IMR: Acquisition of a SAXS Facility for Research and Education in Nano-Structured Materials

技术摘要：美国国家科学基金会的IMR提案要求为华盛顿大学（西雅图，华盛顿州）的纳米结构材料研究提供小角度X射线散射（SAXS）设施的资金。这个多用户设施将满足我们在纳米长度尺度上表征散装工程材料的直接研究和教育需求。几个小组将立即在研究项目中使用该设施，在这些项目中，大块纳米结构在控制所产生的宏观材料特性方面发挥关键作用。其中一些项目包括：通过使用新型表面活性剂纳米结构和自组装筛分基质优化蛋白质分离;开发用于太阳能转换的可聚合物;具有非线性光学特性的分子组装的结构设计;增强纤维纳米复合材料的分散性和界面韧性;具有集体磁性的超晶格的设计和电化学陶瓷中结构缺陷的表征。该设施满足了我们长期以来对纳米级散装材料非侵入性表征的研究需求。它还将作为培训和教育在材料研究的所有领域工作的工程师和科学家的重要工具。SAXS设施将立即纳入现有的研究生和本科生实验室课程，并将开发专门的散射课程。该设施还将通过将其纳入正在进行的本科研究计划来增强本科生的体验。该设施将是该地区第一个也是唯一的SAXS用户设施。非技术摘要如果获得资助，NSF IMR基金将为华盛顿大学（西雅图，WA）的小角X射线散射（SAXS）设备的购置提供资金。SAXS提供有关纳米（十亿分之一米）距离上材料结构顺序的信息。这种纳米级结构信息对于开发基于高水平分子组织的新工程材料至关重要。该设施将是该地区第一个也是唯一一个SAXS用户设施，将立即使华盛顿大学的几个研究小组受益，这些研究小组目前正在使用纳米级排序来提高材料的性能。 这些项目包括优化生物分子分离的快速？护理点？医疗诊断、用于高效和廉价太阳能的半导体聚合物的开发、具有增强韧性和透气性的复合材料的设计以及颗粒组件中磁性的控制。该设施还将作为培训和教育在材料研究的所有领域工作的工程师和科学家的重要工具。SAXS设施将立即纳入现有的研究生水平和本科水平的实验室课程，并在专业课程，将在未来开发。该设施还将通过将其纳入正在进行的本科研究计划来增强本科生的体验。

Technical Abstract:This NSF IMR proposal requests funds for a small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) facility for studies of nano-structured materials at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA). This multi-user facility will address our immediate research and educational needs for the characterization of bulk engineering materials at nanometer length scales. Several groups will immediately use this facility in research projects where bulk nano-structures play critical roles in controlling the resulting macroscopic material properties. Some of these projects include the optimization of protein separations through the use of novel surfactant nanostructures and self-assembled sieving matrices; the development of semiconductive polymers for solar energy conversion; the structural design of molecular assemblies with non-linear optical properties; the enhancement of dispersion and interfacial toughness in fiber-nanocomposites; the design of superlattices with collective magnetic properties and the characterization of structural defects in electrochemical ceramics. This facility addresses our long-standing research needs for the non-invasive characterization of bulk materials at the nanoscale. It will also serve as an essential tool for the training and education of engineers and scientists that work in all areas of materials research. The SAXS facility will be immediately incorporated into existing graduate and undergraduate laboratory courses and into specialized scattering courses that will be developed. The facility will also enhance the undergraduate experience through its incorporation into on-going undergraduate research programs. The facility will be the first and only SAXS user facility in the region. Non-technical AbstractIf funded, this NSF IMR grant will provide funds for the acquisition of a small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) facility at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA). SAXS provides information about the structural order of materials over distances of nanometers (billionths of meters). This nano-scale structural information is critical for the development of new engineering materials that are based on a high level of molecular organization. This facility, which will be the first and only SAXS user-facilty in the region, will immediately benefit several research groups at UW who are currently using nano-scale ordering to improve the performance of materials. These projects include the optimization of biomolecular separations for fast ?point of care? medical diagnosis, the development of semiconductor polymers for efficient and inexpensive solar power, the design of composite materials with enhanced toughness and gas permeability and the control of magnetism in particle assemblies. This facility will also serve as an essential tool for the training and education of engineers and scientists that work in all areas of materials research. The SAXS facility will be immediately incorporated into existing graduate level and undergraduate level laboratory courses and in specialized courses that will be developed in the future. The facility will also enhance the undergraduate experience through its incorporation into on-going undergraduate research programs.