Dr. Zou Receives an NSF Grant

Zou Dr. Jie Zou received a grant from the National Science Foundation. This grant was a collaborative effort between Dr. Zou, Dr. Svetlana Mitrovski of the EIU Chemistry Department, Dr. Kraig Wheeler of the EIU Chemistry Department, and Dr. Thomas Over of the EIU Geology/Geography Department. The NSF has awarded EIU a total of $269,145 for the purchase of major equipment. The title of the grant is “MRI: Acquisition of a Scanning Probe Microscope(SPM).” A Scanning Probe Microscope is an instrument which can show researchers what happens on the surface of a material at an extremely high magnification (it will almost be able to see individual atoms). Dr. Mitrovski's group would like to use the instrument for electrochemical fuel cell research. Dr. Zou's group will use the instrument to understand heat conduction in nanostructures. Dr. Wheeler is interested in applying the instrument for research in crystal growth and Dr. Over is interested in using the instrument to measure the very small force of soil particles for prediction of wind erosion.

For the serious scientists out there we have technical description of the work to be performed:

The Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Geology/Geography at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) seek funding from the National Science Foundation through the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program for the funding of a Veeco MultiMode scanning probe microscope (SPM). The acquisition of this instrument equipped with tunneling/conductive atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning thermal microscopy application modules as well as a pico-force scanner and an atmospheric hood will enable measurements of surface properties in-situ and under various environmental conditions. Being the first high-resolution, surface characterization instrument at EIU, the acquired instrument will have immediate impact on the research capabilities within four departments at EIU: Department of Chemistry, Department of Physics, Department of Geology and Geography and Department of Biological Sciences. The acquired instrument will support research and research training in the following general areas:

  • Electrochemistry: New Materials for the Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) Based on Conductive Metal Oxides
  • Nanoscale Materials Science: Experimental Study of Thermal Conduction in Semiconductor Nanostructures
  • Aeolian Geomorphology: AFM Measurements of Forces between Soil Particles in Support of Wind Erosion Prediction
  • Crystal Growth: Heteroepitaxial Crystal Growth of Quasiracemates
  • Biological Materials: Characterization of Spider Silks
  • Analytical Chemistry

Dr. Zou, of the Physics department, will be responsible for the work on Nanoscale Materials Science.