This award to the University of Rochester is for the acquisition of a high resolution imaging X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS). It will provide researchers with: (1) a highly sensitive quantitative tool to measure elemental composition, and chemical and electronic states of diverse inorganic and organic thin films and solids: and, (2) provide an imaging capability of chemical patterns and structured films with sub 3 nm lateral resolution. It will offer highly accurate and non-destructive characterization of inorganic semiconductors and insulators, organic and polymeric thin films, bio-inorganic interfaces, organic self-assembled monolayers, multilayered thin film devices and air/moisture sensitive samples. The XPS instrument will enable such multidisciplinary research projects as: (1) investigation of thermodynamic parameters of immobilized ligand-substrate pairs; (2) XPS and Ultraviolet Photoemission Spectroscopy (UPS) study of the model organic photovoltaic interfaces; (3) surface characterization of semiconductor quantum dots; and, (4) science and preservation of Daguerreotypes.
Shared access to the instrument will be based on the successful model currently employed by the University of Rochester's Nano facility, and it will find immediate use by researchers in the departments of Chemical, Mechanical, and Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Optics, Physics, Computer Science, Materials Science, and the Medical Center. The shared XPS facility will also facilitate collaborations between Rochester University and surrounding academic institutions and industries. One of the critical parameters of the new instrument is fully automatic operation, which can analyze multiple samples. This will permit the 24/7 use of the instrument and will facilitate analysis of samples from research institutions outside of the greater Rochester area. The instrument will significantly impact the University's undergraduate and graduate research programs. Three courses will be modified to help students interested in Engineering, Physics, and Materials Science learn about advanced characterization technique and give them a hand-on experience with XPS and other analytical and imaging tools.
(XPS) fills a major instrumentation gap at the University of Rochester (UR) and surrounding academia and industry by providing researchers with (1) a highly sensitive quantitative tool to measure elemental composition and chemical and electronic properties of diverse inorganic and organic materials and (2) by providing a parallel imaging capability of patterned and structured functional materials with high lateral resolution. It offers highly accurate and non-destructive characterization of inorganic semiconductors and insulators, organic and polymeric thin films, biological interfaces, organic self-assembled monolayers, multilayered thin film devices and air/moisture sensitive samples. The shared access to the instrument finds immediate use in UR’s departments of chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemistry, optics, physics, computer science, materials science, and medical center. Intellectual Merit: The following projects were enabled within the first year following the acquisition of the XPS instrumentation: (1) Parallel and label-free determination of biomolecular binding constants; (2) controlling electrical properties of inorganic and organic materials with single molecules; (3) monomolecular organic layer deposition on hard and soft material interfaces for applications in medicine and nanotechnology; (4) responsive surface topography for high-resolution additive manufacturing; (5) effect of temperature and volume on the tensile and adhesive properties of photocurable resins; (6) investigation of hydroxyapatite thin films with giant electrical polarization; (7) determination of surface composition of semiconductor quantum dots; (8) isolated metallic nanoparticles as a novel scattering media; (9) surface functionalizations for the mediation of electrochemical reactions on lithium ion battery electrode materials and the preparation of polymeric thin films by initiated chemical vapor deposition; (10) low-temperature cleaning of multi-layer dielectric diffraction gratings; (11) reducing friction of soft interfaces in water; (12) science and preservation of the daguerreotype and others. Broader Impacts: The acquired XPS instrument provides researchers from the Rochester area with valuable material characterization capabilities. It offers UR students richer and more fruitful research experience and expands analytical and imaging capabilities of UR research programs, directly impacting scientific activities of many graduate and undergraduate students. The acquired instrument provides undergraduate and graduate students from chemical, biomedical and mechanical engineering, chemistry, materials science and medical center departments with the opportunity to gain expertise in surface analysis and apply this knowledge in their research projects. The shared XPS facility offers regular training sessions to help all interested researchers and students learn about capabilities and potential applications of XPS. Several classes were modified to help students interested in engineering, physics, and materials science learn about advanced characterization technique and give them a hand on experience with XPS and other analytical and imaging tools. Students participating in these classes work on the projects aimed to design new approaches to probe and analyze such fundamental concepts as molecular interaction, self-assembly and interfacial material properties.
