Materials and Systems Engineering Laboratory

Invenio-S FTIR

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The INVENIO-S is a peak performance FTIR spectrometer focused on maximum productivity in routine and advanced laboratory analysis. Its innovative beam path, the premium quality of all optical components, state-of-the-art electronics, and all-gold coated mirrors lead to unmatched measurement sensitivity. Spectral range: 8,000-340cm-1 (standard KBr optics). Spectral resolution: better than 0.4cm-1. Mid-range N2 cooled MCT detector, VeeMAX III Variable Angle Specular Reflectance Accessory, Ge crystal. VeeMAX multibounce ATR.

Fuel Cell Testing Station

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Multi-range, high current potentiostat up to ±20A / ±5V including EIS & HFR (1mHz to 10kHz). Programmable Power Supply up to 100A / 5V. Whole cell & ½-cell measurements. Controlled Voltage or Current. Constant, Step-Stair & Scanning Modes. Complete flow bench with variable speed pump, real-time feed water conductivity monitoring & in-line purification. Single-pass or recirculating feed water operation, temperature-controlled tank. Integrated back pressure control with purge gas on anode & cathode. Product gas dehumidification & real-time flow rate monitoring. 892e Data Acquisition Module - 8 Analog + 8 Temperature Inputs. FlowCell-ETS® software for user-friendly system control, experiment sequencing, data collection & graphing.

Mass Spectrometer

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Hiden HPR 40 DEMS Bench Top Gas Analysis System, type 305250 including: Hiden HAL 201 RC mass spectrometer with Faraday/Electron Multiplier detector. Mass Range 200 amu. Vacuum pumping, total pressure gauge with interlocks included. Windows MASsoft Professional PC mass spectrometer software is included. Two DEMS cells type A, and type B. Working electrodes are included. A platinum reference electrode for each cell, type A and type B are included. Platinum counter electrodes required for both type A and type B cell operation are included.

Purair® Advanced Ductless Fumehood

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Air Science Purair® Advanced (P25) 59" wide ductless fume hood is a high-efficiency product designed to protect the user and the environment from hazardous vapors generated on the work surface. At the heart of the Purair® fume hood product line is the innovative Air Science® Multiplex™ Filtration Technology that creates a safe work environment over the widest range of applications in the industry

Sputter Coater

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The EMS Q150T S Plus is optimized for use with a turbomolecular pump, which gives a lower vacuum down to 5 x 10-5 mbar. This enables the sputtering of oxidizing metals, which have a lower grain size suitable for high-resolution imaging. Similarly, lower scattering allows for high purity, amorphous carbon films of high density. An automatic sputter coater for non-oxidizing metals. Sputtering targets include; Cr, Ir, W, ITO, Al.

SPT Labtech Dragonfly Discovery

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​Dragonfly discovery enables innovative, low volume liquid dispensing that is compatible with a wide range of applications including molecular biology and genomics, biochemical assays, as well as cell- and bead-based assays.

CVD Tube Furnace

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This custom-built CVD furnace is pre-programmed to produce advanced materials such as CNT, graphene, oxides and nitrides. It has 1200 C split-tube furnace connected with a diaphragm vacuum pump for pressures as low as 10 mTorr. A three-channel gas mixing control system with precision flow meters provides flexibility to grow 2-3 component thin-film materials.

Spin Coater

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VTC-100A is a compact spin coater with vacuum chucks designed for easy and quick coating via sol-gel for wafers up to 4”. The spinning speed is variable from 500-8000 rpm with two programmable segments. The package comes included with complete accessories for immediate use.

UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

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Evolution 201 UV-vis spectrometer is a double beam spectrophotometer that covers a range of 190-1100nm and has a fixed spectral bandwidth of 1nm. Thermo ScientificTM GENESISTM 30 visible spectrophotometer provides measurements in the wavelength range of 325 to 1100 nm with accuracy of ±2nm. It has several measurement modes such as scanning wavelengths, 1 or 2 fixed wavelengths, OD600 analysis, and quantitative analysis of absorbance and transmittance.

Agilent 1260 Infinity II LC System

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This Agilent's 1260 Infinity II LC system includes

• Isocratic pump with integrated degasser,

• Automatic Vialsampler wtih column heater,

• Refractive index detector,

• Dual channel variable wavelength detector,

• Hi-Plex H column,

• Chemstation software.

SRI Gas Chromatograph 8160C

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Multiple gas analyzer # 5 gas chromatograph includes -

• TCD and FID detectors,

• Methanizer,

• Internal air compressor,

• Two 10 port electric gas sampling valves,

• 3 packed stainless steel column,

• Solenoid controlled gas valve,

• Thermostatted valve oven,

• Temperature programmable column oven,

• Single injection port,

• Electronic pressure control,

• Pressure programmable carrier gas

Olympus BX 53 Optical Microscope

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This fully equipped optical microscope for materials research includes -

• Reflected and transmitted brightfield imaging,

• Reflected darkfield imaging,

• Reflected and transmitted polarized light imaging,

• Nomarski DIC imaging,

• Linkam PE-120 Peltier warming (-25 C to 120 C) stage,

• Motorized xyz stage,

• LWD Objective lenses 5x, 10x, 20x, and 50x,

• LC 30 3.1 MP digital color camera 

Form 2 and 3 SLA 3D Printer

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Form 2 and Form 3L are the most advanced 3D printers that uses Stereolithography to print high-resolution 3D prototypes. Some of the important features of Form 2 are-

• Maximum build volume of prototype: 145 mm x 145 mm x 175 mm with Form 2 and 300 mm x 300 mm x 350 mm with Form 3L

• Smallest layer thickness of 25 μm, 50 μm, and 100 μm.

• Laser spot size: 140 μm

• Solvent compatible resins

Biologic Potentiostat SP 300

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Potentiostat specifications-

• Biologic SP 300 

• 2 Channels

• Potentionstat/galvanostat board with EIS

• Current range: -500 mA to +500 mA

• Voltage range: -12 V to +12 V

• Frequency range: 10 micro-Hz to 7 mega-Hz

Refrigerated Circulating Bath

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Thermo Scientific ARCTIC A40, PC200-A40, -40 deg. to +200 deg.C, 12L, 115V/60Hz, Flow Rate: 24L/min., Controller Type: PC200, Voltage: 115 V, Frequency: 60 Hz, Capacity: 12 L, 3.17 gal., Temperature Range: -28 deg.C to +150 deg.C, Certifications/Compliance: CE/ROHS/WEEE, Cooling Capacity: 800w

Solid Analyzer

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CEM Smart System5 moisture/solid analyzer. Moisture / Solids Range: 0.01% - 99%, Weight Capacity = 50 gram with 0.1 mg Readability, Microwave Power: 150 - 300 Watts with active control, Standard Software: Constant Weight and Time, Fat, Moisture

Ion-Exchange Chromatography

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Metrohm ECO IC. The Eco IC is the entry into ion chromatography at a very affordable price. The instrument is particularly suitable for water analysis in routine operations and for training purposes at schools and universities. Included in the scope of delivery are the conductivity detector, the Metrohm Suppressor Module (“MSM”) and the software. Later automation for up to 36 samples and the use of Inline Ultrafiltration are possible at any time.

Karl Fischer Titrator

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Metrohm new Eco KF Titrator with integrated magnetic stirrer und touch-sensitive display is ideal for routine water content determination. Predefined methods enable a smooth and easy instrument start-up. In addition to GLP-compliant printouts on paper or as PDFs, the Eco KF Titrator also offers the option of connecting balances or of sending the determination data to a PC via PC / LIMS reports.

Electrodialysis Stack

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RED Stack BPM and AEM/CEM Electrodialysis stack consisting 25 membrane pairs of cross section area 10 cm x 10 cm.

DOBOT Magician

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​DOBOT Magician is a multifunctional desktop robotic arm for practical training education. Installed with different end-tools, DOBOT Magician can realize interesting functions such as 3D printing, laser engraving, writing and drawing. It supports secondary development by 13 extensible interfaces and over 20 programming languages, which really makes your creativity and imagination increase without any limitation.

Rotating Disk Electrode EDI 101

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The rotating disk electrode systems includes-

• CTV 101, Ba controlling unit for ED 101

• ED 101 RDE

• Speed range: 10 - 5000 RPM

Vacuum Oven

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Operate at atmospheric pressure or at a vacuum up to 30” Hg. Polycarbonate shield protects door glass from shattering. Ideal for carefully controlled processes such as desiccating, vacuum embedding, plating, and semiconductor processing. Control vacuum levels between 0 and 30” Hg. Silicone door gasket and positive door latch assure a tight seal at all vacuum levels. A three-way valve allows easy evacuation, purging, and venting. The front-mounted stainless steel vacuum line fittings accept 1/4” ID tubing.

Automated pH Probe

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Mettler Toledo InMotion automated pH meter.

96 Well Plate Electrochemical Reader

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Metrohm Connector96X - Acts as an interface between the screen-printed electrodes 96X format and any kind of (multi) potentiostat. Up to eight wells of the same column can be measured at the same time. Also, independent analysis of any well can be developed. Two manual rotating selectors allow to select the row letter (from A to H) and the column number (from 1 to 12) identifiers of the wells to be analysed.

C-Flow Cell - LAB 1x1

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C-Flow LAB 1x1 is a hand assembled electrochemical flow cell with the following specifications-

• Electrode area of 10 mm x 10 mm

• Electrodes spacing of ~10 mm

• Working electrolyte volume of 1 ml from inlet to outlet

• Cell frames made of PEEK

• Includes flow distributors in electrolyte chambers for enhanced mass transfer

LCS-100 Solar Simulator

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LCS-100 solar simulators are intended for researchers requiring the performance of a certified system over a small area of illumination. These 1.5 x 1.5 inch (38 x 38 mm) Simulators meet Class ABB as defined by the ASTM and IEC standards.

• Class A spectral match

• Class B spatial irradiance uniformity

• Class B temporal stability

• Low cost alternative for PV cell research requiring small area of illumination

• Standards compliant to ASTM & IEC for AM1.5G operation at 1.0 sun output

• Compact design - integrated power supply, ignitor, homogenizer and lamp housing

Phi Quantum 2000 XPS

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The Quantum 2000 is a high performance Scanning ESCA Microprobe with a minimum x-ray beam size of less than 10um. The patented, focussed, scanning x-ray source provides unequaled sensitivity for small area spectroscopy. Optical photographs, x-ray induced secondary electron images, or ESCA maps provide a point-and-click user interface for definition of analysis areas. The COMPASS software package used to run the Quantum 2000 sets a new standard for ease-of-use and automation capabilities in surface analysis instruments. Any type of ESCA experiment can be quickly defined and easily added to a queue for automated analysis. A new generation of ion gun and sample handling technology provide a superior depth profiling capability for thin film characterization.

Computer Workstation

Dell Precision Tower 7910 Workstation

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Dell's most powerful and scalable workstation featuring the latest dual Intel® Xeon® processors. Up to four graphics cards and optional RAID for up to eight hard drives. Following are the specifications of the workstation-

• Dual Intel Xeon processor with six cores (effectively 12 cores) and 3.7 GHz Turbo

• 128 GB RAM

• >4TB of Data Storage

• NVIDIA Quadro 8GB Video Card

• Software- Mathematica, Matlab, AutoCad, SolidWorks, COMSOL (coming soon), Adobe Photoshop, etc.

Sesame OCP Discovery v2 Edge Solution System

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This is a 4-node converged (compute & storage) system with a total of 128 cores, 512GB of memory, and 16TB of NVMe storage. Following are the specifications of the cluster-

• OCP Leopard V2 Purple / dual Xeon E5-2680v4

• 128GB RAM (16 X 8GB) DDR4 ECC

• 120GB flash SSD boot

• 4x 2TB NVMe M.2 flash storage (8TB total)

• single 25GbE SFP28

Shared Research Facilities

Electron Microscopy Services (EMS) at UIC RRC

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The Electron Microscopy Services (EMS) at UIC Research Resources Center is a central facility offering access to following equipment on a pay-per-use bases.

• JEOL JEM-ARM200CF: Aberration Corrected Analytical Electron Microscope (TEM/STEM)

• Kratos Axis-165: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

• Omicron VT-SPM: Scanning Probe Microscopy

• Renishaw inVia Reflex: Raman Spectrometer

• JEOL JSM-6320F: Field Emission SEM

• Hitachi S3000N: Variable Pressure SEM

Nanotechnology Core Facility (NCF) at UIC RRC

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The Nanotechnology Core Facility (NCF) at UIC Research Resources Center is a versatile MEMS/Nano facility with one of the largest clean room facility in Chicago-metro area. NCF hosts a wide range of equipment for microfabrication and testing of microfluidics devices, such as a Nanoscribe 3D laser lithography system, mask aligners for photolithography, Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), scanning electron microscopes and atomic force microscopes.

Research Computing (RC) at UIC RRC

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Research Computing (RC) at UIC Research Resources Center is geared towards meeting UIC campus' growing research and education related computing needs. Extreme is a heterogeneous cluster with multiple generations of Intel processors that provide users with fast processing capabilities. Each node consists of 2 Intel Xeon E5 processors. The system includes high-memory nodes having 1TB of RAM.

Compute Nodes – There are three types of compute nodes, segregated by their processor and memory configuration.

Generation-1 – 160 Nodes with Intel Xeon E5-2670 @ 2.60 GHz, cache size of 20MB with 16 cores in each node. 128GB RAM and 1TB local storage.

Generation-2 – 40 Nodes with Intel Xeon E5-2670 @2.50 GHz, cache size of 20MB with 20 cores per node. 128 GB RAM and 1TB local storage.

Highmem – Intel Xeon E5-4650L @ 2.60GHz, cache size of 20MB with 32 cores per node with 1TB RAM. 3 high-memory nodes for large data intensive and multi core parallelizable applications.

Total of 203 nodes. Each compute and login nodes run on CentOS 6.5