Lab Tour

The laboratories occupy approximately 1000 sq ft and are located in the F. Paul Anderson Tower of the University of Kentucky. The laboratories contain seven chemical hoods, gas lines, basic organic synthesis equipment, Easypure DI water purification system, two analytical balances, AccuSpin 3R centrifuge, several water baths, a vacuum oven, an SRS DS335 Function Generator, UV photopolymerization equipment, a Varian Cary 50 Bio UV-Vis spectrophotometer, a Nikon fluorescent microscope, a Varian FTIR microscope with imaging capabilities, a Horiba LA-950 light scattering particle size distribution analyzer, and various other equipment and supplies.

Following are descriptions of some of the major instrumentation and specialized setups in our laboratory:

Varian FTIR Microscope, Varian 7000 FastImageIR with 16x16 FPA – this is a top-of-the-line IR spectrometer (FTS- 7000e FTIR Spectrophotometer) with a water cooled ceramic IR source (range 9,600-50 per cm) and is capable of 0.25 per cm resolution (0.20 per cm unapodized) at 4,000 per cm. This instrument has kinetic scan rates to better than 90 spectra/second at 8 per cm data point resolution. It also is equipped with a PIKE MIRacle ATR ZeSe accessory. The UMA 600 IR Microscope has a 4000 per cm to 900 per cm spectral range. The 16x16 FPA imaging detector has a 85  m by 85  m sample area with 5.5  m resolution. The microscope stage has heating capabilities.

Nikon ME600L Optical Microscope – this microscope has brightfield and fluorescent imaging capabilities. It is equipped with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) capabilities. It has a digital imaging system containing a Coolsnap CF 20MHz monochrome camera (36-Bit), MetaMorph CCD Acquisition module for digital photometrics camera, and MetaView Software for processing and analysis of digital images. It also has a high speed shutter for fluorescence imaging with controller and driver for MetaMorph integration and a X-Cite 120 power supply unit with iris, 120w lamp, 3mm x 1500mm liquid light guide, microscope collimating adapter. The microscope stage has heating capabilities.

UV Photopolymerization Equipment – this photopolymerization equipment consists of a Lesco Flood UV Chamber, which has a 6 x 6 inch illumination region. The 365 nm peak is used for most processes, although the system can be easily modified to utilize other wavelengths. The exposure times are controlled with a timed shutter. Also, custom intensity controls enable for exposures of 10 mW/sq cm to 150 mW/sq cm. It has gas ports that allow for control over the humidity, temperature, and oxygen content.

Horiba LA-950 Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer – this particle analyzer offers a particle detection range of 0.01 to 3,000 microns. It uses the Mie Scattering Theory for entire size range, which allows for a single measurement principle and optical system for the entire size range. It has innovative detectors, a 75-detector silicon diode array and 12 separate high angle and back-scatter silicon photo-diodes for high resolution, and applies two incident light wavelengths of 405 and 650 nanometers. Its measurement time is less than one minute from sample to sample, including fill, alignment, blank, measurement, drain and rinse. It has an in-stream, 130 watt ultrasonic probe for highest dispersing efficiency. There is an automatic filling, circulating, draining and rinsing of sample with built-in fill pump.

Other key University of Kentucky Facilities:

UK Center for Nanoscale Science & Engineering

A new Center for Nanoscale Science & Engineering (CeNSE, previously called Micro-Magnetic and Electronic Devices, CMMED) has been established at the University of Kentucky. The CeNSE contains facilities for thin film fabrication, patterning and characterization, and they are located within the Advanced Science and Technology Commercialization Center (ASTeCC) at the University of Kentucky. This is a new facility on the University of Kentucky Campus to encourage economic development in KY by developing research that will lead to new business ventures. Much of the equipment was purchased within the last three years using over $3,000,000 in support from Commonwealth of Kentucky sources. Relevant facilities include a class-100 clean room, lithography, thin film deposition, sample characterization (electrical, optical, and surface), atomic force microscopes (two Molecular Imaging PicoPlus AFMs, one with closed loop capabilities) and CAD workstations.

University of Kentucky Electron Microscopy Facility

State-of-art electron microscopy instruments are available for use in this user cost facility, which is located within the Advanced Science and Technology Commercialization Center (ASTeCC) at the University of Kentucky. Relevant facilities include electron microscopes (Hitachi 3200S Variable-Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Hitachi S900 Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), JEOL 2000FX Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), JEOL 2010F Field-Emission TEM), an atomic force microscope (AFM, DI Instruments IIIa Multimode Scanning Probe Microscope), and Sample Preparation Facilities.