Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

This Research Tools and Instruments proposal seeks to upgrade our existing Optima XE-100 ultracentrifuge by acquiring two new rotors. Our ultracentrifuge (valued at ~$172k) is vital for processing nanomaterials and chemicals. The requested additions will significantly enhance its performance in two critical areas: (1) increasing the maximum capacity per run to accommodate large-volume solvents (>200 ml), and (2) enabling ultracentrifugation with toluene- and acid-based solutions, overcoming the current limitation to water-based solvents. The ultracentrifuge is central to advancing two major research programs in my group: (1) the development of scalable next-generation quantum hardware, and (2) the NSERC CREATE 2D-MATURE program, focused on scalable 2D-material architectures. Both programs require high-quality nanomaterials for fabricating multifunctional, wafer-scale devices across quantum and classical technologies. My team has established a robust workflow for producing pure nanomaterials in solution from commercial sources. This process involves dispersing raw materials in aqueous solutions, purifying specific nanomaterials by removing impurities and defects, and preparing uniform large-area films on various substrates. The high rotational speeds achieved during ultracentrifugation allow us to isolate specific nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, both of which are pivotal to our device development. In recent years, we have made substantial progress in scaling up CNT purification, increasing the volume of selective CNTs from ~1 ml at 60-70% purity to ~10 ml at 80% purity. This tenfold improvement has propelled our progress in quantum and classical nanophotonics and nanoelectronics at the chip level. However, we are now constrained by small batch sizes and lengthy ultracentrifugation times, posing bottlenecks that impede our transition to wafer-level processing. To address these constraints, I am requesting two high-capacity rotors for the upgraded ultracentrifuge that can accommodate 2 to 4 times more material per batch while reducing processing time by ~50% or more. This upgrade is expected to boost our throughput, accelerating the production of high-purity nanomaterials. In turn, this will shorten prototyping and engineering cycles, facilitating the scale up of wafer-level production for nanomaterial optoelectronic devices. This progress will move us closer to commercialization and bolster Canada's leadership in advanced information and communication technologies. Failure to resolve this bottleneck will disrupt ongoing research endeavors, delay critical project milestones, and hinder trainees from their degree completion on time. Ensuring timely access to this upgraded equipment is essential for maintaining research momentum and offering trainees with hands-on skills of state-of-the-art technology.