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.

高价值技术领域中使用的复杂化学产品的精确工程，例如药物，医疗保健和精细化学产品以及新兴的能源材料可以帮助实现卓越的功能，降解的控制以及发现新颖的物理和化学产品特性。这种复杂的化学产物和设备通常将低原子数离子和分子作为构建块，因为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，则需要改变纳米级化学和结构成像的步骤。该赠款将在其天然状态和在纳米空间分辨率下使用一组独特的电子和聚焦的离子梁显微镜（EM/FIB）在LEEDS和外部的纳米空间分辨率下，在纳米空间分辨率下以及在纳米空间分辨率下在纳米空间分辨率下进行定量，分析光谱以及对这些光束敏感的材料的成像。这将使我们能够识别并建立对此类产品和设备中软物质组件中未看到的限制性能结构，缺陷和接口的理解。在赠款的初始阶段，我们将结合三种协同研究策略，以实现我们的目标，以实现对复杂化学产品和设备的可靠和准确表征的可靠和准确表征。这些是：（i）样本制备方法的优化； （ii）开发新的电子/离子束扫描/塑形策略； （iii）利用新的探测器技术进行扫描EM/FIB。一组工作包（WPS）将启用可靠的，校准的方法来研究：结构（WP1），化学（WP2），化学（WP2）和光束敏感材料的动态（WP3）在原子和分子空间分辨率下，在两个和三维中，在乘数和三个维度中，在乘量和三个维度中，在乘数中，在乘数上进行了整体上的化学效果，并在状态上进行了整体上的启动，并在状态上进行了整体化学效果，并在状态上进行了整体化的态度。 损害。合作将包括：与仪器制造商的直接合作伙伴关系，使用国家设施以及对具有互补能力和专业知识的领先国际团体的借调，因此可以在复杂化学产品的纳米级分析科学方面取得重要的进步。在赠款的第二阶段中，这些相互联系的方法将在外部用户访问和直接工业参与的情况下应用于模型产品/过程系统中当前未满足的挑战，以基准测试潜在的应用程序并开发纳米级绩效模型（WP4）。示例系统包括：（a）相位分布的映射以及模型药物配方，金属有机框架材料以及有机和混合光电的模型和缺陷结构的分析； （b）在无机/有机结晶过程中鉴定溶液相前体，核前簇和水合物； （c）聚合胶束的自组装/拆卸用于药物输送的核心颗粒和核心壳颗粒。在赠款的最终工作包（WP5），仪器，方法，协议和如此开发的仪器，方法，协议和专业知识将提供给外部学术用户的免费用途，以使其与外部学术用户提供更广泛的工业相关联，并与他们的化学技术相关。