The College of New Jersey will soon be joining the ranks of the select few undergraduate institutions with a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer through a major research instrumentation grant funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Benny Chan along with co-principal investigators Drs. Heba Abourahma, Stephanie Sen, David Hunt and Georgia Arvanitis were awarded $242,200 to replace the department’s current X-ray diffractometer, which has been out of commission for the past several years. With this grant, science faculty members have once again demonstrated their commitment to improving the quality and expanding the scope of undergraduate research at TCNJ.
According to Chan, X-ray crystallography is a key component of research in synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry. However, the significant level of expertise required to operate the expensive instrument makes it a rare to find at an undergraduate institution. He previously had to travel to George Washington University to obtain data for his research. “The X-ray diffractometer is the most important characterization method for my research and it was really a shame that my students couldn’t be involved,” explained Chan. “Bringing this instrument to campus is going to significantly increase the hands-on aspect of my research program for students.”
Dr. Chan and his team of four talented undergraduates study the synthesis and characterization of inorganic materials with the intent of learning their potential applications. Of particular interest are superconductors, which have the ability to conduct electricity with zero resistance, and thermoelectric materials, which can be used either in collecting waste heat to generate electricity or in cooling applications. In both cases, Chan said there are very specific structure-property relationships and the technique of single-crystal X-ray crystallography allows accurate and precise determination of the full three-dimensional atomic structure in addition to information about the spatial arrangement of molecules in relation to surrounding molecules.
“What I love about this grant is that it is mainly for research, although there will also be some teaching aspects,” said Chan. “[NSF] only awards these kinds of grants to institutions that are going to do research with them and I think that is really important for TCNJ in terms of our goals as teacher-scholars and in conducting high-quality research with our undergraduate students.” Expected to arrive over winter break, the instrument, in addition to its principal use in research, will be incorporated into inorganic chemistry courses and a new crystallography course.
The competitive review process of proposals submitted to the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program includes evaluation on the basis of intellectual merit and broader impact. Chan’s submission was among those selected from out of 801 MRI proposals accepted for review. With the long-awaited acquisition of a new X-ray diffractometer, Chan now hopes to receive more NSF funding for undergraduate salaries and supplies.