X-ray Diffractometer Commissioning for Molecular Characterization

X射线衍射分析是一种强大的结构表征技术，可以确定分子和大分子的原子坐标，了解固态组织，以及新功能纳米材料的晶体排列。申请的NSERC-RTI资金将通过支持Wilfrid Laurier大学（Laurier）第一台X射线衍射仪的调试，激活X射线衍射样品评估，优化和数据收集的能力。对该系统的支持将引入一个重要的基础设施，使五个主要研究小组和超过10个研究小组能够表征分子和大分子结构。具体而言，我们将能够进行现场衍射分析，以表征自组装金属有机配位络合物的结构，包括纳米颗粒在内的胶体纳米级构建块，以及预计将呈现柱状液晶相的新型多环芳烃。此外，衍射仪设备将使参与碳水化合物识别和加工的蛋白质的结构表征，除了负责生物膜形成的因素。通过在劳里埃现场引入这种仪器，我们将克服样品生产和优化的严重瓶颈，并显着提高学生培训和研究生产力。

X-ray diffraction analysis is a powerful structural characterization technique that can lead to the determination of atomic coordinates of molecules and macromolecules, to the understanding of solid-state organization, and also, to the crystalline arrangement of new functional nanomaterials. The requested NSERC-RTI funding will activate the capacity for X-ray diffraction sample evaluation, optimization, data collection by support the commissioning of the first X-ray diffractometer at Wilfrid Laurier University (Laurier). Support for this system will introduce an essential piece of infrastructure that will enable five principal research groups and greater than 10 researcher groups total to characterize molecules and macromolecule structures. Specifically, we will be able to perform on-site diffraction analysis to characterize the structures of self-assembled metal-organic coordination complexes, colloidal nanoscale building blocks including nanoparticles, and novel polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are expected to exhibit columnar liquid crystal phase. Additionally, the diffractometer equipment will enable the structural characterization of proteins involved in carbohydrate-recognition and processing, in addition to factors responsible for biofilm formation. By introducing this instrumentation on-site at Laurier we will overcome this severe bottleneck in sample production and optimization, as well as a significant enhancement to student training and research productivity.