MRI: Acquisition of a Nano-Indenter to Improve the Nanoscale Materials Testing and Characterization Capabilities at the University of Wyoming

这一重大研究仪器(MRI)奖为收购纳米压痕机提供资金，以提高怀俄明大学的纳米材料测试和表征能力。纳米压痕仪仍然是为数不多的能够表征小规模材料和部件的机械测试系统之一。有许多具有变革性特征的基础研究领域是纳米压头能够探索的。在怀俄明大学(UW)，随着纳米压头系统的获得，具体的研究活动将非常多样化，这也反映了化学和机械工程主要研究人员的不同背景。研究活动包括(A)聚合物的尺寸依赖变形，(B)二氧化碳吸附材料的合成和力学表征，(C)用于药物输送的包裹纳米颗粒，以及(D)以实验和理论/模拟相结合的调查方式对小规模材料系统和组件进行的合作研究。这些研究活动代表了具有或有巨大潜力具有变革性的原创性研究。通过纳米压痕实现的提案活动调查了直接与社会相关的基本和实际方面。这种纳米压头是对研究基础设施的补充，显著加强了正在进行的和未来的研究，并将填补机械测试/表征与UW现有的化学和光学/维度分析设备之间的空白。纳米技术是威斯康星大学的核心战略研究领域之一，涉及多个学科，致力于广泛的应用。许多教职员工将使用来自威斯康星大学不同学术部门的仪器，包括化学、物理和化学、土木工程和机械工程。纳米压痕中心将进一步促进和发展这些学科之间的合作。除了改进研究基础设施外，纳米压痕机还将加强威斯康星大学纳米技术和材料的培训基础设施。相关调查人员参与的项目包括：(I)工程学本科生/研究生，其中许多是女学生；(Ii)在怀俄明州农村地区传播纳米能源生产和环境保护技术；以及(Iii)指导未来的残疾学生。在所有这些活动中，这些设备在提供纳米技术实践经验方面起到了不可或缺的作用，并将增强相关教师的能力，以促进怀俄明州的学生对工程和科学项目以及一般科学的兴趣。

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award provides funding for the acquisition of a Nano-Indenter to improve the nanoscale materials testing and characterization capabilities at the University of Wyoming. The nano-indenter remains one of the few mechanical testing systems that can characterize small-scale materials and components. There are many fundamental research areas of transformative character that a nano-indenter enables to explore. At the University of Wyoming (UW) the specific research activities that will be enabled with the acquisition of the nano-indenter system are quite diverse which also reflects the different backgrounds of the principal investigators in chemical and mechanical engineering. The research activities include (a) size dependent deformation of polymers, (b) synthesis and mechanical characterization of CO2 sorbent materials and (c) encapsulated nanoparticles for drug delivery, as well as (d) collaborative research on small-scale material systems and components which is conducted in a combined experimental and theoretical/simulation based investigation. These research activities represent original research that is or has great potential to be of transformative character. The proposal activities that are enabled with the nano-indenter investigate both fundamental as well as practical aspects that are of direct societal relevance. This nano-indenter complements the research infrastructure and significantly enhances ongoing and future research and will fill a missing gap between mechanical testing/characterization and chemical and optical/dimensional analysis equipment already available at UW. Nanotechnology is one of the core strategic research areas at UW and involves multiple academic disciplines working towards a wide range of applications. Many faculty members will be using the instrument from various academic departments at UW including chemistry, physics and chemical, civil, mechanical engineering. The nano-indenter will further promote and develop collaborations across these disciplines. Besides improving the research infrastructure the nano-indenter will also enhance the training infrastructure for nanotechnology and materials at UW. The associated investigators are involved in projects with (i) engineering undergraduate/graduate students of which many are female students, (ii) dissemination of nanotechnologies for energy production and environmental protection in rural areas of Wyoming, and (iii) mentorships of prospective students with disabilities. In all these activities the equipment has an integrated part in providing hands-on experiences to nanotechnology and will enhance the ability of the involved faculty to promote the interest in engineering and science programs and science in general to the students of Wyoming.