MRI: Acquisition of a laboratory beamline small (wide)-angle X-ray scattering tool for in-situ characterization of (bio)materials

在（生物）材料科学和工程领域的研究活动是犹他州及其周边地区各种大学和公司的主要关注点。该仪器旨在提供一个集成的实验室光束线x射线散射工具，包括小角度（SAXS）、广角（WAXS）和掠入射（GI）能力，用于（生物）材料的表征。该仪器是第一个用于山间西部地区生物（材料）原位表征的开放接入设备，它将被大型机构（R1和R2）、本科院校以及州内和州外公司的众多研究项目使用。该仪器使化学、矿产与地球科学、工程、药学和医学院的各种教职员工和学生能够开展研究活动。该仪器促进的重点研究活动包括对传感和能量收集材料的研究；蛋白质折叠;先进燃料合成和燃烧催化剂；下一代无线神经接口，如人工视觉；单分子诊断;还有量子电子材料。该仪器还将促进学生和研究人员在高级表征技术方面的教育和培训。此外，大多数研究小组和行业已经开始将他们的研究项目转移到原位和操作中方法的实施上，以帮助研究（生物）材料在动态条件下的失效和性能，这些都是该仪器能够实现的功能。更重要的是，许多机构的学生和博士后将与地区公司和政府实验室的科学家密切重叠，这将使他们能够寻求实习和工作机会。SAXS/WAXS工具将满足西部山间地区各种研究和教学机构的关键研究、教育和培训需求。该仪器的主要用途是表征各种（生物）材料的形态和结构，如导电有机薄膜、石油基结构、纳米复合材料、纳米颗粒、有机-无机杂化材料、生物颗粒、蛋白质折叠/界面、生物系统和介孔材料。拟议的SAXS/WAXS工具将包括几个用于现场和作业中测量的附件，并允许同时进行SAXS和WAXS研究固体、糊状、液体和薄膜的透射和反射模式，这是广泛用户群所急需的。来自7所大学、1个国家实验室和7家公司的约44名教职员工表达了他们对SAXS/WAXS系统的强烈兴趣和支持，该系统可以帮助减少前往同步加速器设施的行程，或者在更专业的同步加速器实验之前筛选和优化样品。SAXS/WAXS仪器位于犹他大学纳米制造、纳米成像和表面分析核心设施实验室内，将促进区域公司的研究，促进合作研究，加强现有实验室向STEM领域代表性不足的学生的推广活动，并扩大教育计划。拟议的仪器也将对犹他州及其周边地区的小型机构大有裨益，这些机构负担不起州外前往同步加速器设施的费用。犹他大学的纳米制造、纳米成像和表面分析核心设施实验室将组织一次年度研讨会，教师和学生将对SAXS/WAXS仪器的研究活动进行口头报告。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Research activities in the areas of (bio)materials science and engineering are a major focus of various universities and companies across the State of Utah and its surroundings. The proposed instrumentation seeks to provide an integrated laboratory beamline X-ray scattering tool comprising small-angle (SAXS), wide-angle (WAXS), and grazing incidence (GI) capabilities for the characterization of (bio)materials. This instrument is the first-open access facility fitted for in-situ characterization of bio(materials) in the Intermountain West region and it will be used by numerous research programs at large institutions (R1 and R2), undergraduate institutions, as well as in-state and out-of-state companies. The instrument enables research activities by a diverse and large group of faculty and students within Chemistry, Mines & Earth Sciences, Engineering, Pharmacy, and the School of Medicine. Highlighted research activities facilitated by this instrumentation include investigation of materials for sensing and energy harvesting; protein folding; catalysts for synthesis and combustion of advanced fuels; next-generation wireless neural interfaces such as in artificial vision; single-molecular diagnostics; and quantum electronic materials. The instrument will also facilitate the education and training of students and researchers in advanced characterization techniques. Additionally, most research groups and industry efforts have started to shift their research programs into the implementation of in-situ and in-operando approaches to help investigate (bio)materials failure and performance under dynamic conditions which are capabilities that this instrument will enable. More importantly, students and postdocs across many institutions will strongly overlap with scientists at regional companies and government laboratories which will allow them to seek internships and job opportunities.The SAXS/WAXS tool will meet the critical research, education, and training needs of various research and teaching institutions in the Intermountain West region. The principal use of the instrument will be to characterize the morphology and structure of a broad range of (bio)materials such as, conducting organic thin films, petroleum-based structures, nanocomposites, nanoparticles, organic-inorganic hybrid materials, bioparticles, protein folding/interfaces, biological systems, and mesoporous materials. The proposed SAXS/WAXS tool will include several accessories for in-situ and in-operando measurements and will allow for simultaneous SAXS and WAXS studies of solids, pastes, liquids, and thin films in both transmission and reflection modes which are vitally needed given the broad user base. About 44 faculty members at 7 universities, 1 national laboratory, as well as 7 companies have expressed their strong interest and support for having a SAXS/WAXS system readily available that could help minimize trips to the synchrotron facilities or for screening and optimizing samples prior to a more specialized synchrotron experiment. The location of the SAXS/WAXS instrument within the Nanofabrication, Nanoscale Imaging and Surface Analysis core facility laboratory at the University of Utah will boost the research of regional companies, promote collaborative research, enhance existing laboratory outreach activities to underrepresented students in STEM fields, and expand educational programs. The proposed instrument will also be of great benefit to smaller institutions in the State of Utah and its surroundings that cannot afford out-of-state travel to synchrotron facilities. The Nanofabrication, Nanoscale Imaging and Surface Analysis core facility laboratory at the University of Utah will organize an annual workshop where faculty and students will give oral presentations on research activities enabled by the SAXS/WAXS instrument.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.