Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of an Integrated Platform for Co-localized Nanoscale Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis for Advanced Materials Research, Training, and Education

About This Grant

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of an advanced scanning probe microscope (SPM) that enables co-localized nano-spectroscopic imaging capabilities integrating Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)-Raman, Tip-Enhanced Raman (TERS), and Tip-Enhanced Photoluminescence (TEPL). Such capabilities were not previously available in the Southeastern region. Integrating this advanced SPM into the Core Analytical Facility of the Alabama Materials Institute (AMI) at the University of Alabama will establish the region's first major shared-user facility with high-resolution SPM/Raman/PL analytical capabilities. The system is a major enhancement and complement to the materials facilities, enabling new multi-investigator, multidisciplinary, and multi-campus collaborative research across institutions in the Southeast, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and more remote institutions. The new instrument also enhanced the teaching and training of undergraduate and graduate students in advanced materials characterization through a specially developed course. Additionally, data produced by the instrument is utilized in a Machine Learning course. The instrument’s capabilities will be highlighted in annual SPM/TERS/TEPL User Workshops and will support outreach efforts to K-12 students at local high schools. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The LabRAM Odyssey nano-spectroscopic imaging system combines the nanoscale spatial resolution of scanning probe microscope (SPM) and the high chemical specificity of Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. By delivering unique co-localized microscopic and spectroscopic capabilities, the system enables detailed correlated nanoscale analysis of various materials, including electronic, photonic, proteins, polymers, biological, and extreme environment materials. The instrument provides unambiguous insights into the nanoscale structure and heterogeneity of two-dimensional (2D) heterointerfaces. It enables the quantification of local spectroscopy features in semiconductor photocatalysts. It delivers experimental proof of the core-shell structure of colloidal quantum dots based on Cd3(As/P)2, a potential alternative II-V near-IR semiconductor for single-photon emitters. It offers insights into the relationship between local chemical stoichiometry and photocarrier distribution in polycrystalline, low-dimensional non-cubic chalcogenide light absorbers. It enables previously unattainable insights into the mechanisms of lipid-induced amyloid aggregation, a pathological hallmark of a broad class of diseases and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s. It grants access to the nanoscale spatial and optical spectral features associated with the intermolecular interactions between individual isolated chains and aggregates of conjugated polymers. It facilitates the discovery and characterization of unique chemical and phase transformations in geologic materials exposed to the transient, high temperatures of lightning strikes. It yields better understanding of the complex interplay between process, structure, and properties in ultrahigh temperature carbide fibers grown by chemical vapor deposition. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.