Instrumentation
I lab has a wide array of equipment for chemical synthesis, instrument construction, and molecular characterization.
- AFM/Raman Microscope. Our Bruker Senterra microscope is fully automated for two-dimensional mapping with either internal 532 nm or 785 nm source. Incorporated in the Raman microscope is a Nanonics MV2000 fiber optic AFM. This enables simultaneous AFM-Raman and AFM-TERS imaging
- IR Microscope. The Bruker Hyperion IR microscope and affiliated Vertex FT-IR has both near-IR and mid-IR capabilities. The vertex is capable of multi-angle SPR measurements from 0.8 to 10 microns
- Sputter Coaters. We have two Cressington sputter coaters. The 308 is a multihead sputterer and the 208 is a single head. We also have a plasma etcher for cleaning samples before or after sputtering.
- SPR Optical Benches. We have a couple of optical benches dedicated to SPR analyses and novel SPR measurements such as the SPR microscope.
(left) SPR system set up to test imprinted polymer coatings for glucose (right) SPR microscope for simultaneous multi-angle / multi-wavelength plasmonic fingerprinting.
- EEM Optical Bench. The prototyping bench for the prism-grating-prism and coaxial fiber components for the much smaller field portable EEM.
- Electrochemistry Work-Station. Our poor little electrochemical workstation is in near constant use depositing and characterizing organic layers on the SPR pads. What a trooper!
- HPLC. We have a Shimadzu HPLC-DAS that does not get much use. It can usually be found moping in the corner and writing bad poetry.
- GC-MS. The HPLC was a bad influence on our Shimadzu GC-MS. So we sent it away to Raul Lobo's lab to work on the ammonia vapor collaboration. The structure and tough love in Chemical Engineering are doing it well.
- Machine shop. We have a programmable CNC mill, drill press, and small machining tools to get stuff done quick. We also have a fully subsidized machine shop with an actual trained machinist right down the hall to get stuff done right.