Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of an X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Instrument for Materials Research in Science and Engineering

非技术性的SUMMARYX-射线光电子能谱(XPS)使研究人员能够研究材料表面的化学，这在材料如何在为满足人们对清洁水、可再生能源和减少废物的需求而开发的技术中发挥关键作用。具体来说，杜兰大学和大新奥尔良地区的研究人员使用XPS等表面敏感技术来研究用于水净化、太阳能转换、储能电池和塑料回收的材料。这个重大的研究仪器项目由材料研究部和既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助，为购买新的XPS仪器提供资金，并为该地区带来培训下一代材料科学家和工程师所需的现代能力，并鼓励更多的产学合作。使学生可以使用的设备现代化，使他们能够操作仪器、获取数据并执行自己的分析，从而促进整体教育体验，这是过时的设备所不可能实现的。此外，该项目通过杜兰大学和路易斯安那州泽维尔大学共同赞助的多个项目，支持扩大对科学和工程的参与，该大学是美国历史上黑人学院和大学的成员。这些成熟的计划保证每年至少有两名(通常更多)泽维尔大学的学生参与使用XPS的研究项目。更广泛地说，通过该计划对研究设备的投资对于建设(而不是简单地维持)研究能力以及吸引(和留住)大新奥尔良等地区的科学人才至关重要。技术和MARYX光电子能谱(XPS)是一种表面敏感技术，用于表征材料表面的组成和化学(例如，元素的氧化状态)。由于表面化学在材料行为和性能中起着关键作用，特别是对纳米材料和表面活性材料来说，获得最先进的XPS能力对于这类研究至关重要。这笔赠款支持购买一台XPS仪器，安装在路易斯安那州新奥尔良杜兰大学的协调仪器设施(CIF)中。杜兰CIF的设备满足了大新奥尔良地区企业和四所主要大学的需求：杜兰大学(私立，研究密集型)；新奥尔良大学(公立，研究密集型)；路易斯安那泽维尔大学(XULA)(私立，HBCU，专注于本科)；迪拉德大学(私立，HBCU，专注于本科)。收购一台新的XPS仪器为该地区带来了培训下一代材料科学家和工程师所需的现代能力，并鼓励更多的产学合作。此外，新仪器还配备了以下附加功能：成像、可变角度测量、深度剖析、就地加热/冷却，以及用于就地样品偏置或流经样品的电流的电触点。这些特点支持对材料界面的持续研究，这些材料界面在传统和新兴领域都很重要，包括聚合物工程、太阳能转换、催化、纳米技术、电化学储能和光电子学。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) enables researchers to study the chemistry of material surfaces, which plays a pivotal role in how materials perform in technologies being developed to address people’s needs for clean water, renewable energy, and waste reduction. Specifically, researchers at Tulane University and in the greater New Orleans area use surface-sensitive techniques like XPS to study materials used for water purification, solar energy conversion, batteries for energy storage, and plastics recycling. This major research instrumentation project, jointly funded by Division of Materials Research and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), funds the acquisition of a new XPS instrument and brings to this region modern capabilities needed to train the next generation of materials scientists and engineers and to encourage greater industry-university collaboration. Modernizing the equipment available to students facilitates a holistic educational experience by enabling them to operate the instrument, acquire data, and perform their own analyses, something not possible with outdated equipment. Additionally, this project supports broadening participation in science and engineering through multiple programs co-sponsored between Tulane University and Xavier University of Louisiana, a member of the historically black colleges and universities in the United States. These well-established programs guarantee participation of at least two (typically more) Xavier University students every year in research projects that utilize the XPS. More broadly, investment in research equipment through this program is critical for building (not simply maintaining) research capacity and for attracting (and retaining) scientific talent in regions like the greater New Orleans area.TECHNICAL SUMMARYX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a surface-sensitive technique used to characterize composition and chemistry (e.g., oxidation state of elements) of material surfaces. Because surface chemistry plays a pivotal role in material behavior and performance, particularly for nanomaterials and surface-active materials, access to state-of-the-art XPS capabilities is essential to this type of research. This grant supports the acquisition of an XPS instrument to be housed in the Coordinated Instrumentation Facility (CIF) at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Equipment in the Tulane CIF serves the needs of greater New Orleans area businesses and four major universities: Tulane University (private, research-intensive); the University of New Orleans (public, research-intensive); Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) (private, HBCU, undergraduate-focused); and Dillard University (private, HBCU, undergraduate-focused). The acquisition of a new XPS instrument brings to this region modern capabilities needed to train the next generation of materials scientists and engineers and to encourage greater industry-university collaboration. Additionally, the new instrument is equipped with the following additional features: imaging, variable angle measurements, depth profiling, in-situ heating/cooling, and electrical contacts for in-situ sample biasing or current flow through the sample. These features support ongoing research of material interfaces important in both traditional and emerging areas, including polymer engineering, solar energy conversion, catalysis, nanotechnology, electrochemical energy storage, and optoelectronics.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.