MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Desktop SEM-EDS for Advanced Material and Biological Characterization

California State University, East Bay Foundation, Inc., Hayward CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is jointly supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Programs. California State University East Bay is acquiring a desktop scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) instrument to support the research of Professor Stephanie Zaleski and colleagues Marlin Halim, Ruth Tinnacher, and James Murray. In general, SEM-EDS enables sensitive micro- to nanoscale structural imaging combined with elemental mapping to study materials ranging from semiconductor devices to microorganisms. This award facilitates research across diverse fields such as nanoscience, art conservation, molecular biosensing, environmental geochemistry and radiochemistry, and sensory biology. This award targets the enhancement of educational, research, and research training for the highly diverse undergraduate and master’s level student population at CSU East Bay within the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Anthropology, Geography & Environmental Studies, Criminal Justice, Engineering, and Physics. The instrument also enriches research and outreach work with external collaborators at national laboratories, universities, community colleges, high schools, and art museums. This award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels. Specifically, the instrument enables research focusing characterizing of structure-property relationships of self-assembled gold nanoparticle films for molecular sensing applications and investigating degradation phenomena in oil paint films. Additional research projects include detecting Fe-associated structures in sea slugs and understanding their role in geomagnetic sensing and the characterization of Gd-aptamer loading density on metallic nanoparticles for use as contrast agents and sensors. The instrumentation is also used to investigate the nature of uranium adsorption onto clay and other mineral surfaces for use in future nuclear waste repositories, and other environmental geochemistry questions. 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.