Studies in nanoscale interface and materials science

该提案描述了纳米级表面、界面和材料科学的广泛计划，重点是：i）在摩擦学和软硬材料中纳米（nm）长度尺度上定量机械和化学性质的耦合; ii）开发操纵活细胞的新方法，并在高时间内研究它们，空间（10纳米）和光谱分辨率在接近单分子检测的灵敏度，和iii）的水在金属表面上形成的动力学的研究。纳米摩擦学研究的重点是了解摩擦，润滑和磨损的基本机制，并涉及基于同步加速器的XANES成像，成像nanoindation，以及最近，在nm/hr速率下测量磨损的独特新方法。纳米级生物学工作涉及创建包含在微流体通道内的图案化的光学透明基底，其中标记的活细胞可以在释放和替换之前，在选择的化学和物理扰动之后，通过共聚焦和近场光学技术暂时固定/图案化以进行研究。因此，我的研究计划中的发现资助部分将支持几个主要领域的研究：1）材料超低磨损率的研究;材料和抗磨膜的机械性能对温度的依赖性的研究（纳米级蠕变）;开发更敏感的（~ 10 pN）利用干涉检测方法进行材料研究的力补偿探头; 2）开发和应用新型力补偿探针，用于力测量，并用作光学和其他探针的平台，用于研究活细胞膜上分子的运输（单分子; <10 exp-18 L体积取样）;微流体通道内表面的图案化以实现生物相容性和生物活性; 3）与UBC的赫普本联合开发技术，以探测铂表面上氢和氧反应产生的水的内部能量状态。

The proposal describes a broad program of nanoscale surface, interface and materials science with emphasis: i) on the coupling of quantitative mechanical and chemical properties at nanometer (nm) length scales in tribology and in soft and hard materials; ii) on the development of new methods of manipulating live cells and studying them with high temporal, spatial (10s of nm) and spectroscopic resolutions at sensitivities approaching single molecule detection, and iii) the study of the dynamics of the formation of water on metal surfaces. The nanotribology studies are focused on understanding the basic mechanisms of friction, lubrication and wear, and involve synchrotron-based XANES imaging, imaging nanoindation, and, most recently, unique new methods of measuring wear at the nm/hr rate. The nanoscale biology work involves creation of patterned, optically transparent substrates contained within microfluidic channels in which labeled live cells can be temporarily immobilized/patterned for study by confocal and near field optical techniques after chosen chemical and physical perturbations, before release and replacement. The Discovery Grant component of my research program will therefore support research in several main areas: 1) the study of ultralow wear-rates of materials; study of the temperature dependence of mechanical properties of materials and antiwear films (nanoscale creep); development of much more sensitive (~ 10 pN) (force compensated probes for materials research using interferometric detection methods; 2) the development and application of the new force-compensated probes for force measurements and for use as platforms for optical and other probes for the study of trafficking of molecules at the membranes of live cells (single molecule; < 10exp-18 L volume sampling); patterning of surfaces within microfluidic channels for biocompatibility and bioactivity; 3) joint developments with Hepburn at UBC of techniques to probe the internal energy state of water produced by the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen on platinum surfaces.