实验室，ORNL， LLNL和AFIT）的合作伙伴合作，协助进行高级表征，并提供尖端实验设施，为学生提供独特的体验，以及重要的反馈。将与德国弗劳恩霍夫应用聚合物研究所和乌克兰科学院大分子化学研究所建立国际合作。该项目的一个更广泛的影响是加强学生在科学和工程方面的培训和教育，并使先进的知识满足国家的需要。通过密集的国内和国际合作，该项目将使博士生成为成熟的，熟悉前沿研究的国际知名研究人员。与ISU完善的招生/留校计划（如学与赚、新生荣誉、学士/硕士、REU和UM的UROP计划）相结合，pi将继续努力吸引追求科学和工程高级学位的年轻人，特别强调未被充分代表的群体。为了解决这个问题，PIs计划与科学与工程女性计划（PWSE）和虚拟现实应用中心（VRAC）密切合作，建立一个新的健全的倡议，以吸引年轻女性接受科学和工程教育。NIRT团队将为夏季PWSE实习生建立夏季纳米技术新兵训练营（SNBC），这将包括NIRT研究生的积极参与。在本次夏令营的框架内，将有多达10名高中女学生在NIRT研究生的指导下参与这些活动。他们将准备正式的研究报告，这些报告将用于爱荷华州的中学科学课。这个夏令营的一个关键令人兴奋的元素将是学生参与纳米组件的现场3D虚拟现实演示。加强多样性的新重点将是与美国少数族裔机构波多黎各-马亚圭斯大学（UPRM）建立新的合作关系。NIRT团队将与upm建立一个新的夏季访问计划，将科学和工程专业的少数民族本科生带到爱荷华州立大学校园。最后，NIRT工业伙伴关系将侧重于向具有开发新传感器技术潜力的小型企业（SB）转移知识。SB的工业合作伙伴包括高科技公司Nomadics和Agiltron，这些公司已经积极参与膜传感器技术。

ABSTRACT - 0506832NIRT: BIOINSPIRED FLEX NANOMEMBRANES FOR MULTIFUNCTIONAL MICROSENSORS The intellectual merit of this study is in the introduction and development of a new class of robust, freely suspended, lightweight, organic-inorganic flex nanomembranes with an effective thickness of 5-100 nm exhibiting outstanding sensitive properties. These nanomembranes will be exploited as a new platform for microscopic sensors and sensing arrays: thermal, acoustic, chemical, tactile, fluidic, and gas membrane microsensors. A clear understanding of the fundamentals of nanoscale interactions and structures important for the formation, responsive behavior, and functioning, will be crucial for the successful assembly of these flex nanomembranes. As a long-term goal, we envision embedded arrays of microscopic nanomembranes, which will be used as multifunctional arrays with an optical, an electrical, or a mechanical response. The principal molecular design includes a primary central sensing layer of inorganic nanoparticles sandwiched between two polymer multilayers, each 10-30 nm thick. The sensingnanolayer will include metal or semiconducting nano- spheres, platelets, rods, wires, shells, or tubes, exhibiting strong and detectable responsive behavior (e.g., changes in Raman spectra, conductivity, surface plasmon resonances, or luminescence). The polymeric multilayers will serve as anelastic supporting matrix as well as provide a tunable permeable wall which will control the access to the central layer. As a result of this project, we expect to fabricate a wide variety of robust, free-suspended nanomembranes with various sensing intra-layers and test their fundamental physical properties critical for sensing applications. Five PIs from Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering Departments of Iowa State University, University of Illinois, and University of Michigan, along with partners from five national labs/institutions and two European research institutions will join their efforts in NIRT collaborative activities. The team represents a truly interdisciplinary mix of chemists, physicists, materials scientists, chemical and electrical engineers with complementary expertises. The cross-disciplinary project will require the collaboration with partners from national labs (ANL, Ames Lab, ORNL, LLNL, and AFIT) assisting in advanced characterization and providing access to cutting-edge experimental facilities, unique experience for students, and vital feedback. International collaboration will be established with Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research, Germany and the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. A broader impact of the project is in enhancing student training and education in science and engineering and bringing advanced knowledge to national needs. Through intensive national and international collaborations, this project will enable Ph.D. students to become mature, internationally aware researchers familiar with cutting-edge research. In conjunction with the well established recruiting/retention programs at ISU like the Learn and Earn, Freshman Honors, BS/MS, and REU and the UROP program at UM, the PIs will continue their efforts to attract the number of young people pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering, with a special emphasis on underrepresented groups. To address this, the PIs plan to establish a new sound initiative to attract younger women to science and engineering education in close collaboration with the Program for Women in Science and Engineering (PWSE) and the Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC). The NIRT team will establish the Summer Nanotechnology Boot Camp (SNBC) for summer PWSE interns that will incorporate active participation of NIRT graduate students. In the framework of this summer camp, up to ten high school female students will be involved in these activities under supervision of NIRT graduate students. They will prepare formal research presentations, which will be used in middle school science classes in Iowa. A key exciting element of this camp will be student participation in live, 3D virtual reality demonstrations of nano-assemblies. The new focus on enhancing diversity will be on the establishment of a new collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM), a minority US institution. The NIRT team will establish a new summer visit-program with the UPRM to bring science and engineering bound minority undergraduate students to Iowa State campus. Finally, the NIRT industrial partnership will focus on knowledge transfer to small businesses (SB) with potentials for development of new sensor technologies. SB industrial partners include high-tech companies, Nomadics and Agiltron, which are already actively involved in membrane sensor technologies.