Platform Grant Support for Materials Characterisation at Oxford
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Materials
Abstract
The Oxford Materials Characterisation Platform grant will primarily support a number of post-doctoral research associates on a flexible basis thus enhancing and extending our portfolio of responsive mode research proposals. The majority of the proposed platform grant funding will support key staff between fixed term contacts (in the initial instance two posts) that are funded through standard mechanisms. In addition we will also use the platform grant to pump prime a number of new research strategically important interdisiplinary research directions that are not yet sufficiently well developed for standard applications to be made. Specifically we will develop 3D confocal electron microscopy in an aberration corrected environment, advanced nanometrology and high resolution imaging (EM and NanoSIMS) of radiation sensitive soft materials. We will also make appointments to short term research and technical posts (prior to full responsive mode applications) that will support a new He ion microscope on loan and new high performance specimen preparation equipment that provides an underpinning infrastructure to many of our activities.The investigators involved in this application lead internationally recognised teams (with an outsanding publication and support record) in Electron Microscopy, Atom Probe, nanoSIMS and Nanometrology. Within each of these the above lead internationally leading groups working on; a) key materials problems in degradation mechanisms in reactor steels, carbon nanomaterials for Quantum Information Processing (QIP), catalysis, structural ceramics, biomaterials and polymers and magnetic and energy materialsb) the development of new characterisation techniques and instrumentation (High Resolution Imaging and Exit Wave reconstruction, EELS, Electron Nanodiffraction, Analytical EM, NanoSIMS, Detector Development and 3D-Atom Probe. The Materials Department at Oxford, in which the grant will be based is internationally leading and is ranked top in the UK with a 5* rating in the last 2 RAE assessments and the development of materials characterisation is central to the long term strategic direction of the department and University. Thus, overall platform grant support will enable the retention of key, highly skilled research workers through flexible funding arrangements, will initiate several new research directions, will initially support new advanced instruments and will link to our core EM facillity which provides national acess.
Publications
Zhang N
(2016)
Narrow Band Gap Lead Sulfide Hole Transport Layers for Quantum Dot Photovoltaics.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Young NP
(2010)
Transformations of gold nanoparticles investigated using variable temperature high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.
in Ultramicroscopy
Yeoh WK
(2011)
Direct observation of local potassium variation and its correlation to electronic inhomogeneity in (Ba(1-x)K(x))Fe2As2 pnictide.
in Physical review letters
Wu Y
(2011)
Aligned Rectangular Few-Layer Graphene Domains on Copper Surfaces
in Chemistry of Materials
Warner JH
(2011)
Atomic scale growth dynamics of nanocrystals within carbon nanotubes.
in ACS nano
Warburton PA
(2009)
Dissipative enhancement of the supercurrent in Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 intrinsic Josephson junctions.
in Physical review letters
Wang P
(2013)
Contrast in atomically resolved EF-SCEM imaging.
in Ultramicroscopy
Wang P
(2012)
Three-dimensional elemental mapping of hollow Fe2O3@SiO2 mesoporous spheres using scanning confocal electron microscopy
in Applied Physics Letters
Description | Support for a range of PDRAs for short periods between grants and in support of co-funded awards Initiation of new scoping research projects 15 RAs supported, 5 now employed in academic posts Over 200 publications in total for RAs and Investigators during the grant period |
Exploitation Route | Characterisation of new materials |
Sectors | Education Other |
Description | JEOL UK Platform Grant |
Organisation | Jeol UK Ltd |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | JEOL UK. Joint development of instrumentation and co-funding of a postdoctoral research fellow Johnson Matthey. Characterisation of model catalyst systems |
Collaborator Contribution | JEOL UK. Joint development of instrumentation and co-funding of a postdoctoral research fellow. Johnson Matthey. Provision of model catalyst materials |
Impact | Further co-funding of research students and post-doctoral fellows Jointly developed instrumentation and characterisation methods |
Start Year | 2008 |
Description | JEOL UK Platform Grant |
Organisation | Johnson Matthey |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | JEOL UK. Joint development of instrumentation and co-funding of a postdoctoral research fellow Johnson Matthey. Characterisation of model catalyst systems |
Collaborator Contribution | JEOL UK. Joint development of instrumentation and co-funding of a postdoctoral research fellow. Johnson Matthey. Provision of model catalyst materials |
Impact | Further co-funding of research students and post-doctoral fellows Jointly developed instrumentation and characterisation methods |
Start Year | 2008 |