Scanning Probe Microscopy of Polymer, Biopolymer and Semicrystalline Surface Nanostructures

该研究项目将发展表面敏感光学和化学，以了解光能如何在材料表面流动。强光场为集成电子学和光子学、诱导化学反应和检测疾病提供了机会，但前面还有许多挑战。****在提出的工作中要解决的第一个挑战是如何在期望的频率和正确的空间位置可靠地产生和维持强场。这将需要开发一种追踪能量转导的方法：将能量置于特定模式，观察能量如何在材料结构中移动，这将是研究小组工作的一部分。有希望制造高速设备的材料，如石墨烯和氮化硼，将被研究。***第二个挑战是确定材料缺陷的作用，因为它们可能会降低由材料制成的设备的性能。更好地理解缺陷，或随机化能量的交叉点，将导致受控界面的设计原则，其中能量转导可以在所需模式之间进行引导。将模型与实验数据进行比较。这项工作还将验证与表面声子波相关的强电场可用于驱动电子跃迁和基本化学反应的假设。预计这一发展是利用倏逝场将能量注入反应系统的一个特殊结果，并可能为更有效的能源生产和化学反应光催化提供一条途径。***这项工作还包括开发新的表面波方法，以开发细胞表面蛋白质和模型细胞界面蛋白质聚集体的高灵敏度探测器。更深入地了解控制膜内自组装的力量将会产生。光学探测器可以集成到平台中，以定位具有疾病特征的细胞。这个项目将研究离子如何与表面结合并在微小的管道中传导，比如氮化硼纳米管。后者的实际成果是，例如，离子选择导体可以用于淡水河流流入海水的地方发电。***首席研究员在指导高素质人才方面有着悠久的历史。本项目将培养至少8名研究生和2名博士后，同时培养本科生

This research program will develop surface sensitive optics and chemistry to understand how light energy flows at the surfaces of materials. Intense light fields offer opportunities to integrate electronics and photonics, to induce chemical reactions, and to detect disease, but there are many challenges ahead.****The first challenge to be addressed in the proposed work is how to reliably generate and sustain the intense fields at the desired frequencies and at the correct locations in space. This will require the development of a method to trace energy transduction: to put the energy into a particular mode and watch how the energy moves through the material structure, which will be part of the research team's work. Materials that are promising for creating high speed devices, such as graphene and boron nitride, will be examined.***The second challenge is to identify the roles of material defects because they threaten to decrease the performance of devices that could be made from the materials. Better understanding of the defects, or intersections that randomize energy, will lead to design principles for controlled interfaces, where energy transduction can be guided between desired modes. Comparisons between models and experimental data will be made.***The work will also test the hypothesis that the strong electric fields associated with surface phonon waves can be used to drive electronic transitions and basic chemical reactions. This development is anticipated as a special consequence of how the energy is injected into the reaction system, by the use of evanescent fields, and could provide a path to more efficient energy production and chemical reaction photocatalysis.***The work also includes the development new surface wave methods to develop highly sensitive detectors of proteins at cell surfaces and protein aggregates at model cell interfaces. Deeper understanding of the forces that govern self-assembly within membranes will result. The optical detectors can be integrated into platforms to locate cells that are characteristic of disease. ***This project will examine how ions bind to surfaces and conduct in tiny conduits, such as boron nitride nanotubes. Practical outcomes of the latter are, for example, ion selective conductors could be used in generating electrical power where freshwater rivers flow into seawater. ***The principal investigator has a strong history of mentoring highly qualified personnel. In the work at least 8 graduate students and 2 post-doctorals will be trained, along with undergraduates.**