MRI-R2: Acquisition of an Advanced Atomic Force Microscope at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville

University Of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville WI

Investigators

Abstract

0960232 Wu U. of Wisconsin-Platteville Technical Abstract: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This proposal seeks funding to acquire an advanced atomic force microscope (AFM) for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UWP). The multifunctional capacity provided by an advanced AFM with an integrated inverted light microscope will enable researchers and students to perform material imaging, manipulation, and property measurements with optical, electrical and thermal stimuli in both ambient air and liquid environments. Specific research projects include: (1) Electrical double layer interactions of bio-synthetic membranes at the material/water interface, 2) Nano-scale mapping of the mobility of charge carriers in heterojunction organic solar cells, 3) Study of nanoscopic, cholesterol-rich membrane domains, 4) Nanowire electro-deposition using liquid phase AFM, and 5) Characterization of solution cast transparent graphene conductive electrodes for photovoltaics, electrodes and ultracapacitors. The AFM will be a key resource within the UWP Microsystems and Nanotechnology Minor (and anticipated future four-year degree program), which provides in-depth training and experience for undergraduate students in a variety of nanoscale characterization techniques and in nanoscience topics. As a shared instrument between several departments across two Colleges, the AFM will promote interactions and catalyze interdisciplinary research and teaching at the university. The instrument will also be incorporated into existing summer outreach programs, and faculty members will attempt to address diversity issues in science and engineering through outreach activities which involve this equipment. Finally, the instrument will also find use by local business at the tri-state area of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. Non-Technical Abstract: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Recent and future advances in diverse fields such as electronics, solar energy, and cancer studies depend on understanding the properties of materials at the "nanoscale;" that is, measuring features with dimensions a million times smaller than the width of a human hair. A remarkable aspect of this convergence in size is that one instrument, an atomic force microscope (AFM), is a key tool for these seemingly unrelated fields. The AFM requested in this proposal will enable a variety of research for students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UWP), plus hands-on student training in nanoscale measurement and fabrication techniques. One example includes using AFM to study the structure, composition, and function of biological membranes while in their natural environment: underwater. This basic research will have future implications in drug research, cancer treatment, and materials development. Further, the requested AFM can also perform nanoscale electrical measurements, which not only enable exploration of the motion of electric current in "next generation" plastic solar cells at the smallest scales, but also enable research into the fabrication of nanoscale wires, which have potential future uses in solar cells, sensors, and computing. Finally, the AFM will be an important tool in the continued development of a novel, patent-pending technique developed at UWP, in which graphene (one-atom-thick sheets of carbon) can be made into transparent, electrically conducting films at very low cost. The AFM will help optimize their fabrication, and will also characterize their electrical properties - thus laying the groundwork for their application in solar cells and electronics. All insights gained in this wide range of research will be shared with the larger scientific community; most importantly, though, acquiring this state-of-the-art AFM will help prepare UWP's science and engineering students for jobs and research opportunities after they graduate.