Enabling microscopic analysis of microstructured soft materials
Abstract
Organic, heterogeneous composites, biofilms, and sub-cellular bacterial environments are ubiquitous materials with applications including high performance matrix composites, separations membranes, biological nanomanufacturing sites, and energy storage or harvesting devices. These innovative constructs address many of our nationÕs critical technological challenges including defense systems, sensors, personal protection and armor, energy devices, vehicle components, and water security. This potential impact is attributed to the careful design, characterization, and modeling of the materialsÕ properties and performance. Our multifaceted research efforts are aimed at engineering novel composites that enable a nanoscale understanding of composite matrix failure modes; designing new materials, systems, and membranes that improve the energy landscape and access to clean water; and using biology to direct nanomaterial synthesis with unprecedented precision and accuracy. Thus, microstructural and morphological analyses of these ÒsoftÓ systems is critical for accurately interpreting performance. To elucidate structure-property-performance relationships for these materials, a direct link between the morphology, microstructure, or sub-cellular environment and the system performance is needed. With this link established, our efforts to design new materials with improved properties, nanoparticle dispersions, microstructures, and overall performance will be catalyzed, leading to a deeper understanding of each system. We propose to acquire instrumentation to prepare ÒsoftÓ specimens under cryogenic conditions for imaging via transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (i.e., a cryo-ultramicrotome). This is a critical gap in our ability to characterize polymer matrix composites, anode-respiring bacteria, microbial fuel cells, and bacterial nanomanufacturing. This instrumentation complements our existing capabilities within the research programs supported by the ARO, AFOSR, and ONR at Arizona State University, specifically a world-class suite of electron microscopes. The proposed instrumentation will be placed into Life Sciences Electron Microscopy Laboratory, which has full-time staff to maintain and upkeep the instrument as well as train student, faculty, and industrial users. Graduate student researchers, undergraduate researchers, and postdoctoral fellows will have hands-on access to the instrumentation, and the instrument will be showcased in outreach events and special topics courses. With this instrument, future peer-reviewed publications will more accurately reflect the spatially-resolved microstructural properties of the next-generation material and devices being engineered at ASU.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 11, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910132
Entities
People
- Matthew D. Green
Organizations
- Arizona State University
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army