This page describes facilities available in our laboratory and elsewhere on the MSU campus. The Facilities are subdivided as follows:

• Major Equipment
• Minor Equipment
• Campus Facilities

Major Equipment

The following is a brief description of the major equipment in our laboratory.

VSP Potentiostats

Bio-Logic VSP Potentiostats are our workhorses for electrochemical measurements.  We have two chassis, each with six available slots.  The following modules are available:

• Five standard potentiostat modules with 400 mA capacity and impedance capability
• One low current module with sup-picoamp resolution
• One 4A internal booster.

These potentiostats are computer controlled using EC-Lab software. Here are some guides to using EC-Lab:

• EC-Lab software Techniques and Applications manual
• EC-Lab software user’s manual
• VSP Installation Guide

Bruker Dimension Icon AFM-SECM

Nanoscale surface mapping with Peakforce Tapping for mapping of a broad range of materials such as cells and ceramics with minimal surface interaction. Additional approach “ramping” for force curve properties such as modulus and adhesion. Tip selection for measurements spanning a range of materials and measurements, from biological materials, such as cells, to ceramics and metals. With typical scan sizes from 0.5-50 um squares and variable maximum force, high quality images with minimal damage to samples is possible. Nanoscope software (Bruker) is used for analysis. Additional Details can be found here.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy with nanoscale resolution to map electrochemical responses with simultaneous surface mapping for location dependent electrochemical analysis. This data can be used to distinguish local kinetic and transport properties. Typical measurements include approach curves, cyclic voltammograms, and amperometric mapping of surfaces at constant potential. Additionally, scanning tunneling microscopy can be used as well. Electrochemical measurements are typically done in a 1.8-2.5 mL cell with a platinum tip and a silver quasi reference electrode (QRE) with a platinum wire counter electrode and optional 2nd working electrode set up (4 electrode). A tip radius of 25 nm represents the physical resolution with a larger effective electrochemical tip radius. Additional information can be found here.

 

Fuel Cell Test Station

Test Station (Fuel Cell Technologies Inc.) provides control of flow, temperature and pressure for the anode and cathode gases. The station incorporates a DC electronic load. The Station also includes two humidity bottles and a computer utilizing LabView-based software. The software is designed to gather and plot data for the I-V curves, life-cycle tests, and read a reference electrode. An AC-Impedance measurement system is available for applications requiring more than just DC testing. For further descriptions of individual items, refer the following link

ASAP 2020 Physisorption Analyzer

Surface area and porosity measurements based on nitrogen physisorption.  Analysis of adsorption isotherms includes BET surface area, BJH pore size distribution, and DFT pore size distribution, as well as many other techniques.

Micromeritics ASAP 2020 Brochure

Gemini Surface Analyzer

Surface area measurements based on nitrogen physisorption.  Analysis of adsorption isotherms includes BET surface area and BJH pore size distribution (mainly for mesopores, 2-50 nm width).

SpectraMax plus 384 Microplate spectrophotometer

The SPECTRAmax™ plus 384 microplate spectrophotometer provides rapid UV/VIS measurements of a variety of analytes. It measures the optical density (OD) of samples in both 96- and 384-well microplates or in a cuvette at a selected wavelength for a single point in time (endpoint), over a specified period of time (kinetic), or over a selected wavelength range (spectral scan).

SpectraMax plus 384 Microplate reader user’s manual

Cary 50 UV-Visible Spectrophotometer

Cary 50 features an incorporation of a Xenon flash lamp, which offers many key advantages over traditional UV-Vis spectrophotometers, such as:

• The maximum scan rate is 24,000 nanometers (nm) per minute.
• With a data collection rate of an impressive 80 points per second.

Cary 50 is controlled by Cary WinUV software, including the following software modules:

• Scanning software with Maths module
• Simple Reads module
• Advanced Reads module
• Kinetics module
• Scanning Kinetics module
• Instrument Validation module

Quick guide: Standard Operation Procedure for Cary 50

Tube Furnaces

Tube Furnace for pyrolysis of materials up to 1200 C.  Pyrolysis with or with out gas purge, inner tube diameter of 2.8 inches.

 Sentrotech Website

Minor Equipment

Plasma cleaner

The Harrick Plasma cleaner is used to clear surfaces and hydrophilize hydrophilic materials. The inlet valve can be used to feed oxygen, nitrogen, or argon into the chamber, or it can be used with air.  Manual is in the bookshelf, some details of operation are here.

 

Hygrometer (Humidity Sensor)

The hydrometer is a handheld, battery-powered sensor to measure humidity. Manual is on the bookshelf. Relative humidity range is 10.0 to 95%, Resolution is 0.1% RH, Accuracy is ±2% mid-range and ±4% elsewhere, Temperature range is -18 to 93°C. For more details click here.

The hygrometer is a handheld, battery-powered sensor to measure humidity.

Dissolved oxygen sensor

Coming soon!

Flow rate analyzer

 The agilent optiflow 650 uses bubbles to measure gas flow rate.  This is useful for calibrating flow meters such as rotameters and digital flow meters. Manual is here.

Vacuum oven

The vacuum oven can be used to desiccate samples at elevated temperature and near vacuum.  A manual for a comparable oven is here.

Misonix S3000 Ultrasonic Mixer

The S3000 is a powerful ultrasonic processor featuring programmable operation and a digital display of operating parameters. Popular applications include nanoparticle dispersion, creating emulsions, cell lysis and homogenization.  Adjustable pulse On and Off times can be programmed.

Ultrasonic Cleaner

Aquasonic Cleaner-VWR 50-T. Involves the use of frequency sound waves to remove a variety of contaminants from parts immersed in aqueous media. Typical applications found in the metals industry are removing chips and cutting oils from cutting and machining operations, removing buffing and polishing compounds prior to plating operations, and cleaning greases and sludge from rebuilt components for automotive and aircraft applications.

https://us.vwr.com/stibo/hi_res/VWR_Symphony_Ultrasonic_Cleaners_Operation_Manual.pdf    

Digital Microscope/ Nikon Eclipse lv150

This microscope provides excellent performance when inspecting semiconductors, flat panel displays, packages, electronics substrates, materials and, medical devices. Provides the ability to design configurations for individual application requirements by offering choices in the stage size.

• Accessory Catalog
• User Guide

Campus Facilities

W. M. Keck Microfabrication Facility

• Hitachi S-4700II FESEM with Edax EDS
• JEOL 840A SEM for electron beam lithography
• Bruker High resolution X-ray diffractometer
• DI Scanning Probe Microscope
• X-ray Microanalyzer
• Kaiser Optical Micro Raman Spectrograph
• Optical Imaging system
• AB-M Mask Aligner
• Resist Preparation equipment
• Edwards Thermal Evaporator
• O2 Plasma Etcher
• Sputter coater for SEM sample prep.
• Dektak Surface Profiler
• MicroAutomation Wafer Dicing Saw

Center for Advanced Microscopy

• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
• Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) – Biological Sciences
• Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) – Physical Sciences
• Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM)

Composite Materials and Structures Center

• Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor Permiation
• Ultracryomicrotome
• Scanning Probe Microscope
• Nano-Fiber Electrospinning
• Inert Gas Glove Box Workstation
• X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer
• Carl Zeiss Varible Pressure SEM EVO LS25
• Carl Zeiss Auriga Dual Column FIB SEM
• Raman Spectrometer
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter
• TA Instruments TGA 500 ARES Rheometer