A Facility for Cryo-Enabled Multi-microscopy for Nanoscale Analysis in the Engineering and Physical Sciences (Cryo-EPS)

用于工程和物理科学纳米级分析的冷冻多重显微镜设施 (Cryo-EPS)

基本信息

批准号：
EP/V007661/1
负责人：
Finn Giuliani
金额：
$ 1311.67万
依托单位：
Imperial College London
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2020
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2020 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FV007661%2F1
关键词：
Facility Cryo Enabled Multi microscopy

项目摘要

We are facing unprecedented global challenges around climate change, clean energy, water and sustainability - and these have, at their core, materials solutions. Critical materials for future technologies are often highly complex on multiple length scales, and hence extremely difficult to characterise with a single technique. They commonly involve low atomic weight, mobile elements (e.g. hydrogen, lithium, carbon, sulfur) that are the most challenging to quantitatively characterise in their in-operando state, due to their high rates of diffusion, reactivity and often very low contrast by conventional imaging techniques. Examples of such materials systems include; materials for hydrogen production and storage, battery systems; catalysts to generate new fuels or facilitate decarbonation of industrial processes; interfaces between soft- and hard-matter relevant to hybrid electronics and 'soft' robotics; as well as liquids or liquid- solid interfaces that are critical across the whole engineering and physical sciences research space from geological carbon sequestration, to lubrication in engines, to chemistry and bioengineering.We will create a world-leading cryo-EPS facility to act as a collaborative hub for research that will underpin the UK ambition for a net zero carbon future and a more sustainable society. It will enable the quantitative atomic to micro-scale investigation of light elements that are critical to a host of new technologies associated with a transition to a sustainable, resilient and healthy future society, providing new scientific insights that will drive technological innovation.The equipment will enable the quantitative investigation of light elements across orders of magnitude in length scale - from the micron to the atomic scale, providing an unprecedented opportunity for a step change in our fundamental understanding of these materials structure and chemistry - and ultimately their behaviourThis facility will be based around a cryo hub that will allow samples to be transferred under high vacuum and at cryo conditions between three instruments (i) an atom probe, uniquely positioned to quantitively measure chemical composition of light mobile elements; (ii) a transmission electron microscope with a vacuum-cryo holder and optimised to measure the structure of sensitive samples and also their local bonding environment; (iii) a plasma FIB to allow samples to be prepared for both the atom probe and TEM which have both low contamination and also little damage, and able to perform large-scale 3D imaging. The combination of these instruments will give the UK a powerful characterisation capability that is unique worldwide, putting UK scientists in a leading position to tackle important and urgent global challenges.

我们正面临着气候变化、清洁能源、水和可持续发展方面前所未有的全球挑战，而这些挑战的核心是材料解决方案。未来技术的关键材料通常在多个长度尺度上都非常复杂，因此很难用单一技术来表征。它们通常涉及低原子量、可移动的元素（例如氢、锂、碳、硫），由于它们的扩散率、反应性高，并且通常与传统方法相比对比度非常低，因此在操作状态下定量表征最具挑战性。成像技术。此类材料系统的示例包括：氢气生产和储存材料、电池系统；产生新燃料或促进工业过程脱碳的催化剂；与混合电子和“软”机器人相关的软物质和硬物质之间的接口；以及液体或液固界面，这些界面在整个工程和物理科学研究领域（从地质碳封存到发动机润滑，再到化学和生物工程）都至关重要。我们将创建一个世界领先的低温 EPS 设施，作为一个研究合作中心，将支持英国实现净零碳未来和更可持续社会的雄心。它将能够对轻元素进行定量原子到微观尺度的研究，这对于与向可持续、有弹性和健康的未来社会过渡相关的一系列新技术至关重要，提供新的科学见解，推动技术创新。该设备将能够对长度尺度（从微米到原子尺度）的轻元素进行定量研究，为我们对这些材料结构和化学的基本理解以及最终它们的行为的逐步改变提供了前所未有的机会该设施将基于围绕冷冻中心，允许样品在高真空下转移在低温条件下，三个仪器之间（i）一个原子探针，其独特的位置可以定量测量光移动元素的化学成分； (ii) 配有真空冷冻支架的透射电子显微镜，经过优化可测量敏感样品的结构及其局部结合环境； (iii) 等离子体 FIB，可以为原子探针和 TEM 制备样品，污染低、损伤小，并且能够进行大规模 3D 成像。这些仪器的结合将为英国提供全球独一无二的强大表征能力，使英国科学家在应对重要而紧迫的全球挑战方面处于领先地位。