Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

This NSERC Research Tools Infrastructure (RTI) will provide our team of nanotechnology researchers at Western with a small scale low voltage benchtop TEM for in-situ studies using green solvents. Our focus will be on measuring nanowire and polymer nanocomposite formation during synthesis (in-situ) and during their function (in-operando), requiring a dedicated instrument. Nanowires confined dimensions allow for unique properties in energy transfer and advanced polymer composites. This provides them with new abilities in energy transfer (fuel, solar cells and lithium batteries), catalysis (controlling active sites size and orientation), biomedical engineering (enhanced mechanical properties for bone and dental cements) and drug delivery (transdermal patches, etc.). In order to control these materials structure, we must examine their modes of synthesis and how they can be integrated into functional devices using atomic precise manufacturing. Current techniques to make these nanostructures are limited to only a few elements (e.g. Si, Ge) giving low surface areas and the inability to create multi-metallic species. However, by using green enabling solvents such as supercritical fluids (SCF) and gas expanded liquids (GXL) we can integrate sol-gel and polymer chemistry to make these 1D materials in advanced 3D functional materials of controlled geometries. Recent advances in electron microscopy allows in-situ real-time TEM to reveal the growth, transformation and function in 1D nanoscale materials using new inexpensive technology. The instrument will support the research studies of our 80+ graduate students at Western for fundamental studies in nanoparticle growth, deposition and formation of functional devices. It will facilitate new studies on interactions of cells and proteins with the nanostructures and surfaces while tackling emerging Canadian industries in alternative energy, oil sands/agricultural processing and biomedical devices.