IMR: Acquisition of a Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) Spectrometer for Surface Spectroscopic Research and Student Training

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

The award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program (IMR) will be used to acquire a state-of-the-art Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) spectrometer at the University of Utah. SFG is the only truly interface-specific vibrational spectroscopic technique. The symmetry constraints on SFG prohibit nonlinear interactions in the bulk, while at an interface, such processes are allowed due to the local break in symmetry. As a result, the spectroscopy of molecules residing in the interfacial region can be probed selectively without any contributions from the molecules present in the more pervasive bulk phases. Analysis of SFG spectra can yield information on population, structure, and orientation of interfacial species with a nanometer in-depth resolution. Researchers from a variety of disciplines such as materials science, metallurgical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, and polymer science, will use this equipment for advanced research and education. The research will study interfaces in polymer nanocomposites and self-assembling polymer and surfactant materials, as well as, probe the conformation and orientation of surface confined protein species. The investigation of adsorption phenomena and interfacial water structure at different technologically important interfaces will be an important new contribution. The studies will have far-reaching implications in many fields of nanotechnology, surface chemistry, biology and medicine and will advance our understanding of interfacial phenomena thus enabling new technological applications. The research is likely to result in the discovery of new interfacial structures, as well as, in deeper understanding and explanation of novel effects at solid/liquid, solid/gas and liquid/gas interfaces. A number of graduate students from different departments will work with the SFG spectrometer and receive important training in the advanced fields of laser surface and nonlinear spectroscopy. %%% The award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program (IMR) will be used to acquire a state-of-the-art Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) spectrometer at the University of Utah. SFG is the only truly interface-specific vibrational spectroscopic technique.. Researchers from a variety of disciplines such as materials science, metallurgical engineering, chemistry, bioengineering, and polymer science, will use this equipment for advanced research and education. The research will study interfaces in polymer nanocomposites and self-assembling polymer and surfactant materials, as well as, probe the conformation and orientation of surface confined protein species. The investigation of adsorption phenomena and interfacial water structure at different technologically important interfaces will be an important new contribution. The studies will have far-reaching implications in many fields of nanotechnology, surface chemistry, biology and medicine and will advance our understanding of interfacial phenomena thus enabling new technological applications. The research is likely to result in the discovery of new interfacial structures, as well as, in deeper understanding and explanation of novel effects at solid/liquid, solid/gas and liquid/gas interfaces. A number of graduate students from different departments will work with the SFG spectrometer and receive important training in the advanced fields of laser surface and nonlinear spectroscopy.