MRI: Acquisition of a time-resolved nanophotonic scanning probe microscope for the in situ characterization of materials for energy and sustainability

在主要研究仪器（MRI）项目和化学研究仪器（CRIF）项目的支持下，William Marsh Rice大学的Isabell Thommann教授将获得组装飞秒时间分辨率纳米光子扫描探针显微镜的部件。这将使以前所未有的空间和时间分辨率研究用于能源和可持续性应用的纳米结构材料成为可能。这些测量将允许探测材料的化学和物理性质，以帮助理解混合纳米结构材料中的能量流动和载流子动力学。这将有助于解决这些材料大规模应用生产中的挑战。此次收购将成为该大学研究人员使用的多用户仪器，也将用于休斯顿地区和全国范围内的新合作。它将加强大学对高中教师和学生的推广工作。该奖项旨在加强各级的研究和教育，特别是在以下领域：(a)研究全共轭嵌段共聚物薄膜中的电荷分离动力学；(b)研究二维材料和能量装置中的载流子动力学；(c)用时间分辨光致发光作为热电子动力学探针；(d)等离子体天线热电子动力学研究；(e)开展光催化病毒灭活的时空研究；(f)利用时间分辨尖端增强拉曼散射研究纳米结构氧化钴的光催化水裂解；(g)在等离子体光电极上研究光催化水分解。

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation (CRIF) program, Professor Isabell Thommann from the William Marsh Rice University will acquire parts to asssemble a femtosecond time-resolved nanophotonic scanning probe microscope. This will make it possible to study nanostructured materials synthesized for energy and sustainability applications with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. These measurements will allow probing the chemical and physical properties of the materials to help understand energy flow and charge carrier dynamics in hybrid nanostructured materials. This will help to address challenges in the production of large scale applications of these materials. The acquisition will be a multiuser instrument used by researchers at the university and also for new collaborations in the Houston area, and nationally. It will strengthen the outreach efforts at the university to high school teachers and students. The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) studying charge separation kinetics in all-conjugated block copolymer thin films; (b) investigating carrier dynamics in two-dimensional materials and devices for energy; (c) using time-resolved photoluminescence as a probe of hot electron dynamics; (d) studying hot electron dynamics in plasmonic antennas; (e) carrying out spatiotemporal investigations of photocatalytic virus inactivation; (f) studying photocatalytic water splitting on nanostructured cobalt oxide by time-resolved tip-enhanced Raman scattering; (g) investigating photocatalytic water splitting on plasmonic photoelectrodes.