Enabling precision engineering of complex chemical products for high value technology sectors.

为高价值技术领域实现复杂化学产品的精密工程。

• 批准号: EP/X040992/1
• 负责人: Rik Brydson
• 金额: $ 201.91万
• 依托单位: University of Leeds
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FX040992%2F1
• 关键词: Enabling; precision; engineering; complex; chemical

Precision engineering of complex chemical products used in high-value technology sectors, e.g. pharmaceutical, healthcare and fine-chemical products as well as emergent energy materials, can help achieve superior functionality, control of degradation, and the discovery of novel physical and chemical product properties. Such complex chemical products and devices often incorporate low atomic number ions and molecules as building blocks which, due to their sensitivity to the electron or ion beam, requires a step change in nanoscale chemical and structural imaging, if we are to characterize their detailed microstructure. This grant will advance and enable quantitative, analytical spectroscopy and imaging of these beam-sensitive materials in both their native state and during in-situ dynamic processes at nanometre spatial resolution using a unique set of electron and focused ion-beam microscopy (EM/FIB) instrumentation at Leeds and also externally. This will allow us to identify and create an understanding of unseen performance-limiting structures, defects and interfaces within the soft matter components in such products and devices.In the initial phase of the grant, we will use a combination of three synergistic Research Strategies to achieve our goal for the reliable and accurate characterisation of complex chemical products and devices. These are: (i) the optimisation of sample preparation methodologies; (ii) the development of new electron/ion beam scanning/ shaping strategies; and (iii) the harnessing of new detector technologies for scanning EM/FIB. A set of work packages (WPs) will enable reliable, calibrated methodologies to be developed for the study of the: Structure (WP1), Chemistry (WP2) and Dynamics (WP3) of beam sensitive materials at atomic and molecular spatial resolution in both two and three dimensions, within multiphase environments and with a radical improvement in state-of-the-art chemical sensitivity, whilst simultaneously minimizing beam-induced damage. Collaborations will include: direct partnerships with instrument manufacturers, use of National facilities and secondments to leading international groups with complementary capabilities and expertise, so enabling key advances in nanoscale analytical science for complex chemical products. In the second phase of the grant, these interlinked approaches will, with external user access and direct industrial involvement, be applied to a range of currently unmet challenges in model product/process systems to benchmark potential applications and develop nanoscale models of performance (WP4). Example systems include: (a) the mapping of phase distributions and analysis of interfacial and defect structures in model pharmaceutical formulations, metal-organic framework materials and organic and hybrid optoelectronics; (b) the identification of solution phase precursors, pre-nucleation clusters and hydrates during inorganic/organic crystallization processes; (c) the self-assembly/disassembly of polymeric micelles, micro-gel particles and core-shell particles for drug delivery.In the final workpackage of the grant (WP5), the instrumentation, methods, protocols and expertise so developed will be offered free-at-point-of-use to external academic users and be made available to wider industry to enhance research understanding and impact associated with their specific chemical product systems.

高价值技术领域使用的复杂化学产品的精密工程，例如：制药、保健和精细化工产品以及新兴能源材料，可以帮助实现卓越的功能、控制降解以及发现新的物理和化学产品特性。此类复杂的化学产品和设备通常采用低原子序数离子和分子作为构建块，由于它们对电子或离子束的敏感性，如果我们要表征其详细的微观结构，则需要纳米级化学和结构成像的阶跃变化。这笔赠款将使用一套独特的电子和聚焦离子束显微镜（EM/FIB）推进并实现这些束敏材料在其自然状态下以及在纳米空间分辨率的原位动态过程中的定量、分析光谱和成像。 ）在利兹和外部的仪器。这将使我们能够识别并理解此类产品和设备中软物质组件内看不见的性能限制结构、缺陷和界面。在拨款的初始阶段，我们将结合使用三种协同研究策略来实现我们对复杂化学产品和设备进行可靠和准确表征的目标。这些是： (i) 样品制备方法的优化； (ii) 开发新的电子/离子束扫描/成形策略； (iii) 利用新的探测器技术进行 EM/FIB 扫描。一套工作包（WP）将能够开发可靠的、校准的方法，用于研究以下两个方面的原子和分子空间分辨率的束敏感材料的结构（WP1）、化学（WP2）和动力学（WP3）：和三维，在多相环境中，并在最先进的化学灵敏度方面得到根本性的改进，同时最大限度地减少光束引起的损伤。合作将包括：与仪器制造商直接合作、使用国家设施以及借调到具有互补能力和专业知识的领先国际集团，从而实现复杂化学产品纳米级分析科学的关键进展。在资助的第二阶段，这些相互关联的方法将通过外部用户访问和直接工业参与，应用于模型产品/工艺系统中当前未解决的一系列挑战，以对潜在应用进行基准测试并开发纳米级性能模型（WP4） 。示例系统包括： (a) 模型药物制剂、金属有机框架材料以及有机和混合光电子学中的相分布映射以及界面和缺陷结构分析； (b) 无机/有机结晶过程中溶液相前体、成核前团簇和水合物的鉴定； (c) 用于药物输送的聚合物胶束、微凝胶颗粒和核壳颗粒的自组装/分解。在赠款的最终工作包（WP5）中，将提供如此开发的仪器、方法、方案和专业知识向外部学术用户免费使用，并提供给更广泛的行业，以增强与其特定化学产品系统相关的研究理解和影响。