Small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) are crucial for quantitative characterization of hard and soft materials. However, there are no SAXS user facilities in the Houston metropolitan area, so current research programs require collaborations outside Houston and/or access to light sources at national laboratories. The objective of this proposal is to acquire a dual SAXS/WAXS system to provide the materials research community in Houston with direct access to x-ray characterization for bulk samples, thin films, and solutions. The proposed system is ideally suited for multiple applications, a variety of sample types, and both transmission and reflection scattering modes. Unique features include a grazing-incidence stage to characterize nanostructured thin films, a high-temperature sample stage, and a liquid-cell capillary holder. These capabilities will enhance transformative research across a wide range of federally-funded programs in nanomaterials, device physics, and biophysics that include active polymer nanocomposites, inorganic nanocomposites, inorganic nanomaterials for catalysis and energy applications, nanomagnetic devices and storage, drug and contrast agent delivery vehicles, and advanced biomembranes. The system will be installed in the Nanomaterials Characterization Facility at the University of Houston and will be available to the local materials research community in academia and industry. Acquisition of the SAXS/WAXS system will fill an important gap in the state-of-the-art materials characterization facilities in the Houston area, and will enable continued growth of research and education of a diverse group of students in materials, nanomaterials, and biophysical sciences and engineering.
Layman Summary: Understanding and tailoring the structure of materials is crucial for a diverse range of high-technology applications in materials, nanomaterials, and biophysical sciences and engineering. X-ray scattering is a quantitative tool for rapid characterization of liquid solutions, thin films, or bulk materials, and the information acquired provides a deeper understanding of natural and synthetic nanoscale materials. The Houston metropolitan area is home to numerous research-intensive universities and active industrial research, but currently there are no x-ray user facilities to support the diverse research community. The objective of this multi-institution proposal, with senior participants from the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and Rice University, is to acquire a small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering instrument system to provide the materials research community in the Houston area with direct access to x-ray characterization for a broad range of sample types. The proposed system will be installed in the Nanomaterials Characterization Facility at the University of Houston and will be available to the broad academic and industrial user base, filling an important gap in the state-of-the-art materials characterization facilities in the Houston area and enabling continued growth of research and education of a diverse group of students in materials, nanomaterials, and biophysical sciences and engineering.
A Rigaku SMAX-3000 simultaneous SAXS / WAXS instrument with a grazing incidence accessory to perform GI-SAXS measurements was acquired as part of this collaborative MRI grant and is now fully functional. Unique features of the proposed system include a grazing-incidence stage to characterize nanostructured thin films, a high-temperature sample stage, and a liquid-cell capillary holder. These features enable the study of nanoscale inorganic materials, polymeric materials, biological systems, and thin films. The instrument was installed in Aug 2012 and made available as a user facility in Dec 2012. The system has 12 regular users (amongst six PIs and four institutions) and is occupied ~30 hours per week. Three papers have been published that employed the SMAX 3000 facility and several manuscripts are currently being prepared for publication by groups at UH (Rimer, Stein, Robertson, Cai, and Krishnamoorti), Rice University (Wang and Verduzco), UT Austin (Ganesan), Texas Southern University (Xin Wei) and Texas A&M University (H.J. Sue). Industrial users from Dow Chemical Company, ExxonMobil Chemical Company and Total Petrochemicals are using results from measurements performed on the instrument. More than 20 graduate students and post-docs are authorized users of this instrument. Additionally, the instrument is integrated into the graduate education program here at UH including the experimental methods and nanomaterials course. Courses for new users are planned for Summer 2014. The instrument has also been integrated into the NSF funded REU and GK-12 programs at UH. Two NSF funded REU students used this instrument as part of their training during the summer of 2013. The instrument has led to a significant improvement in the materials characterization
