This award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) will enable the Department of Chemistry at Pacific University to acquire an atomic force microscope/scanning tunneling microscope (AFM/STM) to enhance undergraduate research opportunities in electrochemistry and biochemistry. This equipment will enhance research in two major projects: a) the structural effects and consequences of electrochemical processes at commercially important lithium-ion cell graphite anodes will be studied in situ; and b) the study of aggregation phenomena on cell surfaces in aqueous environments.
The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) enables researchers to image atoms directly. The technique uses the piezoelectric effect which involves bringing an extremely sharp metal needle within a few angstroms of the sample surface. The distance is small enough for electrons to leak or tunnel across the gap and generate a minute current. As the gap between the tip and the sample increases, the current decreases. As the probe crosses the sample, moving back and forth across the surface, it traces out a contour map of the sample's surface atoms. The AFM is used in the control of material used to fabricate semiconductor circuits.
