PeakForce TUNA and NanoMechanics Lab AFM Upgrade

PeakForce TUNA 和纳米力学实验室 AFM 升级

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00346
• 负责人: Adronov, Alex
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: McMaster University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=743059
• 关键词: PeakForce; TUNA; NanoMechanics; Lab; AFM

This application requests an upgrade to an atomic force microscope (AFM) that enables ultra-high-resolution mapping of both conductivity and mechanical properties of nano-scale structures, such as polymer-functionalized carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, polymeric assemblies, hydrogels, and nano-structured surfaces. The requested instrument includes a PeakForce Tunneling AFM (TUNA) Application Module and the Nanochechanics nDMA accessory for our Dimension ICON AFM. With this upgrade, the ICON AFM will gain a unique set of capabilities for advanced nanoscale materials characterization that is unavailable anywhere else in Canada. In particular, it will be useful for a number of projects involving carbon nanotube purification using conjugated polymers, where the polymers are used to selectively wrap semiconducting and metallic structures. Within these projects, it is imperative to prove that carbon nanotubes are exfoliated into individual semiconducting or metallic structures, which can best be done through measurement of conductivity at the nano-scale using PeakForce TUNA measurements in the AFM. In addition, the nDMA accessory will allow us to measure viscoelastic properties (storage and loss modulus), adhesion, and friction on numerous samples, including hydrogels for biomaterials and drug delivery applications, as well as scaffolds for cell growth. This data is critical to the advances being made in our research labs, without which it is impossible to submit our papers to high-impact journals. This upgrade will not only provide access to the most advanced features and measurements that atomic force microscopy can offer, but will also significantly improve the research capabilities and international competitiveness of many research groups at McMaster. It will also enable cutting-edge research that is not currently possible anywhere in Canada, and will lead to the discovery of new phenomena in application areas such as nano-scale electronics for future point-of-care diagnostics, roadside detection of illicit drugs, new sensory equipment to maintain safe environments, new drug delivery constructs that will help treat and eradicate disease, and new biomaterials that will improve the health and longevity of Canadians. This equipment will have a profound impact on the types of problems and challenges that McMaster researchers will be able to address in the future.

该应用要求对原子力显微镜（AFM）进行升级，该原子力显微镜（AFM）可以对纳米尺度结构的电导率和机械性能进行超高分辨率映射，例如聚合物官能化的碳纳米管，量子点，量子点，聚合物组件，聚合物组件，水凝胶和纳米结构架构。所请求的仪器包括我们尺寸图标AFM的Peakforce Tunneling AFM（金枪鱼）应用模块和纳米机械附件。通过此升级，图标AFM将获得一套独特的功能，用于高级纳米级材料表征，这在加拿大其他任何地方都无法使用。特别是，它对于使用共轭聚合物涉及碳纳米管纯化的许多项目很有用，在该项目中，聚合物用于选择性地包装半导体和金属结构。在这些项目中，必须证明碳纳米管被剥落成单个的半导体或金属结构，最好通过使用AFM中的Peakforce Tuna测量值测量纳米级的电导率来完成。此外，NDMA附件将使我们能够在许多样品上测量粘弹性（存储和损失模量），粘附和摩擦，包括用于生物材料和药物递送应用的水凝胶，以及用于细胞生长的支架。这些数据对于我们的研究实验室的进步至关重要，否则，不可能将我们的论文提交给高影响力期刊。该升级不仅将提供对原子力显微镜可以提供的最先进的功能和测量的访问权限，而且还将显着提高麦克马斯特许多研究小组的研究能力和国际竞争力。它还将实现最先进的研究，目前在加拿大任何地方都无法实现，并将在应用领域（例如纳米级电子设备）中发现新现象，用于未来的护理诊断，路边的非法药物的路边检测，新的感官设备，以维持安全的环境，可以帮助治疗和消除疾病的新药物交付结构，从而可以改善健康和新的生物剂和新的生物剂，并将其改善。该设备将对McMaster研究人员将来能够解决的问题和挑战的类型产生深远的影响。