MRI: Acquisition of an Ultra Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Instrument for Multidisciplinary Materials Research

非技术性：在多个长度尺度上操纵和测量材料的形态已经成为解决当今人类面临的突出技术问题的关键策略，包括负担得起的太阳能，清洁水，更好设计的药物和碳封存的巨大挑战。 获得能够在纳米到微米的长度尺度上研究工程材料系统的设备不仅对科学进步至关重要，而且对教育和培训也至关重要。这种科学发现工具对基础研究和应用研究都是必要的。这些工具在学生中产生了新的技能，为下一代提供了合理材料设计所需的技能。技术支持：将合成方案和工艺变量与形态和最终性能相关联的复杂问题是材料研究的基础。它是最合适的解决散射技术，捕捉三维结构信息（包括散装和掩埋结构）在倒易空间。该项目的目标是获得一台超小角X射线散射（USAXS）仪器，以研究与一系列多学科应用相关的材料，包括有机太阳能电池、钝化金属膜、纳米结构膜、碳纳米管、纳米颗粒和催化剂。这些研究活动的共同主题是需要准确地探索从纳米到中尺度的层次结构，因为多个长度尺度之间的相关性产生了决定性能的独特功能。USAXS项目通过定量探测关键长度尺度域来满足这一需求，并补充了现有的资源，如广角散射，针孔小角散射，光散射和X射线反射率。因此，该项目通过向科学家提供涵盖从5 nm到1微米长度尺度的定量结构数据，改变了辛辛那提大学和西南俄亥俄州地区其他各种用户（迈阿密大学、宝洁公司、环境保护局、Clopay塑料）的材料相关研究。

Non-technical: Manipulating and measuring the morphology of materials on multiple length scales has emerged as a key strategy for addressing the prominent technological problems confronting mankind today including grand challenges of affordable solar power, clean water, better designed medicines, and carbon sequestration. Access to equipment capable of investigating engineered materials systems on length scales from nanometers to micrometers is crucial, not only for scientific progress, but also for education and training. Such instruments of scientific discovery are necessary for both basic and applied research. These tools engender new skills in students, equipping the next generation with the skills necessary for rational materials design. Technical: The complex problem of relating synthesis protocols and process variables to morphology and final properties is fundamental to materials research. It is most appropriately resolved by scattering techniques, which capture three-dimensional structural information (including bulk and buried structures) in reciprocal space. The goal of this project is to acquire an ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) instrument to investigate materials relevant to a range of multidisciplinary applications, including organic solar cells, passivating metallic films, nanostructured membranes, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles and catalysts. The common theme in these research activities is the need to accurately explore hierarchical structure from the nano- to the meso-scale, since correlations between multiple length-scales give rise to unique functionalities that determine performance. The USAXS project meets this need by quantitatively probing critical length-scale domains, and complements existing resources such as wide-angle scattering, pinhole small-angle scattering, light scattering and x-ray reflectivity. The project thus transforms materials-related research at the University of Cincinnati and various other users in the south-west Ohio region (Miami University, Procter & Gamble, Environmental Protection Agency, Clopay Plastics) by providing scientists with quantitative structural data covering length scales from 5 nm to 1 micrometer.