Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/V028855/1
Title:	3D Nanoscale chemical analysis: a FIBSEM-SIMS facility optimised for soft and composite materials
Principal Investigator:	Brydson, Professor RMD
Other Investigators:	Piazolo, Professor S Brown, Dr AP Ramasse, Professor Q Linfield, Professor EH Collins, Dr SM Schroeder, Professor SLM Hondow, Dr N
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Chemical and Process Engineering
Organisation:	University of Leeds
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	01 April 2021	Ends:	31 March 2025	Value (£):	1,726,123
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Analytical Science Complex fluids & soft solids Materials Characterisation Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	R&D
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 17 Nov 2020 EPSRC Strategic Equipment Interview Panel November 2020 - Panel 1 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
The increasing complexity of materials that underpin advances in the digital technologies, additive manufacturing, healthcare, food, energy, environmental and fine chemical sectors requires a step-change in semi-quantitative, isotopic and trace chemical analysis from nanoscale volumes, contextualised in their native 3D structure. Furthermore, with urgent societal pressures for sustainable NetZero technologies, rapid analysis of both synthetic and natural materials over multiple length scales, can facilitate their improvement and optimal utilisation. An integrated UHV FIBSEM-ToFSIMS instrument provides an important tool for surface chemical analysis with isotopic and trace element sensitivity and also enables 3D nanoscale chemical characterisation of materials over volumes of 100,000 cubic micrometres via serial ion beam sectioning. This analysis fills a pivotal gap within correlative workflows for the combined structural and chemical imaging of materials at different length scales: between that probed by light and X-rays, and that obtained using analytical transmission electron microscopy, and ultimately atom probe tomography. The new equipment will possess flexibility to study both hard and also soft materials, via the cryo-workflow, thus increasing UK expertise in analysis of important, hybrid organic-inorganic materials. Such a capability opens up new horizons for the characterisation of complex soft solids (and potentially solid/liquid dispersions) used in a wide range of medical, chemical, structural and electronic applications.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.leeds.ac.uk