| NSF Org: |
DMR Division Of Materials Research |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 28, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 28, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 2117214 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Z. Ying
cying@nsf.gov (703)292-8428 DMR Division Of Materials Research MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2021 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $150,229.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $150,229.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
800 W NATIONAL AVE LAS VEGAS NM US 87701-4002 (505)454-3571 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1005 Diamond Street Las Vegas NM US 87701-9000 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
Major Research Instrumentation, EPSCoR Co-Funding |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
This Major Research Instrumentation project is jointly funded by the Division of Materials Research and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
Nontechnical Description:
Scientists at New Mexico Highlands University, a Hispanic-serving institution in rural Northern New Mexico, have acquired a Raman instrument. The instrument is both a microscope and a spectrometer, utilizing laser light to obtain valuable information about vibrational structure of molecules and crystals on the micrometer scale. Such information helps scientists to understand the relationship between structure and properties of various man-made materials or minerals as well as to assist in the development of novel, improved materials for semiconductor and pharmaceutical applications. This Raman instrument is also used to provide state-of-the-art training to graduate and undergraduate students in research and education. In addition, this instrument is available to other researchers in the region.
Technical Description:
The key features of this instrument are: (i) microscopic sampling; (ii) an ability to perform measurements over a wide range of sample temperatures (77 K to 873 K); (iii) a high spectral resolution; and (iv) multiple excitation lasers. Scientists employ this Raman microscope in a broad range of research projects, such as structural studies of organic and organometallic materials with promising photoelectronic properties; relating the crystal structure to pharmaceutically and industrially relevant properties in substituted acetamides, lactams and cyclic Imides; and multimode identification and dating of minerals.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The “MRI: Acquisition of a Raman Microscope for Multidisciplinary Research at New Mexico Highlands University” project was supported by the NSF Division of Materials Research from 09/01/2021 to 08/31/2022. This project aimed to expand the scope of state-of-the-art research, research training, and education in materials science and other research fields (such as mineralogy) at New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU), a Hispanic-serving institution in rural Northern New Mexico.
Two research areas are being pursued:
(i) Materials science and solid-state chemistry (with the focus on structural chemistry of novel optoelectronic materials and on supramolecular chemistry of solid active pharmaceutical ingredients).
(ii) Multimode identification of minerals and environmental pollutants.
The project involves 5 faculty investigators from the awardee institution, NMHU, as well as 3 faculty participants from universities in the neighboring Texas.
The activities and corresponding outcomes of this project are as follows:
(i) Extensive post-award technical reevaluation of available Raman microspectroscopy systems was conducted during September – October 2021. Based on that and using the State of New Mexico-mandated bid process, inVia Reflex instrument by Renishaw was selected as the instrument with the best cost-benefit ratio.
(ii) Installation and user training occurred on April 18-20, 2022. It was attended by the PI and two postdoctoral fellows. Representative samples were measured.
(iii) Until late 2021, New Mexico Highlands University never had any Raman spectroscopy / microscopy instrumentation. Now, thanks to NSF support, we have two Raman instruments – Renishaw InVia Raman microscope (supported by this MRI grant) and Thermo DXR3 Raman spectroscopy (supported by New Mexico EPSCoR). Already, these instruments are being productively used not only in research and research training on optoelectronic materials and pharmaceutical solids (the photograph of two postdoctoral fellows, Drs Alisha Gogia and Marine Foucher, in the process of using the Renishaw inVia Reflex microscope is attached), but also in classroom instruction in multiple undergraduate and Master’s courses.
Last Modified: 12/11/2022
Modified by: Arcadius V Krivoshein
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