Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of an X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Instrument for Materials Research in Science and Engineering

Tulane University, New Orleans LA

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) enables researchers to study the chemistry of material surfaces, which plays a pivotal role in how materials perform in technologies being developed to address people’s needs for clean water, renewable energy, and waste reduction. Specifically, researchers at Tulane University and in the greater New Orleans area use surface-sensitive techniques like XPS to study materials used for water purification, solar energy conversion, batteries for energy storage, and plastics recycling. This major research instrumentation project, jointly funded by Division of Materials Research and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), funds the acquisition of a new XPS instrument and brings to this region modern capabilities needed to train the next generation of materials scientists and engineers and to encourage greater industry-university collaboration. Modernizing the equipment available to students facilitates a holistic educational experience by enabling them to operate the instrument, acquire data, and perform their own analyses, something not possible with outdated equipment. Additionally, this project supports broadening participation in science and engineering through multiple programs co-sponsored between Tulane University and Xavier University of Louisiana, a member of the historically black colleges and universities in the United States. These well-established programs guarantee participation of at least two (typically more) Xavier University students every year in research projects that utilize the XPS. More broadly, investment in research equipment through this program is critical for building (not simply maintaining) research capacity and for attracting (and retaining) scientific talent in regions like the greater New Orleans area. TECHNICAL SUMMARY X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a surface-sensitive technique used to characterize composition and chemistry (e.g., oxidation state of elements) of material surfaces. Because surface chemistry plays a pivotal role in material behavior and performance, particularly for nanomaterials and surface-active materials, access to state-of-the-art XPS capabilities is essential to this type of research. This grant supports the acquisition of an XPS instrument to be housed in the Coordinated Instrumentation Facility (CIF) at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Equipment in the Tulane CIF serves the needs of greater New Orleans area businesses and four major universities: Tulane University (private, research-intensive); the University of New Orleans (public, research-intensive); Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) (private, HBCU, undergraduate-focused); and Dillard University (private, HBCU, undergraduate-focused). The acquisition of a new XPS instrument brings to this region modern capabilities needed to train the next generation of materials scientists and engineers and to encourage greater industry-university collaboration. Additionally, the new instrument is equipped with the following additional features: imaging, variable angle measurements, depth profiling, in-situ heating/cooling, and electrical contacts for in-situ sample biasing or current flow through the sample. These features support ongoing research of material interfaces important in both traditional and emerging areas, including polymer engineering, solar energy conversion, catalysis, nanotechnology, electrochemical energy storage, and optoelectronics. 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.