MRI: Acquisition of a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope to support multidisciplinary research and education at the University of Mississippi

该奖项支持密西西比大学(UM)购买最先进的场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)。该仪器将影响从基础生物学到纳米材料和纳米科学等广泛领域的研究项目。这种新型显微镜将能够对各种材料进行超高分辨率成像和分析，包括纳米颗粒、纳米复合材料、合成聚合物、生物样品、金属镀膜和地质材料。这一资源的提供将直接惠及10个系的至少25个研究小组，这些小组横跨药学院、工程学院和文学院。此外，该仪器将影响这些研究小组中许多学生研究人员和博士后助理的研究能力和培训。新仪器将支持几门学术课程，每年将使数百名科学、技术和工程领域的学生受益。新的成像设备还将使邻近机构、高中和社区大学生的研究人员受益，并将通过与该仪器的推广活动极大地影响K-12学生和教师。建议的仪器是一种具有高放大和超高空间分辨率的多功能显微镜，能够对微结构和纳米结构进行高质量的成像和分析。这一最先进的仪器配备了多个探测器，包括能量色散X射线光谱仪、阴极发光、背散射电子和二次电子探测器，以便于测定样品的元素组成和形貌研究。新设备将用于一系列尖端研究项目，包括a)金纳米颗粒的表征及其单分散性的调查，b)古生物学和生物地层学研究以及古环境和古气候的定量重建，c)调查二氧化硅纳米颗粒和纳米纤维素在开发用于食品包装的创新和智能抗菌涂料方面的研究，d)多面体低聚硅氧烷功能化石墨烯和聚脲纳米复合材料的研究，e)二氧化钛/氧化石墨烯纳米复合材料的表征和利用，以及f)药物纳米颗粒和其他基质的表征。新的显微镜还将支持UM各部门以及该地区邻近机构的许多其他研究项目。

This award supports the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) at the University of Mississippi (UM). This instrument will impact a broad area of research projects, ranging from fundamental biology to nanomaterials and nanoscience. The new microscope will enable ultra-high resolution imaging and analysis of a variety of materials including nanoparticles, nanocomposites, synthetic polymers, biological samples, metal platings and geological materials. The availability of this resource will directly benefit at least 25 research groups in 10 departments, spanning across the School of Pharmacy, School of Engineering and College of Liberal Arts. Additionally, the instrument will impact the research capabilities and training of many student researchers and postdoctoral associates in these research groups. The new instrument will support several academic courses and benefit hundreds of students in the science, technology and engineering fields each year. The new imaging facility will also benefit researchers from neighboring institutions, high school and community college students, and will greatly impact K-12 students and teachers through outreach activities involving the instrument.The proposed instrument is a versatile microscope with high magnification and ultra-high spatial resolution, enabling high quality imaging and analysis of micro and nanostructures. This state-of-the-art instrument is equipped with multiple detectors, including energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, cathodoluminescence, back-scattered electron, and secondary electron detectors to facilitate the determination of the elemental composition and topographical study of samples. The new equipment will be used across a number of cutting-edge research projects, including a) characterization of gold nanoparticles and investigation of their monodispersity, b) paleontological and biostratigraphic studies and quantitative reconstruction of paleoenvironments and paleoclimates, c) investigation of silica nanoparticles and nanocellulose in developing innovative and intelligent antimicrobial coatings for food packaging applications, d) study of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsequioxane-functionalized graphene and polyurea nanocomposites, e) characterization and utilization of titanium dioxide/graphene oxide nanocomposites, and f) characterization of drug embedded nanoparticles and other matrices. The new microscope will also support numerous other research projects in various UM departments as well as neighboring institutions in the region.