EPSRC Capital Award for Core Equipment 2020/21

该提案要求为格拉斯哥大学科学与工程学院的先进材料科学研究人员提供支持的设备。我们要求下列物品：(I)一台X射线衍射仪。这台机器将允许我们检查一系列材料的结构，从凝胶到塑料薄膜，再到催化固体。它是我们分析战略的重要组成部分，也将是我们设施的基石。(Ii)热重分析仪。这使我们能够了解材料对温度的稳定性，如果要在炎热的环境中使用(例如汽车尾气的成分)，这是至关重要的。(Iii)差示扫描量热仪。这与热重分析仪有关，但提供了材料在与温度有关的变化过程中释放或吸收的能量的信息，这为材料的行为提供了丰富的信息(例如，电池充电时是否会改变结构)。(Iv)电感耦合等离子体光学发射光谱仪。这台机器使我们能够对一系列材料的元素组成进行定量分析。因此，我们可以以十亿分之几的精度确定材料的准确元素组成(例如，催化剂系统中有多少贵金属)或我们水生态系统中基于金属的污染水平。(V)我们拉曼光谱仪的升级包。这项技术提供了有关材料中化学结合的信息-我们的升级将使我们能够更详细、更高分辨率地检查电池电极和催化剂等材料以及最先进的传感设备。这些设施将支持格拉斯哥大学在关键战略领域的现有研究，这些领域吸引了大量国内外投资，包括开发新电池、太阳能电池设备、汽车催化转换器、医疗设备和机器人。因此，这些项目将支持的研究具有重大的学术、商业和科学影响，这项提案将抵御未来的重要能力，同时作为未来投资的跳板。

The proposal requests items of equipment that will support researchers in advanced materials science in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow. We are requesting the following items:(i) An X-ray diffractometer. This machine will allow us to examine the structures of a range of materials, from gels, to plastic films, to catalytic solids. It is a vital component of our analytical strategy, and will be a cornerstone of our facilities.(ii) A thermogravimetric analyser. This allows us to understand the stability of materials to temperature, which is vital if they are to be used in hot environments (e.g. components of car exhausts).(iii) A differential scanning calorimeter. This is related to the thermogravimetric analyser but gives information on the energy released or taken in during temperature-related changes in materials, which gives a wealth of information on how materials behave (e.g. do batteries change structure when charging).(iv) An inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. This machine allows us to quantitatively analyse the elemental composition of a range of materials. As such, we can determine, with accuracy in the parts per billion range, the accurate elemental composition of materials (e.g. how much precious metal is in a catalyst system) or the level of metal-based pollution in our water ecosystem.(v) An upgrade package for our Raman spectrometer. This technique gives information on chemical bonding in materials - our upgrade will allow us to examine materials such as battery electrodes and catalysts, as well as state-of-the-art sensing devices, in more detail and with greater resolution.These facilities will support existing research in the University of Glasgow, in key strategic areas which attract significant internal and external investment, including development of new batteries, solar cell devices, automotive catalytic converters, healthcare devices, and robotics. As such, the research that these items will support has significant academic, commercial, and scientific impact, and this proposal will future-proof vital capabilities while acting as a springboard for future investment.